8 best podcasts for women in Singapore: Top picks on career, motherhood, health, dating and love

CNA

01-06-2025

The best thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them anywhere, anytime, as long as you have a device that plays them. While they can simply entertain or even introduce us to a whole genre we never knew we were interested in – hello, true crime podcasts – they can also inform.
For women looking to find out more about health, parenting or career-related issues, here are eight local podcasts – all free – that delve into these topics.
WHAT THE F: FROM INFERTILITY EXHAUSTION TO PEACE BY TINA PADIA
Tina Padia launched the podcast in January because she had been through a four-year fertility journey and knows how it feels to be 'in that dark and lonely place where I sometimes felt completely helpless'.
She describes What The F as 'a safe haven, a lifeline' for women going through fertility struggles.
'There is no judgement here or unwanted triggering advice around what you should and shouldn't be doing,' she told CNA Women.
Padia is a certified and accredited life coach and fertility coach, and felt it was important to talk about the need for a more holistic, empathetic and compassionate approach to the emotional needs of women – and couples – going through fertility treatment. It's especially so in Singapore and Asia as fertility clinics and hospitals often don't provide this, she said.
'There isn't a podcast specifically for women affected by infertility in Singapore so I'm here to try and make sure no one else has to go through this journey feeling isolated, guilty or shameful about what they're going through or feeling,' she said.
Episodes range from Padia talking about balancing work and fertility treatments, to healing after an unsuccessful IVF cycle and how to support someone undergoing fertility treatments.
THE BIRTH OF A MOTHER BY CLARITY SINGAPORE
Launched in April, this podcast by mental health charity Clarity Singapore was started to bring about awareness and education to mums about maternal mental health, such as what symptoms to look out for, knowing when to seek professional help, as well as what is considered normal and not normal.
Cindy Khong, senior mental health counsellor at Clarity Singapore, said: 'It's also to encourage mothers to seek help and know that they do not need to journey alone in their struggles and pain, by improving access to information regarding perinatal experiences for them and their families.
'Plus, to instil hope and inspire help-seeking for families, and reduce the stigma surrounding maternal mental health by sharing personal experiences of mothers' real struggles,' added Khong, who also leads the charity's Clarity for Moms programme, which provides support for expecting and postnatal mums facing emotional challenges.
The four episodes feature personal stories from mums who have experienced perinatal depression and anxiety, as well as expert advice from Dr Gillian Lim, a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health.
The team is currently going through feedback from the first run, to decide if more episodes will be made.
Listen to The Birth Of A Mother here.
THE FORTIES FORMULA BY AMANDA LIM AND JASMIN DHILLON
Amanda Lim is a metabolic health coach while Jasmin Dhillon is a nutritional health coach. The wellness pros believed something was missing in the conventional health messaging given to 40-something women, so they wanted to connect with this group of women looking for a more nuanced approach.
On the podcast, they chat with experts about perimenopause management, strength training in your forties, having a low sex drive, and makeup for mature skin.
Dhillon revealed they have a younger audience too, who feel that the podcast is 'like a harbinger of what's to come, helping younger women make better decisions now to improve their future wellness lives'.
'Our content is for any woman looking to gather multiple perspectives, hear a wealth of different insights and potentially make significant lifestyle changes based on expert opinion and informed advice from a diversity of wellness professionals,' she added.
Listen to The Forties Formula here. Catch new episodes every Thursday at 7am.
MAKE IT WORK BY SARAH WONG
Sarah Wong spent six years in Silicon Valley's fast-paced tech scene and experienced burnout upon returning to Singapore. The mother-of-two sought stories of working mums who redefined success on their own terms, making bold career shifts while prioritising what mattered most.
'Their insights were too valuable to keep to myself, so Make It Work was born. A podcast for ambitious mums navigating career and family on their terms,' Wong told CNA Women.
