The Conversation

Two women restoring forest in Brazil and Nepal tell Kim Chakanetsa about working with local communities to plant thousands of trees and restore the natural environment. Francy Forero Sánchez is a Colombian primate researcher who volunteers with the environmental organisation Copaiba. It works with the community to restore parts of the Atlantic Forest in south eastern Brazil - one of the most endangered and biodiverse in the world. Run mainly by women the project produces native tree seedlings, plants trees and runs environmental education programmes.Rachhya Kayastha fell in love with the natural world around her as a child in Nepal and would gather school friends to plant flowers in her neighbourhood. She's now National Director in Nepal for the US charity, Eden Reforestation Projects. The organisation sets up seed collection stations, develops plant nurseries and reforestation schemes giving work to local people, mostly women. Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE DETAILS Francy Forero Sánchez (courtesy Francy Forero Sánchez) Rachhya Kayastha (courtesy Eden Reforestation Projects)

Women throughout the centuries have put their hiking boots on and set out into the great outdoors, but their stories are rarely told. Kim Chakanetsa is joined by two women who, through their own writing and journeys, are helping to change that. Cheryl Strayed is the author of Wild, a bestselling memoir of her 1100 mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Cheryl impulsively embarked on the hike after her mother suddenly died of cancer and her marriage crumbled, without any experience of long-distance hiking. The Oscar-nominated movie adaptation of Wild stars Reese Witherspoon. Cheryl is also the author of Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough. She was the host of the New York Times podcast Dear Sugars.Dr Kerri Andrews teaches Literature at Edge Hill University and lives in Scotland. Her book, Wanderers, tells the stories of ten female pioneering walkers and writers, from Virginia Woolf to Nan Shepherd. Kerri is also a keen hiker and the co-leader of Women In The Hills, a research network looking at what hinders and what enhances women's experiences of the outdoors.Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE DETAILS: L: Dr Kerri Andrews (credit Adam Robinson) R: Cheryl Strayed (credit Holly Andres)

Kim Chakanetsa talks to two choreographers whose careers took off after they posted dance routines on social media. Sienna LaLau is an Hawaiian choreographer and dancer. Her routine with K-Pop sensations BTS, for the music video 'ON', where she also dances, was watched 7 million times within 3 days of its release. Just 20 years old she's gained an international reputation, working with artists like Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber.Rwandan Sherrie Silver, won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography in 2018 for her work on Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’. She’s since choreographed for some of the biggest names in music, including Rihanna, Celine Dion and Burna Boy. She brings traditional dance moves from African cultures to an international audience. Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE DETAILS L Sienna Lalau (courtesy The Lab Studios) R Sherrie Silver (courtesy Malaria No More UK)

For a long time there was a wall of silence around the menopause, but more women are choosing to speak candidly about their complicated and illuminating experiences. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women on a mission to demystify the menopause. Dr Nighat Arif is a British Pakistani family doctor specialising in women’s health. She is passionate about making the menopause a less taboo subject for all, but particularly for women for whom English is not their first language, and she often uses her social media channels to raise awareness. Barbara Hannah Grufferman is an American writer whose work focuses on healthy aging. After struggling with her symptoms during menopause she decided to become a marathon runner. Her most recent book is Love Your Age and her newsletter is Menopause Cheat Sheet.Produced by Alice Gioia IMAGE: (L) Dr Nighat Arif (credit: courtesy of Dr Nighat Arif) (R) Barbara Hannah Grufferman (credit: Howard Grufferman)

As a woman with autism you're likely to receive a diagnosis much later in life than if you are a man with the condition. Why is that and what impact does a late diagnosis have? Kim Chakanetsa is joined by two autistic women who are speaking up about their experience of the condition and seeking to help others. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is part of the Autism Women's Network in US. She says many of her early symptoms of autism were dismissed or ignored because she is Black and explains how autism can amplify stereotypes around Black women.Sara Gibbs is a British comedy writer and autistic. Labelled as a cry baby, scaredy cat and spoiled brat – she finally got a diagnosis in her thirties. She has written a book, Drama Queen, about trying to fit into a world that has often tried to reject her, and says that being on the spectrum doesn't have to be a barrier to a happy life full of love, laughter and success. Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE DETAILS Morénike Giwa Onaiwu Sara Gibbs [credit Juliet McKee]

Skateboarding is no longer an outsider sport for rebellious young men: more women are getting on the board and embracing the lifestyle that comes with it. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who are trying to make skating a more inclusive and welcoming community for women across the globe.Annina Brühwiler is a Swiss downhill skateboarder – which means skating down hair-raising mountain routes at high speeds, sometimes getting up to 90 km/h. She started skating at 24 and within two years was competing on the international scene. She has been travelling the world following her passion, and uses the lessons learnt on the board to coach other women.Teresa Batista is UK longboard dancing champion. She taught herself how to skate on the streets of East London before moving to Brazil, to explore how the skating culture meets salsa dancing. She choreographs dance moves on her board and runs a school for women and older adults who might feel intimidated by skate parks.Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE: (L) Annina Brühwiler (credit: Jorge Gonzales) (R) Teresa Batista (credit: courtesy of Teresa Batista)

