HERstory: Southeast Asia

In this episode, we tell the story of the Rani of the Jhansi Regiment, the first all-female combat unit in modern Indian history, formed in Singapore during World War II and led by Dr Lakshmi Sahgal, known as Captain Lakshmi.

Most of its members were teenage Tamil girls from plantation communities in Malaya and Burma, many with little formal education, who left estate life to train as soldiers in the Indian National Army. We trace how they were recruited, trained, deployed to the Burma front, and forced into retreat as the war turned against Japan and the INA.

Although the regiment never fought a major battle, its legacy reshaped ideas about women’s roles in anti-colonial struggle and military service. Drawing on historical research and oral histories, this episode explores how nationalism, class, gender, and war collided in Southeast Asia, and how ordinary young women briefly became part of a global conflict and a revolutionary movement.

Hosted by Agas Ramirez.Full script and bonus episodes available on Patreon.

All links available here.

Audio Clips

• WildFilmsIndia - Laxmi Sehgal of the INA on The Forgotten Army Expedition

• Doordarshan National - Speech of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
• Interkast - शुभ सुख चैन की/Subh Sukh Chain Ki - With Auspicious Happiness | Anthem of Free India

YouTube Free Audio Clips

• Theme Music - Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads
• Journey Home - Chris Haugen

Josefina “Joey” Veluya Guerrero—later Joey Guerrero Leaumax—was one of the most daring and effective spies in the Pacific War. Armed not with weapons, but with a disease long treated as a curse, this Filipina turned stigma into strategy, saving hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives.

Thank you to Feedspot for naming HERstory Southeast Asia among the Top 4 Asian History Podcasts, alongside History of Southeast Asia, Echoes of War, and Brown History Podcast.

If you’re joining the Akdang Pinoy Readathon, check out At Last She Stood by Erin Entrada Kelly—a nonfiction read for ages 8–12 about Joey Guerrero’s extraordinary story.

Special thanks to our patrons: Nur’ain, Shereen, Geraineon, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Chanda, Yati, and Christopher.

🎧 Bonus episodes, full scripts, and references on Patreon.📲 Follow us on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram @herstoryseapod.

Music:

• The National WWII Museum. Wainwright Surrenders the Philippines - Radio Broadcast.
• irateradio. World War II Pacific Radio Broadcasts.
• Hello 6am - Mylar Melodies
• Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads
• TRAVELATOR - Density & Time
• MEMORIAL DAY by Alex Productions

New season, new stories — this time, we’re diving into the herstory of Southeast Asia in World War 2. Their resistance and resilience helped shape independence movements, political landscapes, and ongoing fights for justice.

Celebrate International Women's Day by centering their stories and pushing to #AccelerateAction for gender equality.

Special thanks to @PinkTrashProject for their powerful song Babae, featured in this episode! Check out their links below:

• BABAE (Solo Version) by Pink Trash Project
• ⁠Spotify⁠
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• TikTok

As always, thank you to our patrons: Christopher, Shereen, Geraineon, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Chanda, and Yati. Check out the Patreon and follow the show here.

Audio Clips:

• Theme Music - Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads
• Lord Of The Dawn - Jesse Gallagher

• Al Jazeera English. Former Filipino comfort women demand apology from Japanese emperor

What was it like to grow up behind convent walls? In this bonus episode, we follow Margarita, a young girl whose world is shaped by the rhythms of Santa Ysabel Convent. Through the words of Antonia E. Lopez, we uncover a lost chapter of Filipina girlhood from 1915.
🔗 Listen now on Patreon

History often forgets the women who fought for freedom—but we don’t. In the last episode of Season 2, we sit down with Salud Algabre's granddaughter,Ana Algabre Hernandez, to understand her leadership in a male-dominated movement, her resilience in the face of defeat, and the powerful legacy she left behind.

Listen now and discover why Salud Algabre believed thatno uprising ever fails—each one is a step toward victory.

