iHeartMedia and Podimo expand the Mexican femicide mystery Forgotten: Women of Juarez to 3 new languages released on International Women's Day

To honor International Women’s Day on March 8t h, the popular true crime podcast “Forgotten: Women of Juárez” is released simultaneously and globally in three new languages - a world first in the podcasting business. The translation into new languages will allow Forgotten to shed more light on the hundreds of Mexican women who have been abducted in the world’s most dangerous city, and on the misogyny and systemic sexual femicide in Mexico and around the world. Hosted by influential local voices, the podcast is launched in Spanish, German and Danish and is the first in a planned pipeline of locally adapted content initiated by iHeart and Podimo to expand the reach of powerful stories to bigger and more relevant audiences.

The adapted titles “Olvidadas: Las muertas de Juárez” for the Spanish speaking, “Vergessen: Frauen von Juárez” in German, and “De Glemte Kvinder fra Juárez” for the Danish listeners revisit and explore a chilling phenomenon in the Mexican city of Juárez beginning in the early 1990’s: Young women were abducted, sexually abused and killed during their trips from home to school or work. Their remains were later found in ditches, dumps and sewages - even in mass graves in the desert - but the crimes were never solved.

Eva Lægdsgaard, Chief of Strategic Relations at Podimo says: “The aim of Podimo’s and iHeart’s multi-language release is to broaden the scope and expand the reach of powerful stories to bigger and more relevant audiences, benefitting creators and listeners. But ultimately, it is about making sure these women are never forgotten.”

Originally produced by iHeartMedia and Unusual Productions and translated by Podimo, the adapted versions feature existing content from the original podcast created by journalists Mónica Ortiz Uribe and Oz Woloshyn. But also introduces new elements, including interviews with families of the victims and statements from journalists and police authorities on both sides of the border.

Mónica Ortiz Uribe says: “So many storytellers have come to Juárez to tell the stories of these missing and murdered women. And often the final project isn’t in Spanish, so it’s not something that the families, who make a huge emotional investment in the projects, can ultimately listen to and judge. That is why it is so important to me that we give them that opportunity.”

The Spanish version “Olvidadas: Las muertas de Juárez” is hosted by investigative journalists Rossana Fuentes Berain and Sandra Romandía (among the most influential women in Mexico), who guide their listeners closer to answers. Closer to understanding what actually happened in Juárez, and why it could happen? An understanding that is more crucial than ever, when it comes to raising awareness and stopping the violence against women - and the ensuing impunity. In additional episodes in Danish and German, renowned journalists Ane Cortzen, Düzen Tekkal, and Leyla Yenirce bring the misogynist themes of the Mexican story closer to home in Denmark and Germany.

“Olvidadas: Las muertas de Juárez” will be released exclusively on Podimo on March 8, 2021, and is the first in a planned series of adapted podcasts that bring important stories to life in a local context. The translated series will be distributed worldwide via the iHeartPodcast Network beginning March 22, 2021 and will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms.

“As podcast audiences continue to grow here in the United States, with more than 100 million Americans a month now listening to a podcast, the medium is also starting to explode around the world,” says Conal Byrne from iHeartMedia, and continues: “So, while we distribute all of our shows everywhere listeners want to listen, we’ve also been working on translating select shows into listeners’ native languages. This all ties back to our simple, consistent goal: Meet listeners where they are, so as to get the best creators in the world, the audiences they deserve, and brand partners the scale that they need.”

Ad funded versions of the show will be released on the open RSS feed on March 22n d in Spain and Denmark. In Germany, the show will be released both on Podimo and the open RSS feed on March 8t h. Bonus episodes will be available exclusively on Podimo in the Danish, Spanish and German versions of the show.