Over 79% of the world's trafficking victims are subject to sexual exploitation, and an overwhelming number of them are women and girls. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women who not only survived and escaped that experience, but have gone on to change laws and create support networks for fellow survivors. Shandra Woworuntu was a successful Indonesian banking analyst but lost her job when her firm ran into trouble. She applied for a job in a Chicago Hotel for six months to tide her family over - but when she arrived she was handed over to a trafficking ring. After months of forced sex work, she was able to escape her kidnappers by jumping out of a bathroom window. She went on to successfully prosecute her traffickers in court, and is now a campaigner against trafficking. She is the founder of Mentari USA, a non-profit organisation which helps survivor reintegrate with society. Hungarian Timea Nagy grew up as the daughter of a strict policewoman, but became trapped in a trafficking circle after applying to become a baby-sitter in Toronto. Hours after her arrival, she was forced into sex work. Timea escaped home to Hungary after three months, but later returned to Canada to indict her traffickers. She has gone on to train police in Canada helping trafficking victims, as well as educating the financial sector on its role in preventing modern slavery. She is the founder of Timea's Cause, a for-profit organisation which employs survivors. Produced by Rosie StopherIMAGE (L) Shandra Woworuntu, credit Calvin Voon (R) Timea Nagy

Vital for the planet's health, bees are a key part of pollinating the world's fruits, flowers and crops. And beekeeping seems to be growing in popularity, even the Queen B, Beyoncé, has bee hives in her garden. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women about what ignited their passion for bees and honey.South African, Mokgadi Mabela was only interested in her father's bees because she thought they could make her money. She sold the honey to colleagues in her office in Pretoria. When demand became too great for her father and his network he suggested she start some hives of her own. She set up a family company Native Nosi, producing honey and other bee by-products for South Africa and beyond. Dr Agnes Tyburn grew up in Martinique where her grandfather kept a couple of bee hives. When she was doing her PhD in Organic Chemistry at Cambridge University in the UK she decided it would be nice to try beekeeping herself, despite not having a garden. She’s now set up Bee Sitter – offering online support, practical advice, mentoring and bee keeping courses. Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE DETAILS (L) Mokgadi Mabela (R) Agnes Tyburn

A decade after the uprisings that changed the political landscape of many countries in North Africa and the Middle East, Kim Chakanetsa looks at what impact the Arab uprisings had on the lives of women in Egypt and Syria. Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian-American author and commentator. She was at the frontline of clashes between protesters and the military in 2011. Mona is now based in the USA, where she keeps writing about feminism in the Arab world. Her latest book is The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls and her newsletter is called Feminist Giant. Zaina Erhaim is an award-winning Syrian journalist and filmmaker. Her series of short films, Syria’s Rebellious Women, documented the lives of ordinary women turned activists in the aftermath of the uprisings. Her most recent project, Liberated T, is an advocacy campaign aimed at changing the gender stereotypes around women in the region. Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE DETAILS L: Zaina Erhaim (courtesy of Zaina Erhaim) R: Mona Eltahawy (credit: Robert E. Rutledge)

Large scale wildfires have increasingly made headlines in recent years. Fires have devastated areas of California, Australia, Siberia and the Pantanal that used to be relatively unaffected. We speak to two women helping stop the spread of wildland fires, protecting precious ecosystems, national parks and people's homes.Being a professional fire fighter is out of the question for Olga Serova who lives in Russia, where women are not allowed to join the profession. However, Olga volunteers with teams that battle wildfires in the national parks outside Moscow and St Petersburg. She tells us why she does it and how people react. Justine Gude is a Texas Canyon Hotshot in the Los Angeles National Forest. She's one of a team of elite small crews of wildfire fighters – there are about 100 crews in America – who have been trained to deal with fires in remote regions where little logistical support is available. She was one of a team of volunteer experts who flew to Australia to help out firefighting efforts in Melbourne in 2020.Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS L: Olga Serova [credit Maria Vasilieva] R: Justine Gude [credit Santos Gonzalez]

In April 2020, Kim Chakanetsa spoke to two young nurses who were putting their lives on the line by treating the sickest covid-19 patients in intensive care units. At that point, only a couple of months into a global pandemic, they were exhausted but optimistic about things getting better. Kim catches up with them and asks how they are coping a year on after another wave of infections and an incresing death toll.Hannah Grey is a 24-year-old nurse based in London. She worked as a busy Intensive Care Unit for both waves of virus infections, but has since moved on to a children’s critical unit. She has launched her own podcast, What Makes a Nurse?, sharing the stories of the many skilled nurses she met during the pandemic, as they came to help on the ICU. Bianca Dintino is a 27-year-old critical care nurse based at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She was one of the first nurses to volunteer to care for coronavirus patients last year, and credits her colleagues with keeping her going. Bianca got married during the pandemic, and has been trying to find the joy in a difficult year.Produced by Rosie Stopher IMAGE DETAILS: L: Bianca Dintino (credit Anne Marie) R: Hannah Gray (credit Simi Sebastian)

The extraordinary measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ebola crisis placed restrictions on much of people’s lives, including the rituals and ceremony around death. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women whose work has supported grieving families during a time of crisis. Lianna Champ is a British funeral director and author of How to Grieve Like a Champ. She’s based in Lancashire, one of the areas worst hit by Covid-19. She always knew she was going to be a funeral director and she started helping out at the local funeral home at 16. She talks about how Covid-19 has transformed funerals, mourning and grief, and why the rituals of death are crucial to our ability to grieve healthily.Neima Candy is a Liberian public health nurse who coordinated the Red Cross response to the Ebola crisis. She was in charge of organising burial teams made up of volunteers and helped write guidelines for ‘safe and dignified’ funerals that would bring closure to the families and at the same time avoid further spread of the disease. IMAGE DETAILS Left: Neima Candy [courtesy Neima Candy] Right: Lianna Champ [credit Phil Garlington]

