A slash of lipstick. A certain bag. Shoes. A book. Props come in all shapes and sizes. We use them when we step out to say something about ourselves, to shield ourselves to signal to others who we are. In this episode of City of Women we draw upon our shared experiences and those of the women we know, to tell two interconnected stories about props both animate and inanimate.

Have you ever had a fight on the street? As a pedestrian, a driver, a commuter on public transport? What triggered you? Maybe you were already having a bad day. Maybe it was one more motorist going the wrong way on a one way street. Maybe your personal space was being invaded and you decided you just weren’t going to have it anymore.

Hi everyone. We’re not releasing an episode this week, because, well, this is going to be a crazy week. We thought we would leave you with a small taste of an ongoing side project that we’re calling An Anthology of Womens’ Laughter. We’ll be back next week with the regular episode.

You’ve got guts yaaa!’ How many times have you been called gutsy or brave for doing something… well normal? An early morning run alone? A solo trip? Moving to a new city? Are they acts of bravery? Or are normal things that get cast as brave because you’re a woman doing it? And what about all the times you did these things and… nothing bad happened?

How often have you been walking down the street, running an errand or riding the bus when you see something… and you do a double take. Your eyes keep going back to it and your brain goes into overdrive: ‘IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?’ Yes, it’s EXACTLY what you think it is.

Whether you mass bunked to catch a first day first show or snuck off alone to escape real life for a few hours, movies have always been a form of escape. In this very first episode of City of Women, we ask what it is about the cinema that makes women feel so free.

Welcome to City of Women!

Join hosts Radhika Viswanathan and Samyuktha Varma as they ask women about their most treasured experiences of fun and freedom, and the stories of what it took to have them.

City of Women is supported by the Google Podcasts creator program and PRX and it’s coming soon!

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts, or on our website. Do it, now. Or slide into our DMs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.