In their book, Why Loiter?, Shilpa Phadke, Sameera Khan, and Shilpa Ranade asked their readers to imagine a city where the streets were full of chatting, laughing and breastfeeding women, women exchanging work notes, and women freely sitting about sipping cups of tea. “If you can imagine this, you’re imagining a radically different city,” they noted.

More than a decade has passed since the publication of the book, but not much has changed drastically. Public spaces remain gendered. The ways in which women negotiate spaces for themselves continue to evolve. Tapping into this inquiry, the City of Women podcast documents stories from women around the country who have had brief encounters with freedom in public spaces. Although the podcast began its early run interviewing women from Bengaluru in 2020, they have included voices from more cities today. Each episode spans approximately 10 to 15 minutes.