Eating ice cream in the early hours, naked dancing and not having to tidy up behind anyone else are just some of the benefits of living alone described by Kim Chakanetsa’s guests on The Conversation this week. Solo living is a rising global phenomenon, tied to increasing economic empowerment of women. It's a trend seen in all countries, including in more traditional, conservative cultures. But it's rarely written about and often overlooked in government strategy. So why are more women choosing to live on their own and what do they enjoy about it?Hannah Carmichael started the Living Well Alone Project in the UK with her mother Helen. They had both started living on their own, for different reasons, but had found the first months difficult. Looking for advice they found there wasn't much. Hannah says Covid has shone a spotlight on the lives of people who live alone, and there's still much myth-busting needed.Sreemoyee Piu Kundu based her book Status Single on interviews with 3,500 women who spoke about their experience of single life in India. She has set up an online community where solo women of all ages come together to talk about living alone, single parenthood, financial and social struggles and offer support to each other.Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS Left: Hannah Carmichael [credit Carl Fletcher] Right: Sreemoyee Piu Kundu [courtesy Sreemoyee Piu Kundu]

Insects have been around for more than 350 million years, longer than dinosaurs and flowering plants. We are vastly outnumbered by them – there are approximately 1.4 billion insects for every person on earth. And although we tend to treat them with disdain, they are absolutely essential to our survival. Kim Chakanetsa talks all things buzzing, crawling and flying with two insect enthusiasts who have made a career out of their love for bugs.Dr Jessica L Ware is a Canadian-American entomologist specialising in dragonflies and damselflies. She’s the first African-American associate curator in invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the vice-president of the Entomological Society of America. A single mother and an adventurer, she has travelled the world following dragonflies and she is passionate about diversifying the scientific community.Dr Carolina Barillas-Mury was born in Guatemala and spent her life studying mosquitoes to understand how they transmit malaria. She heads the Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Section at the National Institutes of Health - one of the world's foremost medical research centres - and she believes the way to fight malaria is to work with, and not against, mosquitoes. Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE DETAILS Left: Carolina Barillas-Mury (courtesy of Carolina Barillas-Mury) Right: Jessica L Ware (credit Sallqa-Tuwa Stephanita Bondocgawa Maflamills)

In many countries around the world more women than men take law degrees but they're still much less likely to make partner or become a judge. Kim Chakenetsa talks to two lawyers from Egypt and the UK about the discrimination they face and the need for a more diverse legal profession.Omnia Gadalla is a professor of law and sharia at Al-Azhar University. She founded an initiative called Her Honour Setting the Bar which aims to encourage and support female law graduates and to challenge discrimination which prevents Egyptian women from becoming judges.Alexandra Wilson is a barrister in the UK. She's complained about times she's mistaken for a defendant because she's Black and is highlighting the racism she faces in her workplace. She argues that the law profession needs to include more women and people from different ethnic and class backgrounds.Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS Left: Omnia Gadalla (courtesy Omnia Gadalla) Right: Alexandra Wilson (credit Laurie Lewis)

Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time? Experiencing moments of intense focus is something most of us can relate to; but did you know you can train for it? Kim Chakanetsa discusses tips and best practice with two women whose careers demand their absolute concentration.Lorraine Huber is a Freeride World Champion and a mental strength coach. Freeriding is a discipline that involves skiing off-piste and performing acrobatic jumps on natural terrains. For Lorraine, being able to shut-out the world around her and perform at her best is a matter of life or death.Kalena Bovell is the assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the only African-American/Hispanic orchestra conductor in the United States. When she is on the podium, she needs to be able to focus for hours, while working with a big group of musicians in front of a public. To excel in her job, she had to learn to master the art of intense focus. Produced by Alice Gioia.MUSIC DETAILS: Extract from Kalena Bovell’s international debut with Chineke! Orchestra. The performance was recorded at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London, UK.IMAGE DETAILS L: Lorraine Huber R: Kalena Bovell [credit Cabrillo Festival]

Two award winning chefs talk to Kim Chakanetsa about how they've adapted to restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They discuss the pressures it's put on their business and the continuing importance of food and their restaurant staff in their lives. Ana Roš won two Michelin stars after transforming her family restaurant Hisa Franko into a globally renowned dining destination in Slovenia. As a young woman she was a member of the Yugoslavia alpine ski youth team and learned to cook when she and her husband took on his family's restaurant. Ana first worked as a waitress before finding her signature style in the kitchen after the chef left. Amninder Sandhu is known for setting up the first gas-free restaurant kitchen in India, making a name for herself with unconventional, slow-cooked dishes rooted in traditional techniques. The former head chef at Arth restaurant in Mumbai, she was planning to open a new restaurant when the pandemic hit and instead has set up a home delivery service. Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS L: Ana Roš (credit Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images) R: Amninder Sandhu (courtesy Amninder Sandhu)

Is science fiction too white? Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who are diversifying the genre. They talk about finding inspiration, dealing with rejection, and what Afrofuturism means to them. N.K. Jemisin is an African-American psychologist and science fiction writer. Her Broken Earth trilogy won the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row. She’s the first and only author to have achieved that recognition. In her latest book, The City We Became, she addresses the legacy of racism in science fiction. Chinelo Onwualu is a Nigerian writer and the non-fiction editor of Anathema Magazine. She grew up wanting to write science fiction, but struggled to get her voice heard in a largely white and male-dominated world. She talks about the main narratives and themes emerging within African Speculative Fiction. Produced by Alice Gioia IMAGE DETAILS: L: N.K. Jemisin (Credit: Laura Hanifin) R: Chinelo Onwualu (courtesy of Chinelo Onwualu)

Pottery is one of the oldest and most widespread decorative arts and has enjoyed rising popularity in recent years. At the same time, ceramics are increasingly significant as contemporary art. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two ceramicists about sprigging, drying, firing and smashing; commercial collaborations; and getting their pieces in museums. Hitomi Hosono is a Japanese ceramicist whose delicate work sits in the British Museum and V&A. She's also collaborated with the world-famous Wedgewood pottery manufacturer to make jasperware vases. Her ceramics, with a chalk-like finish and gold embellishments, are rooted in both Japanese and European traditions. Inspired by the intricacy of plants, leaves and flowers her pots seem to sway in the breeze and grow. Israeli ceramicist Zemer Peled took up pottery as part of therapy after a break-up in her 20s and now exhibits at galleries and museums around the world. Her work examines the beauty and brutality of the natural world. She makes large and small-scale sculptures and installations from thousands of porcelain shards – and has a growing collection of hammers! Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS Left: Hitomi Hosono (courtesy Adrian Sassoon) Right: Zemer Peled (credit Zemer Peled Studio)

Can our modern-day gender biases influence our understanding of the past? Kim Chakanetsa meets two archaeologists to talk about the risks of projecting our own assumptions onto the ancient world.Dr Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson is a senior researcher in the department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Uppsala University in Sweden. She’s also one of the lead investigators on the Viking Phenomenon research project and she’s been studying a grave found in Sweden in the 19th century, which contained the remains of a high-ranking Viking warrior. For more than 100 years this person was assumed to be male. But when Charlotte and her team carried out a DNA test on the bones, they found out they belong to an individual who was biologically female. Her discovery shook the academic world. Dr Sarah Murray is assistant professor at the University of Toronto and she specializes in the material culture and institutions of early Greece. She thinks we should re-consider the way we look at women’s participation in the social and economic structure of Ancient Greece. She recently published a paper dispelling the myth of the so-called Dipylon Master, a pottery artist who has been credited with creating very distinct funerary vases between 760 and 735 BC. Based on her studies, Sarah believes it’s more likely that a group of women were behind these artefacts. Produced by Alice Gioia.IMAGE DETAILS Left: Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson (credit Linda Koffman) Right: Sarah Murray (credit Kat Alexakis)

Kim Chakanetsa meets two environmental champions fighting to save South America's most precious ecosystems. Kris Tompkins is the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation. Kris and her late husband, Doug Tompkins, have been instrumental in the creation of 13 national parks in Chile and Argentina, conserving over 14 million acres of land. Dr Dolors Armenteras is one of the world’s leading scientists on forest fires. Originally from Spain, she now works with the National University of Colombia. She spent the last 20 years fighting to save the country’s Amazon forest, and against misogyny in science. Produced by Alice Gioia. IMAGE DETAILS Left: Dolors Armenteras (credit Tania M. Gonzalez) Right: Kris Tompkins (credit James Q. Martin)

Women are big fans of true crime stories… from books, to films, podcasts and TV programmes. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who've made their name reporting on true crime. Connie Walker is a Canadian journalist whose award-winning true crime podcast series, Missing and Murdered, examines violence and discrimination against women and girls from Indigenous communities. She is Cree and uses the mystery, and twists and turns of true crime to help educate people about Indigenous history.While Tanya Farber was covering the trial of a man who murdered his family she realised that this kind of crime got a lot of attention, as did trials involving women killers. She wrote Blood on Her Hands: South Africa’s Most Notorious Female Killers. They talk about what sparks this fascination when by far the majority of victims and perpetrators of crime are men. Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS Left: Tanya Farber (courtesy Tanya Farber) Right: Connie Walker (courtesy Connie Walker)

Whether it’s a stroke of a cheek or a sex scene, filming intimate content for movies and TV is a delicate business. When badly handled, it can even cause the actors harm. Kim Chakanetsa talks to an Indian movie director and to a pioneering intimacy coordinator about ensuring actors feel safe on set while filming simulated sex scenes. Also: has the #MeToo movement fuelled a demand for better boundaries, and how is the industry responding? Ita O'Brien is a British movement director and intimacy coordinator for film, TV and theatre. She worked on the set of I May Destroy You, Normal People, Gentleman Jack and Sex Education. She has developed the 'Intimacy on Set' guidelines for those working with intimacy, scenes with sexual content and nudity. Alankrita Shrivastava is an Indian screenwriter and director. Her 2017 movie, Lipstick Under My Burkha, was initially banned in India for containing 'contagious sexual scenes'. She explains the challenges of shooting sex scenes in Bollywood, where nudity isn't allowed, and how to put women's desire at the centre of the narrative.Produced by Sarah Kendal and Alice Gioia for the BBC World Service.IMAGE DETAILS Left: Alankrita Shrivastava (credit Komal Gandhi) Right: Ita O'Brien (credit Nic Dawkes)

The business of selling multi-million dollar homes: Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women working in Dubai and LA's competitive real estate markets about what it takes to make it. Amanza Smith is a real estate agent and interior designer. She's part of the team featured in the reality TV show Selling Sunset - a real estate agency for eye-popping high-end residential properties in Los Angeles. She says that while growing up poor 'sucks at the time', it's helped make her determined not to fail and has given her an ability to work really hard at everything she does. Lebanese born Zeina Khoury lives in Dubai and is the CEO of High Mark Real Estate Brokers, a specialist luxury property sales and management company in the United Arab Emirates. The agency buys and sells exclusive properties, including opulent apartments in the Versace Palazzo Dubai, for clients based around the world. Producer: Jane Thurlow (Photo: (L) Zeina Khoury (courtesy Zeina Khoury. (R): Amanza Smith. Credit Michael Bezjian/Getty Images)

When a woman chooses not to have children, why is it still seen as a radical decision? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women about their stories and the stigma associated with their choice to be childfree. Doreen Akiyo Yomoah is a writer and blogs at Childfree African. Born in Accra, Ghana, she has lived in the US, Japan and Senegal and she is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland. She chose not to have kids in her early 20s and she thinks being childfree is part of a wider discussion about reproductive rights and feminism. Nina Steele is the founder and editor of Nonparents.com. She is originally from the Ivory Coast and she is now based in the UK. When she discovered she couldn't have children, she decided to stay childfree. She says her website has become a resource for African childless and childfree women and men alike. Produced by Alice Gioia. IMAGEL: Doreen Akiyo Yomoah (Credit: Lamine Bouan) R: Nina Steele (Courtesy of Nina Steele)

Two of the most decorated female sprinters on the planet, from the US and Jamaica, talk to Kim Chakanetsa about smashing records, the impact of pregnancy, and calling out sex discrimination in their sport.Allyson Felix is an American sprinter who one year after giving birth to a premature baby, beat Usain Bolt’s record for winning the most world championship gold medals. After Allyson exposed her sponsor Nike for asking her to take a 70% pay cut on a new deal post-pregnancy, the brand changed its policy on pregnant athletes.Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has won more 100m world titles than any other athlete in history, male or female. After taking a break from athletics to have a child, she became the world's fastest woman for the fourth time in 2019, bagging two gold medals at Doha.Both athletes are aiming to add to their medal tally at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.Produced by Jane Thurlow IMAGE DETAILS Left: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (credit Will Twort) Right: Allyson Felix (credit Wes Felix)

Flushing the toilet: an act that most of us carelessly perform several times a day, but that for 4.2 billion people in the world is still a luxury. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two pioneering engineers about the crucial role wastewater management plays in society, including how sewers can help in the fight against Covid-19. Dina Gillespie is an area operations manager with Thames Water, the UK’s largest water and wastewater company. She is passionate about turning sludge into energy and about the history of London’s impressive sewerage system, which was built in the 19th century to cope with cholera outbreaks. She also discusses the risks fatbergs pose to our lives, and why we should all be more careful about what we flush down the toilet. Birguy Lamizana-Diallo is the UN Environment Programme Officer in charge of wastewater management in West Africa. She studied the impact septic tanks and open-air latrines have on the environment and on the life of the community in her home country, Burkina Faso. After more than 20 years working in the private and public sector, she now coordinates training programmes to raise awareness of the environmental costs and the health and safety aspect of managing wastewater.Produced by Alice GioiaIMAGE L: Birguy Lamizana-Diallo R: Dina Gillespie

With so much happening that’s out of our control, what can we do to be happier, calmer and more content? Kim Chakanetsa gets tips and advice from South Korea and Denmark. In her book The Power of Nunchi, Euny Hong writes about what she calls a South Korean ‘super power’. She says we could all live happier lives by developing this knowledge of how to 'read' a room or someone else's feelings and that we'd all get along better if we learned to listen more.Denmark is considered to be one of the happiest countries in the world. The author of Happy as a Dane, Malene Rydahl believes there are aspects of their culture that we can all use to improve our chances of happiness. She has advice and tips on how we can all learn to be a little more Danish in our outlook and be happier as a result.Produced by Jane ThurlowIMAGE L: Euny Hong (courtesy Euny Hong) R: Malene Rydahl (credit malenerydahl.com)

Pom Poms, short skirts, and chanting: this is what we think is cheerleading. Despite the physical demands of competitive cheerleading it isn’t officially recognised by some sports bodies. Kim Chakanetsa brings together two women who are challenging perceptions.Gabi Butler is an American cheerleader who was the star of the Netflix documentary series, Cheer. Her athleticism, flexibility and considerable social media presence has made her a 'cheerlebrity'. Yet posting online since she was a teen has meant being a target for inappropriate comments. She has won the cheerleading world championships twice and says "if someone says, 'Winning isn't everything' they're lying." Lilian Obieze is the founder of Lagos Nigeria Cheer and is on a mission to popularise cheerleading all over the African continent. In Nigeria she has had to change perceptions that cheerleading "is just about twerking." She started cheerleading programmes in schools 10 years ago, and since then has grown the programme from an entertainment sport to a competitive one. Her dream is for her athletes to compete internationally. Produced by Jane Thurlow and Sarah KendallIMAGE DETAILS Left: Lilian Obieze (credit Mtphotoz) Right: Gabi Butler (courtesy Gabi Butler)

What does a reindeer smell like? And how do they manage to survive in one of the harshest climates in the world, with temperatures that can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius? Kim Chakanetsa talks all things reindeer with two women who follow these extraordinary animals for a living. Anne Louise Næss Gaup is a reindeer herder from the indigenous Sámi community in Norway. She was brought up in a family of traditional herders and she spends most of her life on the road, looking after her migrating herd. She talks about her hard but rewarding work; why these animals are so important for her culture; and why it’s very inappropriate to ask her how many reindeer she owns. Dr. Jackie Hrabok-Leppäjärvi has a joint Professorship at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus and at the Sámi Education Institute in Kaamanen, Finland. She teaches reindeer husbandry and applied arts. She started studying reindeer and caribous when she was 18 and she never looked back. She now develops science-based and sustainable reindeer husbandry programmes, helping indigenous communities to protect the animals they base their livelihood on.Producer: Alice Gioia Reindeer audio: Courtesy of Bengt Roger Kaaven, NRK SAPMIImage: L: Dr. Jackie Hrabok-Leppäjärvi R: Anne Louise Næss Gaup

Knitting is sometimes dismissed as a gentle domestic activity, but this craft has a rich history of activism. It also helps keep your mind sharp and make you feel more relaxed. Kim Chakanetsa meets two knitting enthusiasts to unravel the social and cultural history of the craft.Loretta Napoleoni is an Italo-American economist who usually writes about the financing of terrorism. She is also an avid knitter and in her latest book, The Power of Knitting, she looks at how knitting became a tool for women to fight discrimination and promote social change - from the spinning bees of the American Revolution to the knitting spies of WWI and WWII. Hélène Magnússon is a knit designer based in Iceland. She grew up in France where she was a lawyer. In the 1990s she quit her high-flying career to move to Iceland, using knitting to explore the culture and history of Iceland and to make friends, until it eventually became her main profession. For her, the benefits of knitting go far beyond a finished scarf: when she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, she realised that, throughout her life, she had been using the craft to cope with social situations she found stressful. You can find more about her work at icelandicknitter.com Producer: Alice Gioia Image: L: Loretta Napoleoni - credit Roberto Vettorato R: Hélène Magnússon – courtesy of Hélène Magnússon

Why are so many women drawn to yoga? And, as it's become commodified in the West, has it lost its soul? Kim Chakanetsa discusses the billion-dollar yoga business with two women who used the power of yoga to transform their own lives.Deepika Mehta turned to yoga after a climbing accident left her struggling to walk. She found hope in yoga teachings, and eventually used the practice to help overcome her injuries. Today she is one of the most successful and sought after Ashtanga yoga teachers in India. Based in Mumbai, Deepika has travelled all over the world to teach and further her own yoga studies.Rima Rabbath grew up in Lebanon during the civil war, learning to live in the moment to escape the shelling. Eventually she would find a home in the practices and teachings of yoga. She had embarked on a successful corporate career when she attended her first yoga class in New York City. She has since become one of the leading teachers of Jivamukti yoga in Manhattan. Produced by Jo Impey for the BBC World Service. This episode was first broadcast on April 22nd, 2019.Image: (L) Deepika Mehta Credit: Radesh Image: (R) Rima Rabbath Credit: Peter Stanglmayr

Celebrating the BBC 100 Women list 2020, Kim Chakanetsa and a panel of inspirational and influential women discuss whether some changes made because of Covid-19 restrictions could be seen as positive. They answer questions about bringing communities together, supporting lonely people and increasing flexibility for more inclusive employment. Shani Dhanda is an award-winning disability specialist and social entrepreneur from the UK. She founded the Asian Woman Festival and Asian Disability Network. The pandemic has proved that flexible and home working is viable, and she wants to make sure our new online solutions are here to stay so that the world remains accessible to us all.Karen Dolva has been seeking technological solutions to involuntary loneliness since 2015. A co-founder of No Isolation based in Norway, she’s helped develop a telepresence robot for children with long-term illness, and KOMP, a one-button screen for seniors. With reports from around the world of people feeling increasingly isolated because of Covid restrictions – should tech like this be used more widely?Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, became Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2018 with an inclusive vision of the city's renewal and a three-year plan to "Transform Freetown" and tackle environmental degradation and facilitate the creation of jobs in the tourism sector. #FreetownTheTreeTown was launched this January and already over 450,000 seedlings have been planted to address flooding, soil erosion and water shortages faced by the city. She says we can turn frustration and dissatisfaction into positive change. What can we learn from such an approach post-Covid?Aditi Mittal is India’s best known female stand-up comedian, who is finding new ways to perform safely and online. She also hosts the Women in Labour podcast, and hopes that the increased time at home for many male workers in India has shone a light on the amount of time required to run a household, something that has always been a big barrier to the female workforce.Produced by Jane Thurlow and Caitlin SneddonImage from left: Aditi Mittal (credit Nanak Bhatia), Shani Dhanda (courtesy Shani Dhanda), Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr (credit TJ Bade) Karen Dolva (credit No Isolation)

Who do you picture when you hear the word ‘widow’? The stereotype is probably an elderly woman. But what if your spouse dies unexpectedly young? Two women share their experiences of grief, stigma, and finding the strength to live their lives to the full. Roseline Orwa is a Kenyan campaigner lobbying for cultural change around widows and the stigma towards them in Kenya and other African countries. She was widowed aged 32, when her husband was killed in post-election violence. Like many women, she had to face 'sexual cleansing' in order to be able to return to day-to-day life. She started the Rona Foundation, supporting and championing the rights of widows across the country. Anjali Pinto is an American photographer and writer who lost her husband suddenly on New Year's Eve 2016. She was only 26 and they had been married just over a year. Using social media to chronicle her life without her husband and break down taboos around grief, she unintentionally created a community of young widows on Instagram. Presenter: Kim Chakanetsa Producers: Rosie Stopher, Alice Gioia Credit: L: Roseline Orwa – credit Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity R: Anjali Pinto – credit Julie Dietz

