The Conversation

According to the United Nations, at the end of 2021, 89.4 million people around the world had been forced to flee their homes as a result of persecution, conflict, human rights violations or other events. Among them are nearly 27.1 million refugees. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women from Afghanistan and Zimbabwe about having to leave their country.Hajira Zaman is 29 years old and left Afghanistan in November 2021. She’d been working in a dentist’s clinic when the Taliban entered the clinic and told her she couldn’t work with a male doctor – unless she took her husband, brother or father with her. After threats from the Taliban she, her husband and young son fled the country. Hajira was nine months pregnant and had her baby shortly after arriving in Pakistan.Nyasha Masi is a refugee from Zimbabwe living in Cape Town. She was abused by her family for being gay and forced into marriage. She made the devastating decision to leave without her three year old daughter and escaped to South Africa. She now works with the charity Safe Place International and has set up her own group for LGBTI+ refugees called Pachedu. Her daughter (now a teenager) has joined her.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Nyasha Masi, courtesy Nyasha Masi. (R) Hajira Zaman, courtesy Hajira Zaman.)

When doubt creeps in about the faith you’ve grown up in and nobody will tolerate your questions, when you look at your life ahead mapped out by others and wonder where your ambitions fit - how do you step away? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women from Tanzania and Scotland about leaving their religion.Zara Kay grew up in Tanzania in a strict Muslim family. She faced disapproval when she chose not to wear a hijab, for moving abroad to study, and for her career as an IT engineer. But the abuse she received after expressing support for gay marriage exposed such hate in her community that she left the religion. On a recent trip to visit family in Tanzania she was arrested. She now lives in Sweden and works with an online organisation, Faithless Hijabi, supporting other former-Muslims.Ali Millar was raised in a community of Jehovah’s Witness in Scotland - spending Saturdays knocking on doors trying to convert people. As a teenager she struggled with trying to fit in at school and make friends while at the same time obeying the rules of her religion. Married young she wasn't allowed to follow the career she dreamed of. Realising her daughter would face the same restricted life, she walked out on the religion and hasn't seen her mother or sister since. Ali’s book about her experience is called The Last Days.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Zara Kay, credit Andrew Bott Phototherapy. (R) Ali Millar, courtesy Ebury Press.)

What would you do if a loved one went missing? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women whose lives have been touched by a missing person’s case, and now help other families find answers. Dr Chung Pham is an anti-trafficking specialist from Vietnam. When she was a teenager, she stopped the initial abduction of a schoolmate, who was later trafficked into China. After relocating to the UK, Chung became an advocate for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, often victims of trafficking or modern slavery. This inspired her to join Locate International, a charity helping relatives of missing people find their loved ones.Dr Michelle Jeanis is an assistant professor in the Criminal Justice department at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her research focuses on the best practices to help locate people who disappear and on the media coverage of missing people’s cases. She decided to study this topic after her friend’s sister, Mickey Shunik, disappeared in 2012.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Michelle Jeanis, credit Scarlett Davis. (R) Chung Pham, credit Hong Van.)

Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who bring electricity to communities in the US and New Zealand.Maureen Miller is a listener from Wisconsin in the US who got in touch to tell us why she is so passionate about being a journeyman lineman. She talks about bringing power to communities devastated by hurricanes and floods and she tells us about the skills required to do this extremely dangerous work. Laisa Pickering-Bryant is the first female distribution line mechanic at her company to work on live high voltage lines. She was born and raised on the Fiji Islands and she currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Laisa is also part of Connexis, a project training and mentoring women working in infrastructure.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Maureen Miller, credit courtesy of Maureen Miller. (R) Laisa Pickering-Bryant, credit courtesy of Laisa Pickering-Bryant.)

Why are friends who are always there for you so important? Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who’ve put friendships at the heart of their work to make hugely successful TV series. Marta Kauffman is a TV executive producer and co-creator of Friends and Grace and Frankie. Her ground-breaking shows, which have friendships at their core, have revolutionised the world of TV series and have broken taboos. Nicole Amarteifio is a Ghanaian film director and screenwriter. She’s best known for her show An African City, which chronicles the adventures of five female friends who return to live in Ghana after spending time abroad. The story is autobiographical and one of the main actors is Nicole's childhood friend.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Marta Kauffman, credit Okay Goodnight. (R) Nicole Amarteifio, credit Emmanuel Bobbie.)

Two women confronting the dangers of plastic pollution talk to Kim Chakanetsa. They’re sounding the alarm and working on innovative solutions: from an island clear-up that collected 750,000 empty plastic bottles to reducing microplastics in the air and waterways.Estrela Matilde lives on the island of Príncipe off the coast of West Africa – where her work to reduce plastic pollution has helped increase the number of turtle nests by more than 40 percent to 2,500 over six years. Estrela is a Whitley Fund for Nature winner 2022.Siobhan Anderson is a co-founder of a start-up called The Tyre Collective. They're working to find a solution to the plastic pollution caused by tyre wear. The waste from tyres as they degrade is the second largest microplastic pollutant in the environment – making up to 28% of primary microplastics in our oceans, as well as contributing to airborne pollution. Siobhan is from California in the United States and is now based in London.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Estrela Matilde, credit Fundação Príncipe & Yves Rocher Award. (R) Siobhan Anderson, courtesy Siobhan Anderson.)

There is no known cure for type 1 diabetes. Usually diagnosed in childhood, people’s experiences differ considerably depending on where they live and their access to adequate treatment and care. Without them, complications can arise which in the most severe cases result in death. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from Brazil and Australia to see how their experiences with the chronic condition compare. Janina Gaudin, from New Zealand, is an illustrator of comics about life with Type 1 Diabetes. She uses humour to document the realities of diabetes and discuss the stigma surrounding it as well as the insulin crisis. Beatriz Scher is an entrepreneur and digital influencer from Brazil. She has had type 1 diabetes for 21 years and believes that education is vital so that people can live fulfilled, healthy and happy lives. Beatriz uses her social media channels to raise awareness about the condition.Produced by Emily Naylor and Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Beatriz Scher, courtesy of Beatriz Scher. (R) Janina Gaudin, courtesy Janina Gaudin.)

