Talk of Shame

Welcome to Sage Take Thyme by Womena founders Elissa Freiha and Amira Salah-Ahmed.
This new podcast dives into our perspectives on relevant, topical issues that affect women in and from the Arab world. It will serve as a space for genuine exploration of the authentic experience of two women in search of belonging and balance, using storytelling to reclaim and redefine the distorted narratives that surround them.
 
Find out who we are, why we do what we do, what it means to be a feminist media company battling the algorithm, our thoughts on the U.S. elections and so much more!
 
First Episode drops SEPTEMBER 10TH but for our Apple Podcasts subscribers, the EARLY RELEASE of the first episode is available NOW.
  
Catch exclusive content and early release episodes only on Apple Podcasts by subscribing! 

In this bonus episode, Haesue Jo, expert, licensed therapist and director of Clinical Operations at Betterhelp discusses how we can better understand cultural and gender differences in shame, and how we can become more resilient to shame by starting the journey of discovering ourselves, our perspectives and our abilities.

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alya is joined by Rotana Tarabzouni, a Saudi singer, songwriter and host of educational comedy series “F*D & Blessed”.

They discuss working through shame and the grief that comes with letting go so you can move from shame to self compassion and authenticity.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss how shame fosters a silence that leads to a toxic culture of victim blaming, dangerous situations, bad choices and much more. Writer and radio presenter Salma El Wardany discusses with Alya the ways in which shame also contributes to rape culture and how the weaponization of women’s sexuality puts power in the wrong hands. 

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being open to vulnerability is often equated with “airing dirty laundry”, and is a societal trait that breeds shame. Holistic Healer Lana Almulla joins Alya to discuss how we carry trauma and shame in our bodies, how it makes us ill, and how we inherit it through our DNA. 

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore representation and the stories that make us feel seen. Egyptian Actress Sarrah Abdelrahman joins Alya Mooro to discuss whether it’s “easier to be yourself if you can see yourself.”

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do third culture kids form their own culture? In Episode 6 of “Talk of Shame,” co-hosts and sisters of Yalla Bye Pod (Mna & Hager) join Alya for a multilayered conversation on the cultural shame felt by those in diaspora and the consequential chameleon effect.

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alya talks to journalist Noor Tagouri about why do we and our communities care so much about 'what other people think'? The notion of a horizontal hostility and how we're more judgemental towards those who come from the same community/religion/beliefs as us because we expect them to live life in the exact same ways as we do. They also explore how gossip is used as a way of control in some communities. 

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do we need shame to be good people? Is inherent goodness real? In Episode 4 of Talk of Shame, Alya Mooro and actress Rosaline Elbay to discuss whether shame is a necessary evil and how society defines a good person. 

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alya talks to Saudi shadow worker Maryam Ghouth about the long-term effects of growing up with Shame on our mental health and how it contributes to the way we conduct ourselves in the world. Maryam introduces us to shadow work,  and how it can help people who may feel they are living a double life and exploring self-censorship. 

This episode also includes a conversation with licensed therapist and director of Clinical Operations at Betterhelp,  Haesue Jo. Who delves deeper into how we can recognise how shame manifests itself within children and through to adult behaviour.

Talk of Shame is a Womena Production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.