The belief that policy change begins with a narrative change fueled the launch of the podcast Green Tide Rising. Hosted by Asha Dahya and Monica Morales-Garcia, the eight-episode series champions the stories of women driving the Green Wave movement in Latin America and the Caribbean, which shaped some of the most progressive abortion policies in the world. Their courage, determination, and massive successes inspire listeners as we face unprecedented challenges to abortion access. The power of storytelling fuels movements and the voices of the Green Wave remind us that we are the ones who will carry forward the fight for reproductive justice.
Asha reports that Green Tide Rising has had an extraordinary first season run and said, “Much like the Green Wave movement, Green Tide Rising Season One has grown solely through word of mouth, grassroots support, and organic marketing – without any paid ads – showcasing our remarkable success.” The first eight episodes featured 44 organizations and activists across the Americas. They achieved 1,516 total downloads, with an average 100+ monthly downloads and a seven-day download average that placed them in the top 50% of podcasts worldwide.
Targeting two of the fastest growing demographics of new voters in the U.S.—Latines and Gen Z—Green Tide Rising meets them where they are: podcast and short-form video platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) and a recent impact statement showed the numbers that performed well above average on all social media platforms:
- Instagram: 5.4% average engagement rate (well above the platform’s 1-3% average).
- TikTok: 3.95% engagement rate (platform average: 2.56%).
- Substack: Highest open rate of 82% (platform average: 40-70%).
- YouTube: 11% engagement rate (platform average: 3.5%).
- X (formerly Twitter): 10,957 total impressions and an average engagement rate of 5.1%.
- TikTok Views: 21,992 total.
- Instagram Views: 74,222 total.
There was an almost equal split between English and bilingual Green Tide Rising episode downloads, with English episode downloads accounting for 53% of all downloads and 47% for bilingual. However, during October and November—two-thirds of their release window—bilingual episodes outperformed those in English, contributing between 57% and 60% of all downloads. The top-performing podcast episode was Election 2024 Recap: This is Not the End of the Fight, and the highest-viewed video episode was ENTONCES Ep 1 | Argentina.
Green Tide Rising’s strategic outreach focused on audiences living in states with restrictive laws and upcoming abortion ballot measures. The impact statement reported a global reach, with listeners in 10 countries, including the U.S., Singapore, Colombia, Mexico, Sweden, Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Spain, and Argentina. In the United States, Green Tide Rising expanded its reach to 35 states, with three of the top five cities, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among the most Latino-populated in the country.
It’s the stories that are fueling the podcast’s success like those told through the eyes of feminist lawyer and reproductive rights advocate Ximena Casas Isaza, who introduced listeners to the people who were on the ground as these revolutionary changes unfolded and who have turned the fight for reproductive freedom into a powerful feminist movement. Their unwavering dedication to changing abortion laws and ensuring access to care can serve as both a blueprint and an inspiration to activists and citizens in the U.S. Then there’s Teodora Vasquez of El Salvadore, who was sentenced to 30 years for having a stillbirth in a country where abortion is banned. After serving 10 years, Teodora shared her story—turning it into activism—to support the human rights of other women. Hearing her voice and the voices of others brings home the dangers of a national abortion ban in the U.S. Their heroic actions in defense of human rights inspire women worldwide to stand up and speak out for reproductive freedom and support for the health and welfare of women.
For more perspectives about the focus of Green Tide Rising and the lessons learned from countries that restrict and criminalize reproductive freedoms, read Asha Dayha’s earlier guest post on the launch and planned features of Green Tide Rising.