Many people are scared of insects, reptiles and rodents and certainly wouldn't choose to work with them. Not today's guests. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women working in pest control about their passion for the job and the ingenuity and adaptability of some household pests.Patricia Page's father was reluctant to let his daughter join the family business. He didn't think rat catching was a job for women. But when the factory in Northern Ireland she worked at closed down he relented and she too became a pest controller. She loves her job because of the difference she can make to people's lives - she says sometimes it's 80% counselling, 20% pest control.Regine Lim is an entomologist from Malaysia and the first woman to become president of her country's pest control association, the MPMA. After leaving university she worked in the pest control industry for ten years before setting up her own company. She's since sold it to the firm she now works for. Regine actively encourages women to join the profession saying you never stop learning and having to come up with new solutions as pests are always adapting.(Image: (L) Patricia Page, courtesy of Patricia Page. (R) Regine Lim, courtesy Regine Lim)

Alcoholism is a global health issue which each year results in millions of deaths. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women to discuss the realities of addiction and compare their different paths to sobriety. Danijela Kovac from Canada gave up alcohol nearly 12 years ago. Years into sobriety, Danijela became frustrated at the lack of choice for non-alcoholic beverages for adults and created her own non-alcoholic wine company, Teetotaler Wines. Desiree-Anne Martin from South Africa is a recovering addict with over 17 years of sobriety. She is also an author, poet and addictions and trauma counsellor. She has written a memoir, We Don’t Talk About It. Ever, about her struggles with mental health difficulties and overcoming drug and alcohol addiction.Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia. (Image: (L), Danijela Kovac, courtesy of Danijela Kovac. (R), Desiree-Anne Martin, credit Benita Rixton.)

Many of us as children dream of finding a treasure map and digging up gold and precious jewels. For some that longing never goes away. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women from the UK and Canada who spend their free time using metal detectors to search for treasure.In November 2021, a British nurse called Elizabeth Bailey discovered a tiny gold book while out with her metal detector. She first thought it was from a charm bracelet but, engraved with two figures thought to be the patron saints of childbirth, it's believed the charm could have been given to a wealthy pregnant woman between 1280 and 1410, when it was illegal for anyone besides the nobility to own gold.Alison Walker uses her hobby of metal detecting to recover lost jewellery and keys for people around Ontario in Canada where she lives. Instead of taking a reward for finding precious belongings she asks that people 'pay-it-forward' to a breast cancer charity. She belongs to an international organisation called The Ring Finders and took up the pass-time 11 years ago after bidding for a metal detector in a charity auction.

Can a book change a young woman’s life? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women in the publishing world about the importance of writing stories that inspire and empower girls.Nnedi Okorafor is an award-winning Nigerian-American writer of fantasy and science fiction for both children and adults. Her books have strong female leads and draw inspiration from her Nigerian roots. Nnedi has also written comics for Marvel: she was the first woman to write the character of T'challa, the Black Panther, and she wrote a series about his tech loving sister, Shuri. She is a recipient of the World Fantasy, Hugo and Nebula Awards. Mel Mazman is the chief product officer at Rebel Girls, a franchise publishing books and digital content aimed at empowering young women. The company started in 2016, with a crowdfunding campaign for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a book featuring the stories of 100 inspirational women. Since then, they sold 7.5 million books in over 100 countries. Mel shares her insights on how the publishing industry is changing to cater for the needs and interests of younger generations of readers.Produced by Alice Gioia. (Image: (L), Mel Mazman, courtesy Rebel Girls. (R), Nnedi Okorafor, courtesy of Nnedi Okorafor.)

Collectives offer opportunities for like-minded individuals to unite over a common goal, approaching issues with a shared vision and democratic mindset. They can range in size from just a handful of people to thousands, and they have the ability to disrupt the status quo and be vessels for remarkable change. But what’s it like to start one? Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women who have founded female collectives making a difference. Aya Chebbi is a Tunisian diplomat and a pan-African and feminist activist. Named in Forbes Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women, she rose to global prominence as a political blogger during Tunisia’s Revolution in 2010/2011. In November 2018 she became the first appointed African Union Envoy on Youth, and was the youngest senior official in the history of the African Union. In 2021, Aya established the Nala Feminist Collective, which brings together 17 acclaimed African feminists to unite behind Africa’s agenda nationally and globally.Camila Montecinos Díaz is a Psychologist and therapist from Chile. She moved to the Netherlands four years ago where she co-founded Neighborhood Feminists, a collective based in Amsterdam which helps combat period poverty. They provide Dignity Kits with menstrual products and basic toiletries. Currently, they help over one hundred people each month and in total have distributed over 80,000 tampons.Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia(Image: (L), Aya Chebbi, courtesy Aya Chebbi. (R), Camila Montecinos Diaz, courtesy Camila Montecinos Diaz.)

Kim Chakanetsa meets two genealogists passionate about uncovering the forgotten stories of their clients' female ancestors. Kenyatta D Berry is a lawyer and genealogist from the USA. She is the author of The Family Tree Toolkit and the co-host of The Genealogy Roadshow on PBS. She caught the genealogy bug by chance, when she started looking into her ex-boyfriend’s family history. She is an expert on African American ancestry and on the specific challenges people who descend from enslaved individuals face when looking into their families’ past.At the age of 15, Belgian Marie Cappart started looking into her country’s national archives to find out more about her great-aunt, Maggie Nicholls. During WWII, Maggie helped three Canadian pilots survive in Nazi-occupied Belgium. She was later arrested and killed because of that. Marie went on to graduate in history and wrote several books, including Guide to Genealogy in Belgium. She is also the country manager for the online genealogy platform MyHeritage and she helps other people track down their ancestors. Produced by Alice Gioia (Image: (L), Marie Cappart, courtesy Marie Cappart. (R), Kenyatta D Berry, courtesy Kenyatta D Berry.)

From the first moving drawings that appeared on screens back in the 1930s to the highly imaginative, emotionally resonant filmmaking of today – animation has come a long way. It is no longer considered a pleasant cinematic distraction for kids. In fact, some of the boldest, most creative and slyly subversive filmmaking can be found in animation. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women responsible for bringing animated characters to life.María Cecilia Botero is an actor from Colombia whose career spans five decades. She has experience in everything from performing musical theater, to being a news anchor, to starring in popular telenovelas, to dubbing commercials and most recently voicing the character of the Abuela in the Oscar-Winning Disney film Encanto.Signe Baumane is a Latvian animator based in Brooklyn. Her first of many short stories was published in a local newspaper when she was 14. She went on to illustrate children’s books and create sets for puppet theaters. Since she moved to the United States to further pursue animation, Signe has written, directed and animated 15 shorts and two animated films. Her work has been showcased at over 300 film festivals. She uses animation to confront difficult, adult topics, like “Rocks In my Pockets”, which she also voiced, which covers the 100 year history of her family in Latvia. Produced by Emily Naylor.(Image: (L), María Cecilia Botero , courtesy of María Cecilia Botero. (R), Signe Baumane, courtesy of Signe Baumane.)

What's it like being adopted into a country far away from your birth and into a family that looks very different to you? International and transracial adoptions both come with challenges for children and parents. Beatriz de la Pava talks to two women born in Colombia and South Korea about trying to fit in and discovering more about their roots.Janine Vance was adopted from Seoul by an American couple along with her twin sister when they were six months old. A trip to South Korea in 2004 to an event marking 50 years of intercountry adoption caused her to think more deeply about her heritage. She found out that while most adoptees had been told they were orphans, this wasn't the case and parents were looking for them. She's written several books about adoption and wants to make the process of international adoption more transparent.Yennifer Dallmann Villa was adopted from Colombia by a German couple when she was two years old. She always had a passion to know more about where she'd come from and as an adult discovered a huge online community of adoptees searching for birth families and origin stories. In her 20s she went to Colombia to photograph and write about First Mothers looking for children who'd been taken and adopted. She featured on a TV programme there which helped her find her birth family and is currently living in Colombia.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (Top Left), Janine Vance, courtesy Janine Vance. (Top Right), Yennifer Dallmann Villa, credit Ina Busch. (Bottom Right), Yennifer Dallmann Villa with her birth grandmother and family in Colombia, courtesy Yennifer Dallmann Villa.)

It’s scientifically impossible to read minds, so how do some magicians seem to do it? Beatriz de la Pava delves into the world of mentalism with two renowned women mentalists who regularly amaze and mystify audiences around the world.Ava Do is a magician, mentalist and deceptionist from Vietnam who moved to the United States at thirteen years old. Growing up navigating two different cultural identities, she became fascinated with the subjects of perception and social psychology. After studying Psychobiology at UCLA and working as a crisis counsellor, Ava has spent the last decade turning her academic background and real-world experience with human behavior into a unique style of entertainment.Kruti Parekh from India began her professional career as a magician at an early age. As a child, Kruti performed on national television, and at the age of eleven she received the FIE Foundation National Award. She has been hailed the “youngest female mentalist in Asia”. Currently, she works as a motivational speaker for corporate events and impresses audiences with her skills as a mentalist.Produced by Emily Naylor. (Image: (L), Kruti Parekh, courtesy Kruti Parekh. (R), Ava Do, courtesy Ava Do.)

Beatriz de la Pava talks to birdwatchers from Zimbabwe and Uruguay about their passion for birdlife.Zimbabwean ornithologist Merlyn Nomsa Nkomo was on her way to secure a work placement to study wild dogs as part of her degree when she went birdwatching for the first time. It changed her life and she went to work in a vulture rehabilitation centre instead. She's now studying for a PhD in conservation biology in the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. She writes and blogs about her passion for raptors and is keen to bring more black women into the world of birdwatching.Florencia Ocampo started bird watching in Uruguay as a teenager after coming across baby falcons in a street market. While teaching herself falconry from books she became fascinated by the birdlife around her. Motivated by conservation issues she started birding and became a biologist. As well as doing ornithological research she now runs her own tour guide company, Birding With Me.(IMAGE: (L) Florencia Ocampo, courtesy of Florencia Ocampo. (R) Merlyn Nomsa Nkomo, credit Linda Nordling.)

Millions of people around the world love doing puzzles, and since the pandemic they’ve become even more popular. From complex sudoku grids to cryptic clues in crosswords, and recent viral sensations like Wordle, we have long been intrigued by them and make time to pursue them in our daily or weekly routines.But, for some, puzzles are much more than a pastime. What’s it like to solve sudoku competitively or create crosswords for a living? And can puzzles be a space for feminist expression? Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women to find out.Tantan Dai from China is one of the world’s fastest sudoku solvers. What was once just an elective taken at school swiftly developed into a professional undertaking. She twice won gold in the under 18 category at the World Sudoku Championship. She’s currently based in the USA, where she’s studying mathematics.Anna Shechtman from the United States had her first crossword published in the New York Times at the age of 19 and is now a crossword compiler for The New Yorker. She is also a Klarman Fellow at Cornell University and will begin as an assistant professor in the Department of Literatures in English in 2024.Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia.(IMAGE: (L), Anna Shechtman, courtesy of Emily Shechtman. (R), Tantan Dai, courtesy of Tantan Dai)

In the world of social media anyone can feel like a friend and become influential - and the internet is full of women giving tips on how to look your best. Kim talks to two beauty influencers with thousands of followers about why they share their lives online and what they get out of it.Dimma Umeh is from Nigeria and shares make up tips for women of colour. She's been creating content on her social media channels for eight years and has hundreds of thousands of followers. Her videos go from eyebrow-shaping tutorials and getting ready for a night out in Lagos, to going on a shopping trip and detailing how she's decorated her apartment.Rammal Mehmud is a photographer turned make-up artist in Pakistan. Based in Islamabad she has an Instagram and YouTube account called Le BeautyAffair. As well as make-up tips she uses her skills as a make-up artist to come up with wildly creative looks – turning herself from The Mona Lisa to Captain Jack Sparrow to a plate of fruit and veg. She says make-up helped get her through a rough patch and she shares content to help others with their confidence and mental health.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L), Dimma Umeh, courtesy Dimma Umeh. (R), Rammal Mehmud, courtesy Rammal Mehmud.)

According to the World Health Organisation, over two billion people around the world have a vision impairment which could often be preventable or treatable. Women and girls are more likely to experience vision loss, which limits their access to education and work opportunities. Today we meet two women who are trying to change things, one pair of glasses at a time.Dr Priya Morjaria is a public health optometrist from Tanzania. She’s an Assistant Professor of International Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Chair of the Public Health Committee at the World Council of Optometry. She is also Head of Global Programme Design at Peek Vision, a social enterprise that develops digital tools to help eye health services in Africa and Asia connect more people to care.Dr May Ho is a Malaysian-Australian optometrist with over 30 years experience in public and international eye health. She has worked in the development of sustainable eye care and education programmes in Vietnam, Cambodia, in the Pacific Islands and in Africa. She’s currently the Optometry and Primary Care Adviser at The Fred Hollows Foundation.(Image: (L), Priya Morjaria, credit Anne Koerber. (R), Dr May Ho, credit William Orr)

Kim Chakanetsa talks to two engineers from Brazil and Kenya about generating energy for the future.Wangari Muchiri is based in Nairobi. Wangari works for the Global Wind Energy Council and is coordinating the wind industry’s efforts across the African continent. As well as monitoring the construction of vast wind power plants, she works with donors, government agencies and local communities to deliver innovative sustainable energy projects in rural areas.Luany Gomes Dantas is based in Rio de Janeiro, working on global floating offshore wind projects for OWC, an ABL company. Luany is a naval architect and marine engineer. She’s monitoring the Brazilian offshore wind market and supporting the business development of the sector in the country.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L), Wangari Muchiri, courtesy Wangari Muchiri. (R), Luany Dantas, courtesy Luany Dantas)

Kim Chakanetsa meets two pioneering cinematographers who bring stories about women to the big screen. Rachel Morrison is the first female cinematographer to be nominated for an Oscar for her work on Mudbound, and she’s the only woman who’s ever shot a superhero blockbuster movie (Black Panther). Rachel now focuses on strong female characters: she worked on Seberg, a biopic on the iconic actor Jean Seberg, and is currently shooting a movie about Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, the first woman to win an Olympic gold for boxing. Lilia Sellami is a French and Tunisian director of photography and camera operator. She worked on international Hollywood productions, like Star Wars and Men in Black. She is now based in Northern Africa where she collaborates with female directors to tell the stories of women fighting for their rights. A feature she’s recently worked on, Dying to Divorce, was the UK’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2022 Academy Awards.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L), Rachel Morrison, credit Rachel Porter. (R), Lilia Sellami, courtesy of Lilia Sellami)

Our lives, how we spend our money and the decisions we make, are often guided by the advertisements we see - whether that's on the streets we walk around or on our screens. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women from Brazil and the UK who are in the business of influencing our choices.Ana Balarin is co-executive creative director at Wieden & Kennedy Portland, US. She works with her husband, Hermeti. After training as a physiotherapist and moving to the UK from Brazil, she switched to a career in advertising. As executive creative director she oversaw work for clients such as Ikea, KFC and Stella Artois - and ran projects like #FreeTheFeed, confronting taboos around breastfeeding in public. Imogen Tazzyman is one of only 3% of female executive creative directors in the UK. An ECD at McCann Manchester she's overseeing adverts for high street retailers like Aldi and Matalan. She's passionate about encouraging more women into the industry and supporting them to rise to the top: working on the first ever creative apprenticeship scheme, to open up the industry to those without a degree, and Represent Creative - an initiative using social media help those without experience or family links get a look-in.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Imogen Tazzyman, credit Craft, Manchester. (R) Ana Balarin credit Sofija Vujanic.)

Family businesses play a crucial role in economies across the world. It is estimated that they account for more than half of global GDP – but few family firms are led by women. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who’ve become the first females in their family to take over at the top.Caroline Fattal Fakhoury is on the Board of Directors of the Fattal Group in Lebanon. The firm started as a small company in Syria in 1897, and it went on to become one of the leading distributors in the Middle East, delivering food, beauty and pharmaceutical products across eight countries. She was the first woman to join the family business in 100 years and was named one of the region’s most powerful women by Forbes Middle East. She’s also the founder of Stand for Women, an NGO supporting women’s economic empowerment. Priyanka Gupta Zielinski is the executive director of MPIL Steel Structures, a steel manufacturing company with headquarters in India and the UAE. Priyanka joined her father’s company in 2008, when she was in her 20s - one of the very few women working in this sector. Under her lead, the company was completely transformed, grew and branched out in other countries. Priyanka wrote a book - The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide - and is a member of Women in Family Business, an initiative providing support and networking opportunities to women around the world. Produced by Alice Gioia. (Image: (L) Caroline Fattal, credit Michel Rawadi. (R) Priyanka Gupta courtesy Priyanka Gupta.)

How can we help people with dementia? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women from Singapore and the UK about how they’ve adapted to living with the condition and why they now want to help others understand dementia better.Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with young onset dementia at the age of 58. She wrote a bestselling memoir, Somebody I Used to Know about the slow realisation that she was changing, and the adaptations she needed to make to her life to cope. She's a vocal advocate for people with Alzheimer's and other dementia and promotes better understanding and care. Surprised by the lack of information available to her and her family, she's written a second book, What I Wish People Knew About Dementia.Emily Ong is from East Malaysia but now lives in Singapore. She first noticed something was wrong when she forgot how to make French toast, but it took her years to get a proper diagnosis for young onset dementia. Now 54 years old, she advocates for greater understanding of the disease and belongs to the Voices for Hope programme, helping people who are newly diagnosed or already have dementia. She says it's rare for Asians to speak about dementia and it's important to be open and spread understanding.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Wendy Mitchell, credit Jo Hanley. (R) Emily Ong, credit Clara Tan/The Perfect Statement)

Of the many different items of clothing a woman will wear throughout her life, there is perhaps none loaded with so much significance as her wedding dress, and finding the perfect one can be an enormous source of stress. Kim Chakanetsa meets two wedding designers who help women dial down that pressure by helping bring their bridal visions to life. Yasmine Yeya is the founder of Masion Yeya, a couture atelier in Dubai. She was raised in Egypt by a family of French descent and her heritage is reflected in her elegant and unique style, which is a blend of European and Middle Eastern influences. Nneka Alexander is the founder of Brides by Nona. What started out as a dress making favour for her twin sister has turned into a sought-after bridal business with its signature gowns of intricate detail and bead work. She’s originally from Nigeria and she’s based in Atlanta, in the United States. Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: wedding dresses, courtesy of Maison Yeya and Brides by Nona.)

It is estimated that one in four pregnancies will end in a miscarriage. But despite being a common occurrence, this topic is still shrouded in secrecy, stigma and shame. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who are using their first-hand experience to help other people heal. Wanjiru Kihusa is a maternal health advocate from Kenya who lost two of her three children through miscarriage. She’s the founder of Still A Mum, a charity offering support to parents who have lost their babies. She also trains health care workers, religious leaders and managers to better support grieving parents. Paula Ávila-Guillen is a human rights lawyer from Colombia and the Executive Director at the Women’s Equality Center, a non-profit based in New York. Since 2014, Paula has been working in El Salvador, a country where a strict abortion ban led to 181 women being imprisoned after having obstetric emergencies – including in cases where they said they had suffered miscarriages or stillbirths. In 2019, Paula had a miscarriage herself – an experience that brought her even closer to the women she works with.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Paula Ávila-Guillen, credit Pablo Salgado. (R) Wanjiru Kihusa, courtesy Wanjiru Kihusa)

Dry stone walling is an ancient craft that goes back thousands of years and remains an important means of enclosing fields in rural areas of Europe, and of constructing terraces for agriculture in more mountainous regions. But it’s a craft, along with other countryside skills, that’s practiced by fewer people these days. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from the US and Italy about their passion for building beautiful walls.Serena Cattaneo is from Genoa Northern Italy where the walls helped establish terraces for olive and vine groves in the mountains. She started dry stone walling five years ago and now, as well as working restoring walls, she also teaches the skill at workshops. She’s passionate about the trade and keen to develop a women’s network as she’s yet to meet another female waller in Italy.Whitney Brown was 26 years old when she met a dry stone waller at a festival in Washington, within weeks she was out on the hill with him in Wales wielding a hammer and learning everything she could about the craft. She’s since taken her skills back to the United States where she teaches others, but returns as often as she can to work in the UK.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Serena Cattaneo, credit Serena Cattaneo. (R) Whitney Brown, courtesy Whitney Brown. Background: wall in Sori, credit Serena Cattaneo.)

Mountain rescue volunteers are a rare breed: they’re on call 24/7, ready to risk their lives to save hikers and skiers who get stuck on the mountains. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who lead perilous rescue missions in Canada and in the UK.Kirsty Pallas is a mountaineering and climbing instructor based in Scotland. In 2014 she joined the Oban Mountain Rescue Team, where she’s a callout manager and a training officer. She’s also the founder of Our Shared Outdoors, an organisation set up to tackle and change the lack of diversity in the outdoors and promote underrepresented groups.Kayla Brolly is an emergency room nurse and a crew member with North Shore Rescue, the busiest volunteer search and rescue organisation in Canada. She’s been involved in countless rescue operations in the popular hiking and skiing mountains north of Vancouver. In December 2017, whilst taking part in a delicate rescue mission on a steep slope, she suffered a severe head injury.Produced by Alice Gioia for BBC World Service.

Men run most of world's cultural institutions, but in recent years more women have been given top jobs at leading galleries and museums. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from Australia and Germany about the importance of getting a woman's view on what's worth displaying and history worth preserving.Margot Neale Ngawagurrawa is an Aboriginal Australian curator and one of the world's leading experts on Aboriginal history and culture. She's Head Indigenous Curator at the National Museum Australia and has spent seven years bringing together historical and cultural stories of the Aboriginal peoples which till now have only existed in oral form. The resulting exhibition, Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters is now on a global tour – and in Plymouth, UK till the end of February 2022.Dr Stephanie Rosenthal has been director of Gropius Bau in Berlin, Germany since 2018. She studied art history and her work since then has focused on contemporary art and performance. The Gropius Bau has recently tackled the subjects of humanity’s relationship to nature, exploitative extraction processes and ‘how plants practice politics’.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Stephanie Rosenthal, credit Mathias Voelzke. (R) Margot Neale Ngawagurrawa, courtesy Margot Neale Ngawagurrawa. Background: Maruku Arts by Niningka Lewis.)

Sound is everywhere around us: from blockbuster Hollywood films to live music events, from broadcasting the news to speaking with astronauts in space. For every broadcast, big or small, there are engineers and sound designers working behind the scenes to make sure you get the highest audio quality possible. Kim Chakanetsa explores the world of audio production with two of the best in this field. Nina Hartstone is a supervising sound editor based in the UK. Over the course of her career Nina has received some of the industry’s highest awards - including an Oscar and a BAFTA Award for the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody in 2019. She is also known for her work on the films Gravity, Cats and An Education. Alexandria Perryman is a live broadcast engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where she supports astronauts with all-things audio: from helping them communicate with mission control to facilitating media interviews. She won an Emmy Award for her work on the coverage of SpaceX’s Demonstration Mission 1 – the first orbital test of the Dragon 2 spacecraft.Produced by Alice Gioia. Sound editing by Sue Maillot.(Image: (L) Alexandria Perryman, credit Norah Moran/NASA. (R) Nina Hartstone, credit Getty Images. The background image is the waveform of the opening six seconds of an episode of The Conversation.)

Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women who are making chocolate production both more sustainable and equitable. Vicki Bain is a South African chocolatier from Johannesburg who blends Belgian chocolate with the finest local and fresh African ingredients. Five years ago, Vicki left her job in environmental consulting to learn the craft of artisan chocolate making in Brussels. Her company, Chocoloza, is staffed only by women and has environmental and social concerns at its core. Treena Tecson from the Philippines is a professional chocolate taster and tree-to-bar chocolate maker. In 2017, Treena used her social media account to document the art and science of chocolate making. What started as a hobby soon turned into a small business - True Chocolate PH - and now Treena is also involved in cacao farming and post-harvest processing.Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Vicki Bain. (R) Treena Tecson, courtesy of Treena Tecson.)

Very few people in the world are blessed with exceptional musical talent that is apparent from an early age. What is childhood like in the spotlight, especially as a young woman? To find out, Kim Chakanetsa meets two musicians whose careers began when they were children. Tosin Jegede was a child singing sensation in Nigeria in the 1980s. She released her first solo album in 1985 when just five years old, and went on to release two more before her teenage years. From hiding from adoring fans, flying all over the country to perform and singing in front of Nelson Mandela, her childhood was anything but ordinary and she had to cope with publicity which went well beyond her music and its performance. Twenty-year-old Sujari Britt is a classical cellist from the United States. She began learning the instrument at the age of four, having already studied the violin and the piano. A year later, Sujari started performing in a professional capacity with her sibling trio. By the time she was eight, she had played at the White House for President Obama. Sujari has performed at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden, and with reputable orchestras in Europe, Asia, Canada and the USA.Produced by Emily Naylor and Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Tosin Jegede, credit Tosin Jegede. (R) Sujari Britt, credit Jamie Jung.)

Singing is said to improve your mood, relieve stress, help you sleep better and produce pain-relieving endorphins - as well as improving posture and boost immunity and lung function! Kim Chakanetsa finds out more about the benefits of singing together, and the strange world of choir competitions.Adwoa Dickson is from Jamaica. She is Choir Director for The Amies Freedom Choir, in the UK, which supports women who've survived trafficking. Singing in the choir helps the women relax and regain confidence as they explore songs and musical styles from each others' cultures and languages.Finnish choir director, Marjukka Riihimäki established the women’s choir, Philomela in 1984 and has taken their distinctive sound around the world, working with a composer and choreographer to give them a unique stage presence. Philomela won the Female Chamber Choir competition at the World Choir Games in Riga in 2014. Since retiring as a music teacher Marjukka also works with people in sheltered housing who have dementia.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Marjukka Riihimäki, credit Maarit Kytöharju. (R) Adwoa Dickson, courtesy Adwoa Dickson.)

It is not easy to be a woman on public transport. Across the world, you will hear reports of women being harassed, groped and even sexually assaulted. This has an enormous impact on women being able to take up employment and education opportunities, as well as accessing healthcare. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who are trying to change this. Angie Palacios is a Gender and Transport Specialist at CAF – Development Bank of Latin America. Her work focuses on researching and supporting projects that can improve women and girls’ safety on public transport. She’s originally from Ecuador but she’s now based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Joanie Fredericks is an activist and entrepreneur from South Africa who recently set up Ladies Own Transport - an initiative providing safe transport options for women in Cape Flats, a crime hotspot in Cape Town. Joanie, a survivor of violence herself, had previously set up a women-only driving school. Thanks to her, nearly a 100 women have managed to get their drivers’ licences.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Angie Palacios, credit Angie Palacios. (R) Joanie Fredericks, credit Joanie Fredericks.)

The first female known to have played rugby was Emily Valentine, an Irish schoolgirl, who played alongside her brothers in 1884. It took another 80 years for a women's team to be formed, and the first Women's Rugby Union World Cup was held in 1991. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from Uganda and Spain about the game's increasing popularity and how it's changed them.Patricia Garcia is a profession rugby player who’s competed for Spain in World Cups, Olympics and Test series, as well as appearing in 198 games over multiple 7s tournaments for her country. She now plays in the UK for Exeter Chiefs. She's also passionate about using the sport as positive force and has set up her own charity, PGR NGO, to promote social education and values through rugby.Winnie Atyang plays rugby in Uganda and uses the sport to support and inspire young women. Winnie became a single mother to twins when she was just 17 years old, and had to drop out of school. She says the rugby community is hugely encouraging: helping her go back to school and then find work to support her family. She also believes playing the sport gives her focus, confidence and ambition.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Winnie Atyang, credit Denise Namale. (R) Patricia Garcia, credit FER (Spanish Rugby Union))

Nora Fakim talks to two women about the health benefits of swimming in the wild.Rachel Ashe is the founder of Mental Health Swims, a peer support community organising wild swimming or dipping events in the UK. Rachel first tried cold water swimming in 2019, shortly after being diagnosed with mental health conditions, and during the pandemic she went from organising a monthly gathering at her local beach in Wales to running a social enterprise with over 80 groups across the country. Ilse Theys Woodward is an open water swimmer, a nurse, a swimming instructor and a lifeguard. She’s based in Cape Town, South Africa and she has recently taken part in the Freedom Swim, one of the world’s toughest cold water sea swim races. She’s also a member of the Phoenix Open Water Swimming (POWS), a swimming club working with underprivileged youths in Cape Town. Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Ilse Theys Woodward, credit Ilse Theys Woodward. (R) Rachel Ashe, credit Laura Minns)