Wong speaks to mums working in various fields and gets advice on topics such as parenting in a digital age, how to build your professional village and finding strength through vulnerability.
She recommends her podcast for working mothers who are wondering if they can 'have it all' and are looking for inspiration, practical advice and a supportive community.
'It will especially resonate if you are considering or have made career shifts to better align with your family life,' she added.
Wong also frequently shares episode highlights, curated parenting inspiration, advice and a dose of parent-life comedy on Make It Work's Instagram and TikTok accounts.
JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR BY MARISSA TREW AND HANLI HOEFER
Listen to two young, mixed-race women in Singapore discuss everything from mental health to sex positivity to pondering the answer to the age-old question – can men and women really be friends? It's an insight to the thoughts of young Asian women and their take on modern life.
The two longtime friends chat candidly about topics relevant to women in their twenties and thirties. They also interview personalities from various fields, tackling issues such as sexual health, breast cancer and investing.
The podcast kicked off in March 2020, with the last episode released in November 2024. There are 102 episodes to get through so strap in for a fun, informative ride with Melissa Trew and Hanli Hoefer. If you prefer to watch them in action, there are also some episodes on YouTube.
Listen to Just So We're Clear here.
WOMANKIND BY CNA WOMEN
The CNA Women team started the Womankind podcast because they felt there was more about women's issues that could be explored beyond their digital stories.
When you tune in to this podcast, it feels like you're part of a conversation with friends, with topics related directly to women, explored in a friendly and relatable manner by its hosts, Penelope Chan and Hidayah Salamat.
There are eight episodes, which touch on a wide range of topics, from women's health to dating and motherhood.
Find out why we dread women's health tests (that Pap smear), whether maternal instinct is a myth, how self-care for mums is crucial, why women are more prone to burnout, why we find it so hard to ask for help and how woman can achieve sexual equality between the sheets.
Listen to Womankind here.
CAN'T KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT BY NIXALINA WATSON
Nixalina Watson brought her brand, Sex & London City, to Singapore in 2019, creating a digital platform called Sex & Singapore City. She's a writer by trade and this was a website that included sex, dating and love articles – what she was famed for in her native United Kingdom.
A month after the website went live, she received an e-mail from a studio in Singapore, asking if she'd consider doing a podcast on the topics she writes about.
This led to the launch of the Sex & Singapore City podcast and it became an immediate hit, topping Spotify charts and being included in the Louis Vuitton Singapore Travel Guide, among other accolades.
'I realised it was being listened to in 68 countries so I rebranded it to Can't Keep My Mouth Shut, and the rest, as they say, is history,' Watson said.
Watson admitted she 'had zero intention to become a podcaster'. However, her brand of straight-talking chats about love, dating, sex and everything in between resonated with her audience 'who enjoy unfiltered, brutally honest conversational podcast episodes that leave you feeling inspired or sad, in fits of laughter or even simply life-focused – depending on the topic'.
She has spoken about topics such as long-distance relationships, abusive relationships, egg freezing and dating apps.
Listen to Can't Keep My Mouth Shut here. A new episode drops every Monday evening but Watson sometimes takes a break from recording, 'just to keep the creative juices flowing'.
THE PARENTING REVIVAL PODCAST BY SHARANYA V
As a marriage and early parenting coach, Sharanya helps families navigate the complexities of early parenthood. She launched the podcast as she recognised the challenges of balancing marriage, mental health and parenting.
'I aimed to offer practical strategies and real-life insights to help parents restore harmony and confidence in their family lives and overall wholesome happiness for everyone in the family,' she said.
Parents of young children can get advice on issues such as parental guilt, your child's sleeping habits, the importance of empathy in relationships and how to better connect with your husband.
'This podcast is designed for parents, especially those with young children, who seek guidance on managing sleep deprivation, marital dynamics and parenting challenges,' Sharanya said. 'It's also beneficial for caregivers interested in fostering a balanced and fulfilling family environment.'