Thank you to Ana Algabre Hernandez for gracing us with this interview and thank you to our patrons: Christopher, Shereen, Geraineon, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Chanda, and Yati. Head on over to Patreon right now for access to this interview’s summary and transcript, and to listen other bonus episodes.

Season 3, on the second world war, is right around the corner but until then I’ll be posting a new image series called The Archives, where I will be sharing interesting tidbits from books and newspapers. So don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram @herstoryseapod.

In this two-part episode, we discuss Henerala Salud Algabre, a prominent member of Sakdal, a Filipino peasant organization founded in 1930 to oppose American colonialism and the ruling elites in the Philippines. She led an uprising in May 1935 in Cabuyao, Laguna to disrupt a plebiscite tied to the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which offered delayed independence. Always brave, sometimes controversial, here's her story.

Tracks:

This episode is about the overlooked history of female immigrants in colonial Malaya, spanning from the late 19th to mid-20th century. These women, primarily from Indian and Chinese communities, played vital roles in tin mining, rubber plantations, urban domestic work, and more. Despite their contributions, their narratives have been sidelined, reduced to footnotes in male-dominated accounts of migration.

Tracks:

Shoutout to our patrons: Shereen, Geraineon, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Chanda, Yati, and our newest member, Christopher. 

Head on over to Patreon right now to listen to nine bonus episodes including 

Along with the bonus episodes, you get access to full scripts and reference materials and you can also send me a message if you have comments or questions.

The last episode of Season 2 is coming out shortly so please stay tuned. It’s going to be about Salud Algabre, a prominent member of the Sakdalista movement, a Filipino peasant organization founded in 1930 to oppose American colonialism and the ruling elites in the Philippines. I’m really looking forward to this one and I know you’re going to enjoy it.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram @herstoryseapod. That’s herstory S-E-A pod. This podcast was hosted and edited by Agas Ramirez.

In this episode of HERstory Southeast Asia, we delve into the stories of the women of the Philippine Revolution. These "Katipuneras" (though we specify who among them were actually in the Katipunan and who were involved elsewhere) played critical roles in the fight for independence against Spanish colonization. The episode highlights their bravery, from leading troops and smuggling information to nursing wounded soldiers and running revolutionary organizations. By centering their achievements, we challenge narratives that overshadow these women by linking their stories to their male relatives. The episode is a tribute to their courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit.

Tracks:

Cover Image: Hilaria Aguinaldo on horseback photographed by Edwin Wildman, 1901

As early as the mid-1870s, Chinese pirates were trafficking Vietnamese women and children into China to be sold as slaves. However, with the arrival of the French in 1885, this trade significantly increased. Find out why in this episode.

ICYMI: last September 30 we celebrated International Podcast Day and HERstory Southeast Asia was included in Tatler Asia’s Front & Female editor's picks: The best podcasts by women and for women by Rachel Duffell. Thank you Tatler Asia!

Shoutout to our patrons: Shereen, Geraineon, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Shereen, Chanda, and Yati. And thank you to everyone who subscribed to the Spotify and YouTube channels recently. Join the Patreon here.

This is part of two of us revisiting the Minangkabau matrilineal society. In the previous episode, we talked about Ruhana Kuddus, Indonesia’s First Female Journalist. In this episode, we’re going to talk about Soenting Melajoe, the pioneering indigenous women's newspaper published from 1912-1921 in the Minangkabau community in West Sumatra.

Research and writing for this episode was in collaboration with Joanna Que, with additional research from AJ Miras-Guevarra.

If you haven’t listened to episode 25 yet, go check that out first as we’ll be referencing that here.

Thank you to our patrons: Geraineon, Lawrence, Beverly, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Asha, Chanda, and Yati.

For more HERstory Southeast Asia, head on over to Patreon for the bonus episodes:

Along with the bonus episodes, you get access to full scripts and reference materials.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod. That’s herstory S-E-A pod. This podcast was hosted and edited by Agas Ramirez.

Tracks: