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...

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...

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 powerfu...

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 that no uprising ever fails—each...

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...

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 mi...

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...

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...

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 collabor...

In the next couple of episodes, we’re revisiting the Minangkabau matrilineal society, specifically through Ruhana Kuddus, Indonesia’s First Female Journalist, and 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...

In this episode, we’ll examine the Burmese Women of the Khit Kala, the women of the times, the “It girls” of colonial Burma. Beginning in the 1920s, they were seen in magazines, advertisements, and newspapers, a clear and controversial symbol of change that mirrors what other women went through in the Southeast Asian colonial period. Thank you to our patrons: Yati, Charlie, Shereen, Matt, Raymond,...

Thank you to our patrons: Yati, Charlie, Shereen, Matt, Raymond, Christina, Jennifer, Xiaomeiby Milish, Beverly, Alyssa, and Lawrence. This is Part 3 of the series on Meet Me at the Manila Carnival. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title of Miss Manila Carnival, then Miss Philippines, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part o...

We’re continuing our deep dive into the Manila Carnival, a two-week festival held during the early American colonial period which culminated in the crowning of the queen and her court at an elaborate formal ball. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part of the nation-building process. La...

In the next few episodes, we’re taking a deep dive into the Manila Carnival, a two-week festival held during the early American colonial period which culminated in the crowning of the queen and her court at an elaborate formal ball. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part of the nation-...

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the many lives of Emiria Sunassa, a pioneer of Indonesian modern art, who was also a nurse, singer, pianist, and traveler, who claimed to be a princess of the Tidore sultanate. Emiria was one of only three female artists in Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia (PERSAGI). The other two were Saptarita Latif and Tridjoto Abdullah. However, in contrast to the two...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE | A couple of months ago, I took a very memorable trip to George Town, the  capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It was founded as an  entrepôt in 1786 and was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia.  Currently, it’s the second largest city in Malaysia and possibly number  one in my heart. So, digressing from our usual format, this bonus epis...

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the Black and White Amahs — Chinese women from the southern provinces of China who emigrated to the Straits Settlements and the Malay States in the 1930s and established themselves as domestic servants par excellence. The beautiful song in this episode is Penang Hill by Malaysian singer songwriter RJ Kevin . HERstory Southeast Asia was a finalist at the A...

In this episode, we are going to meet Erb Bunnag, a woman whose photographs give us a rare and important glimpse into the early 20th-century Siamese royal court. Chao Chom (royal consort) Erb Bunnag is a rather unique historical figure. I’m happy to report that there ARE sources of information about her, although they’re mostly academic. "Erb's insightful photos of Bangkok women suggest the ease o...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Extremely excited to share this bonus episode with you on the 4 queens of Aceh who ruled from 1641 to 1699, beginning with Sultanah Safiatuddin or Taj al-Alam Safiatuddin Syah. Unlike the four queens of Patani, this was not an unbroken lineage.  EXCERPT: Khan argues that maintaining peace and stability so commerce could thrive was an even bigger challenge than the ones face...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. This bonus episode is supplementary to the Episode 16, Filipino Girlhood in American Colonial Manila, 1908-1939, with Tala Wong. Best if you listen to that first (if you haven't). Paz Marquez Benitez, born in 1894, was known for her athletic prowess, captaining Manila’s first girls’ basketball team, and playing tennis in European dress. In 1925, she published Dead Stars in the P...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. This is a Patreon bonus episode on Suriyothai, a queen who fought and died during the Burmese–Siamese War of 1547 to 1549. We go into the royal family drama at the time because it is a doozy and a half. And war elephants. I have a ton of feelings about war elephants.

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. In the regular episode, we talked about Dyah Gitarja, the third monarch of the Majapahit Empire. The Majapahit Empire lasted from the 1200s until the late 15th or early 16th century. Around 1500, there was a Chinese-Muslim trader who rose to prominence in that part of the world. This is a bonus episode about Shi Daniang, better known as Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbourmaster of Gr...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. The Krom Klone were the all-female bodyguard of the King of Siam. They were established in 1688 and were a well-disciplined force, responsible for the security of the royal family and the maintenance of order within the palace grounds.

PATREON EXCLUSIVE . This is an interview with Haldi Patra, a history Master's student, writer, podcaster, and Orang Minang. This is supplementary to episode 07, the Minangkabau Matrilineal Society. I would recommend listening to the episode first as we reference many of the terms I explained there like suku and pai merantau . This bonus episode is gonna be a lot more candid than the usual upload....