How do disabled women deal with well-intentioned but patronising interactions? Kim Chakanetsa looks at the way disabled women are portrayed on mainstream and social media, and how they are often described as being 'inspirational' solely, or in part, because of their disability. Leanora Volpe is a London-based athlete and a member of Great Britain's Paraclimbing Team. Five years ago she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or EDS. She explains how she learned to navigate the world as a disabled woman, and how it’s opened the door to competitive climbing. As a top athlete, she knows people look up to her as a role model, but she is uncomfortable with being called 'an inspiration' just because of her disability. Amy Zayed is a music journalist and broadcaster based in Cologne. She was born blind in a family of Egyptian migrants who had just relocated to the German countryside, so she grew up knowing she was perceived as ‘different’. She talks about building a career with - and not 'despite' - her disability, and why people’s discomfort with difference can be harmful. Producer: Alice GioiaImage: L: Leanora Volpe – credit Michelle Tofi R: Amy Zayed – credit Sonja Niemeier Audio: Stella Young – credit TEDxSydney 2014, Sydney Opera House, Australia Paraclimbing World Championships 2019 – credit International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC)

Two comedians using the highs and lows of their personal lives as material for stand-up tell Kim Chakanetsa about what motivated them to get up on stage to be laughed at and how their families react. New Zealand comedian Angella Dravid, is known for her awkward manner and uses everything from her brief teen marriage to a man in his 40s to her time in a UK prison as fuel for her show. Socially anxious herself, she embraces being uncomfortable in routines. Born in Russia and now based in London, Olga Koch was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2018 for her debut hour, Fight. It’s a show about her father and Russia’s roller-coaster years from the collapse of Communism to the rise of Vladimir Putin. Image L: Angella Dravid - credit Matt Klitscher R: Olga Koch - credit James Deacon

Can fashion change the world? The clothing industry is one of the most polluting on earth, and is known for some of the worst working conditions for women and girls. Is there another way? Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from the UK and Australia who've done things differently.Safia Minney MBE is the British founder of the pioneering sustainable and ethical fashion brand People Tree and the website Real Sustainability. After almost 30 years in the industry, she now lobbies for regulation in fashion and a change in how we approach clothes.Hanna Guy is the Australian co-founder of Cambodian brand Dorsu, which creates sustainable and ethically made basics from deadstock fabrics. Working from Kampot alongside her business partner Kunthear Mov, she's developed safe and supportive employment for local women.Image L: Safia Minney (credit Odi Caspi) R: Hanna Guy (credit Hanna Guy)

What’s the best way to design ‘pandemic-resilient’ cities? Covid-19 has changed the way we move in public spaces, and social distancing has become the rule to live by. Kim Chakanetsa and her guests imagine what the world will look like in the future.Toshiko Mori is a New York-based Japanese architect, founder of Toshiko Mori Architect and Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She is the first woman to be tenured there. Growing up in Japan, she witnessed the country’s recovery after World War Two. She firmly believes that architecture can transform communities, and that crises are an opportunity to build better places.Maliam Mdoko is the first female President of the Malawi Institute of Architects and she works with Press Trust, a charity building schools, hospitals and housing facilities. Maliam is already working on redesigning the way people move inside buildings, and she thinks women need to be the driving force behind this huge cultural and societal change.IMAGE DETAILS L: Maliam Mdoko (Courtesy of Maliam Mdoko) R: Toshiko Mori (Credit: Ralph Gibson)Producer: Alice Gioia

Two lawyers who represent alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment join Kim Chakanetsa to discuss how #MeToo and other public movements have impacted their work.Debra Katz is an American civil rights and employment lawyer, best known for representing alleged victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment, and the whistleblowers who bring these stories to light. Her clients have included Christine Blasey-Ford, Vanessa Tyson and Chloe Caras. Karuna Nundy is an Indian Supreme Court lawyer who focusses on constitutional law, media law and legal policy. Her work includes helping draft an anti-rape bill in India, after the 2012 Delhi bus gang rape created outrage around the treatment of women.IMAGE DETAILS L: Karuna Nundy (credit - Ankita Chandra) R: Debra Katz

Today we have something a bit different for you. It’s a new podcast from the BBC World Service called Goodbye to All This. It’s a powerful memoir by Australian writer Sophie Townsend, who lost her husband Russell to cancer. It’s the intimate journey of learning to navigate grief while bringing up two daughters. It reflects on life, love, loss and coming back out the other side. This is the first episode of the show. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. We will be back with The Conversation on Monday. Artwork design: D8.