Women from Brazil and the UK tell Nora Fakim how assistance dogs are improving both their mobility and wellbeing.Maria Villela lives and works in Brazil. She has glaucoma and was blind by the time she left university. As guide dogs are rare in Brazil, ten years ago Maria decided to email every international guide dog school she could to try and get an assistance animal. She was finally partnered with her dog Spirit through Guide Dogs of the Desert, USA. She says although she lived an independent life before getting her dog, Spirit has given her peace.Alice Moore-Simmons has brittle bones, a rare condition called Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) which causes her blood pressure to drop very suddenly. Alice was given her first assistance dog, Bella, through the charity Dogs for Good, when she was 15 years old. More recently she’s been partnered with Winter who’s trained to look out for signs of Alice passing out, makes sure she has her medication, helps her get dressed, fetches and picks things up. Alice says Winter helps calm her anxiety and gives her confidence.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Maria Villela and her dog Spirit, credit Maria Villela. (R) Alice Moore-Simmons and her dog Winter, courtesy Dogs For Good)

Rich families around the world employ butlers and maids to look after their expensive properties. These houseworkers have access to every aspect of their employers’ lives: they get to know their habits and their deepest secrets. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two former maids who worked for wealthy families in the USA and the UK. Stephanie Land is the bestselling author of Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, a poignant memoir highlighting the plight of overworked and underpaid domestic workers in the USA. Her story has recently been turned into the successful Netflix series, Maid. When she was 19, Sara Vestin Rahmani moved from Sweden to London to work as an au pair for a rich family. She thought she would only stay for a year, but she quickly became embedded in the family’s life, and was exposed to a lifestyle she never imagined was possible. She is now the director of Bespoke Bureau and the British Butler Academy, a high-end recruitment and training agency of domestic and elite service staff. Producer: Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Stephanie Land, credit Ashley Farr. (R) Sara Vestin Rahmani, credit Bespoke Bureau)

There are many thousands of people around the world trying to protect endangered species in their natural habitat – around one in ten of them are female but that number is growing. In Africa alone 18 different countries employ female park rangers. Kim Chakanetsa is joined by two women from South Africa and Zambia to talk about what they do. Tsakane Nxumalo is a junior ranger from The Black Mambas - an unarmed all-female ranger unit in South Africa working in the Greater Kruger National Park. Their job is to protect rhino herds from local bushmeat hunters and organised rhino-poaching syndicates. Since their foundation in 2013 they’ve removed thousands of snares and poison traps, dramatically reducing poaching activity and encouraging people to see the region as a resource for wildlife and nature tourism. Lisa Siamusantu is part of Kufadza, Zambia’s first all-female anti-poaching community scout unit working with Conservation Lower Zambezi. She’d had to drop out of university and was supporting her mother in their village in near the Lower Zambezi National Park when she saw a recruitment advert for this armed ranger unit. She says the training was the hardest thing she’s ever done, but now she says whatever she does in the future it will have to be with nature and wildlife ‘I don’t want to stop doing this job.’The teams are funded with money from government, non-government organisations and charity. They’ve both been recognised by World Female Ranger Day which is supporting women wildlife rangers around the world.Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE L: Tsakane Nxumalo, courtesy The Black Mambas R: Lisa Siamusantu, credit Matt Sommerville

It’s understood the climate crisis will disproportionately disrupt the lives of women around the globe. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two academics about the work they do and the impact of changing weather patterns on women. As the primary food growers and water collectors, women are hardest hit by floods and droughts. They’re also less financially equipped to flee when natural disaster strikes, and vulnerable to gender-based violence. Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is a biogeochemist – a soil scientist – at the University of California, Merced. Her research is focused on understanding how disturbances in the environment affect the cycles of essential elements such as carbon and nitrogen through the soil system. While extreme weather events often result in the degradation of soil, she says effective land restoration could play an important role in sequestering CO2 and slowing climate change.Dr Katharine Vincent is a British geographer working in southern Africa. Her research has focused on vulnerability to climate change and the adaptations that can be made. She’s particularly interested in how these changes impact men and women differently, investigating institutional aspects of climate change, adaptation, food security and social protection. Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE L: Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, credit Teamrat A Ghezzehei R: Katharine Vincent, credit Klaus Wohlmann

A man is twice as likely to rise to the top of an international non-governmental organization (INGO) than a woman. Kim Chakanetsa meets two exceptions to this rule. Amanda Khozi Mukwashi is the CEO of Christian Aid, an INGO that works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. She’s also the author of But where are you really from? Summer Nasser is the CEO of Yemen Aid, an INGO established in late 2016 by a group of Yemeni-American women in response to the crisis in the country where, according to the UN, 80% of the population need humanitarian assistance and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished. Yemen Aid is one of the organisations providing humanitarian relief to thousands of people on the ground.Produced by Alice Gioia. IMAGES: Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, credit Christian Aid/Alex Baker Summer Nasser, courtesy of Summer Nasser

The stereotype in the entrepreneurial world is that women are too risk averse to lead companies. But is that true? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who turned their start-ups into successful enterprises. Linh Thai is one of Vietnam’s top female entrepreneurs. She was brought up in the USA, after her mother fled their war-torn home country with Linh and her sister, who died during the journey. Her mum’s leap of faith inspired Linh to move back to Vietnam and become an entrepreneur. She is now a co-star on the investment reality show Shark Tank Vietnam and founder of TVL Group, a workplace skills training company focused on early- and mid-career professionals.Monica Musonda is a Zambian lawyer who decided to quit her high-flying corporate career to start her own company. She’s now the CEO of Java Foods, a food processing company providing affordable nutrition to the southern African market. She is one of the few Zambian women involved in manufacturing and agro-processing and she is a member of the UN Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGES: (L) Linh Thai, courtesy of Linh Thai (R) Monica Musonda, courtesy of Monica Musonda

What does it feel like to fall through the sky? Two women who have broken barriers and mastered the art of skydiving from India and the United States tell Kim Chakanetsa the answer.The very first time Rachel Thomas flew in an aeroplane, she jumped out of it at 4,500 feet. Fast forward to 2002 and she became the first Indian woman to skydive and set foot on the North Pole. In her 25-year career she has completed 650 skydives in 11 countries, has been a judge at skydiving competitions and has received many awards including the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award. Danielle Williams is an African American disabled skydiver who is an advocate for greater diversity in outdoor adventure sports. She graduated from Harvard in 2008 and spent a decade in the U.S. Army. She has completed over 600 jumps, and in 2014 co-founded Team Blackstar Skydivers. This team, originally made up of six African Americans who linked up in a "black star" formation skydive, has now grown to a diverse group of over 330 skydivers in six countries. She is also the Founder and Senior Editor of Melanin Base Camp, an outdoor blog promoting diversity.Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia. IMAGES: (L) Rachel Thomas, courtesy of Rachel Thomas (R) Danielle Williams, credit Ro Asgari

