A PODCAST aiming to amplify the voices of young people is proving popular.

Young, Female & Opinionated (YFO) is the brainchild of two teenagers (and lifelong friends) - Maisy Evans and Poppy Stowell-Evans - and has already had hundreds of listens.

Maisy, 16, is a student at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool - studying maths and the sciences - and a strong supporter of youth engagement in politics.

16-year-old Poppy is studying at Newport's Llanwern High School, is a feminist and a strong advocate for equality, social justice and human rights. She is a passionate climate change activist and an internationalist, believing countries should work together where beneficial.

YFO has three episodes so far: an introduction to themselves and their podcast, an episode on the expectations they face in their lives, and an episode on coronavirus.

Maisy said: “We started this podcast together because we’re female and opinionated. It’s been awesome so far, with hundreds of listens already!”

“It’s been a pleasant surprise,” added Poppy.

“People our age have been really supportive; it’s proved that young people listen and relate to these things. We’ve had no horrible comments yet.”

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The podcast focuses on a diverse range of topics and issues which ‘you might not bring up around the dinner table.’

Upcoming topics include self-discovery, sexual health, abortion, the climate, plus some lighter content to get to know the presenters.

The pair hope to eventually get guests on the podcast who can share their own experiences and insights. Their aim is to release a new episode once a fortnight at 6pm on Thursdays.

Poppy explained: “We are passionate and involved with a few different things; we wanted a platform to express and share perspective.

“We hope our podcast will help us and our audience to be more informed and more engaged.”

Maisy added that the two may not always agree on things, but it’s okay to have different opinions – YFO aims to ‘amplify youth voice’ while showing ‘kindness and tolerance.’

“Young people are the driving force for change, and we want to spark a conversation,” explained Maisy.

Young, Female and Opinionated is available on various online platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Listen Notes and OwlTail.

Those interested in finding out more, or wanting to get involved, can find the podcast on Twitter @YFO_Podcast or e-mail them at youngfemaleandopinionated@gmail.com