There are many different routes to parenthood. For a growing number of women that route does not involve waiting for a partner to start a family. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two mothers by choice about the joys and challenges of single parenthood. Marie Stern Olsson is from Sweden, where single mothers have only recently been given the same right as couples to access state-funded fertility treatments. She had her son through insemination in 2017. She believes that having a strong support network and a single parent-friendly welfare system made her choice possible. Supriya Deverkonda is based in India, where single people are allowed to adopt children, but there is still a strong stigma around single mothers. In 2013 Supriya decided to adopt a 5-month-old baby, defying cultural stereotypes around traditional family and marriage. Eight years on, she is still having to deal with bureaucratic hurdles and scepticism, but she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE (L) Marie Stern Olsson, courtesy of Marie Stern Olsson (R) Supriya Deverkonda, credit Arti Anand

Street artists from Switzerland and Uganda talk to Kim Chakanetsa about creating public art to enrich lives and bring about change.The Swiss artist Mona Caron is best known for her multi-story murals celebrating the rebellious resilience of weeds. She first became a muralist in her adoptive hometown of San Francisco, and creates images on a massive scale in public spaces. She blends her artivism with social movements, and enjoys working in collaboration with kindred-spirited artists and activists.Fatuma Hassan is a painter, graffiti artist and muralist who lives and works in Jinja, Uganda. She says she's never met another female street artist in the country and people are sometimes shocked that she's climbing ladders to paint her murals on buildings. She likes projects that raise community awareness and celebrate the African woman. She's part of the Afri-cans festival and has created murals in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya.Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE (L) Mona Caron, credit Chris Carlsson (R) Fatuma Hassan, courtesy Fatuma Hassan

Dazzling lights, fancy costumes, thrilling dance routines and the nightly applause of an adoring audience - what's it like to sing on the world's biggest stages? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two musical theatre stars about life on stage - and the challenges that Covid-19 restrictions have brought.Australian actress Jemma Rix is starring as Elsa in Disney’s Frozen the Musical. With no formal training she moved to Japan to start her career singing and dancing at the Universal Studios theme park in Osaka. This is where she was first cast at everyone's favourite green witch, Elphaba in Wicked - a role she went on to play on stage to great acclaim for eight years.Filipino actress Christine Allado has returned to the stage in London's West End after a break of 15 months when theatres were closed because of Covid-19 restrictions. She’s currently starring as Tzipporah, the wife of Moses, in The Prince of Egypt. She took a year out after university to work at Hong Kong Disneyland, singing some roles in Cantonese despite not knowing the language, and she’s never looked back.Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE (L) Christine Allado, credit Roberto Vivancos Studio (R) Jemma Rix, courtesy Jemma Rix

What does it take to run a country? Kim Chakanetsa is joined by two international leaders who have championed women’s health, equality and empowerment throughout their careers. They will discuss their personal journeys, the impact Covid-19 has had on the wellbeing of women around the world, and why more women should join the political arena. The guests will also be taking questions from two young female activists and leaders in women’s rights, health and climate change. Michelle Bachelet became Chile’s first female president in 2006 and served a second term in 2014. In 1973, her father was detained and tortured under General Pinochet’s dictatorial rule. Two years later she was also imprisoned with her mother and then exiled for four years. When she returned to Chile, she became a doctor and worked with victims of torture. She is currently the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Helen Clark was the first woman to be elected as prime minister of New Zealand and the first woman to serve for three consecutive terms. After her premiership, she became the first female head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and last year she co-chaired an Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response to explore the global response to Covid-19. She’s also board chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).

What's the appeal of a nomadic existence with no settled place to live? The award-winning film, Nomadland shone a light on the sense of community, support and friendship that exists among people in the United States living in their vehicles and moving from place-to-place. How much do these modern-day nomads have in common with traditional communities around the world? Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from Somalia and US about life on the move.Shugri Said Salh was sent to live with her grandmother at the age of six and enjoyed an idyllic childhood living as a nomad in Somalia: herding camels, raising goats, and enjoying nightly stories and songs of her ancestors. She fled her country’s brutal civil war living in refugee camps in Kenya before settling in California where she's now a nurse. She's written a book, The Last Nomad, about an almost-forgotten way of life full of beauty, innovation, and tradition as well as danger.Carol Meeks lives part of the year on the road in a converted van. After seeing the unhealthy food some fellow travellers were eating, she started a YouTube channel posting videos about how to cook tasty meals, cheaply on a small camping stove. She called it Glorious Life on Wheels and now interviews solo women living in their vehicles and travelling the US as they try to get by on meagre incomes.Produced by Jane Thurlow

While drag queens sit brightly under the pop culture spotlight, fewer people know about drag kings, the mostly female or non-binary performers who create male characters on stage and poke fun at the patriarchy. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two drag kings who have found a community through performance and are using their characters to explore their own masculinity and femininity.Mētra Saberova is an artist and drag king from Latvia, who performs as Timmy, and also manages the Latvian Drag King Collective – hosting and performing at live and online drag shows. She wants to create queer-friendly spaces in a country with limited rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people. Giovana Lago is a drag king who performs as Don Giovanni in Brazil, as part of the Kings of the Night collective. She has a real interest in the history of drag kinging, and is also a burlesque performer, something she would never have tried if she hadn’t discovered drag first.Produced by Caitlin SneddonIMAGE DETAILS L: Giovana Lago as Don Giovanni (credit André Cardoso) R: Mētra Saberova as Timmy (credit Mētra Saberova)