Pop singers from Afghanistan and Northern Ireland tell Kim Chakanetsa what it's like to perform in, coach and judge major singing competitions. Aryana Sayeed is the biggest female pop star in Afghanistan. She’s been a judge on one of the country’s biggest TV shows, Afghan Star and a coach on The Voice of Afghanistan. The multi-award winning performer was born in Kabul and raised in Switzerland, later moving to the UK. Aryana is also a women's rights activist, and wants to deliver a message of peace, love, and empowerment through her music.Janet Devlin was a quarter-finalist in the UK singing competition The X Factor. At just 16 years old and from a small town in Northern Ireland, she didn’t love the attention that came with it and struggled against her inner critic on stage. She talks about the importance of being open about her mental health issues and addictions, and how the support of a female fanbase has brought greater confidence.IMAGE DETAILS L: Janet Devlin (credit - Emma-Jane Lewis) R: Aryana Sayeed (credit - Neelio Paris)

Two women talk to Kim Chakanetsa about their anti-racism campaigns in Lebanon and Netherlands and the emotional toll of speaking out. Jessica de Abreu is an activist and co-founder of The Black Archives in Amsterdam. As part of the Kick Out Zwarte Piet group she protests against the annual tradition in the Netherlands where children and adults alike dress up with black face to celebrate Santa’s helper ‘Black Pete’. In the past protesters have been attacked and ignored by a country that has long seen this as harmless fun. Massive turnouts at recent BLM inspired protests could suggest a turning of the tide. Ubah Ali is from Somaliland and currently studying at the American University of Beirut. She talks about Lebanon's ‘kafala’ system, which excludes the predominantly Black migrant workforce from labour laws. She says she’s regularly mistaken for a domestic worker and fights to challenge preconceptions about Black women.IMAGE DETAILS L: Ubah Ali (credit - Ubah Ali) R: Jessica de Abreu (credit - Marcel Wogram)

How does feminism influence our love lives? Is it possible to hold true to feminist principles of equality when dating apps reduce us to swipe-able products on a page? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who write about sex and dating. Priya Malik is a columnist and spoken word poet, who writes about feminism, love, sex and dating. She moved to Australia with her husband but returned home to Mumbai after her divorce and is now in a relationship which has equality at its heart. Annie Lord is a journalist who writes about sex and relationships for British Vogue. A committed feminist she admits it can be hard to hold on to those principles of equality in the world of dating.Image L: Priya Malik (credit - Priya Malik) R: Annie Lord (credit - Annie Lord)

As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, victims of domestic violence found themselves facing a double threat - that of a deadly virus outside and abuse at home. Distress calls to domestic violence hotlines have soared - leaving charities overwhelmed and struggling to meet demand. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women supporting domestic abuse survivors. Hospitalised by a former partner twice before being able to leave, Marica Phipps set up Battered Not Broken, a US charity providing education, support and resources for victims of domestic abuse. Tamara White is an Area Manager for Hestia, a charity that supports adults and children in times of crisis. It is one of the largest providers of domestic abuse refuges in London and South East England.IMAGE DETAILS L: Tamara White R: Marica Phipps

Two women who’ve used music to empower women talk to Kim Chakanetsa about writing a song that becomes a rallying cry around the world. Madame Gandhi is a percussionist, producer and activist who has drummed for M.I.A and toured with Oprah. Her musical catalogue doubles as a manifesto for gender equality. Sibila Sotomayor is part of LasTesis - a collective of four female artists in Chile who wrote the song, A Rapist in Your Path. Within a few weeks of its first performance it was replicated hundreds of times around the world, and videos of flashmob performances from Turkey to Venezuela have gone viral.IMAGE DETAILS L: Sibila Sotomayor (credit: Sibila Sotomayor) R: Madame Gandhi (credit: Djeneba Aduayom)

Two women with albinism talk to Kim Chakanetsa about countering superstition and prejudice around the condition. As a ‘white African’ growing up in Nigeria Ikponwosa Ero was well aware of the danger some people with the condition face. In June 2015 she was appointed the first UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism and campaigns against stigmatisation, myths and violence. Connie Chiu is known as the first international fashion model with albinism. Born in Hong Kong she and her family moved to Sweden when she was a child to avoid harsh sunlight and in an effort to help her 'fit in.' She talks about challenging conventional ideas of beauty and wants to dispel the myth that albinism is limiting. IMAGE Left: Ikponwosa Ero (credit: A F Rouen) Right: Connie Chiu (credit: Ellis Parrinder)

Nurses risking their lives to treat coronavirus patients. Hospitals around the world - and in particular Intensive Care Units - have been described as the frontline of the pandemic. It's there that the sickest Covid19 patients are looked after round-the-clock by highly specialised nurses. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two of them at the height of the current outbreak.Hannah Gray is a 23-year-old nurse working in an Intensive Care Unit at a major London hospital. Her unit has rapidly expanded to accommodate extra patients, and all the staff are getting used to working in full PPE or Personal Protective Equipment. Hannah has been documenting her experiences on her blog, The Corona Lisa. Bianca Dintino is a 26-year-old critical care nurse based at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She was among the first to volunteer to work with coronavirus patients when they started arriving at her hospital in mid-March. She describes the camaraderie that has developed among her co-workers.Image: (l) Bianca Dintino (credit: Anne Marie) (r) Hannah Gray (credit: Simi Sebastian)

The vagina: separating myth from fact. Kim Chakanetsa and her two expert guests examine a part of the body that's often shrouded in mystery and shame.Dr Jen Gunter has been described as the world's most famous gynaecologist, and is also known as a fierce critic of the multi-million dollar wellness industry. The Canadian-American author of The Vagina Bible says 'Weaponizing women’s bodies is profitable' and believes companies are making money out of women's fears about their genitals. She wants to empower instead by debunking the myths and health misconceptions.Dr Susan Adongo Meme is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya. She says most women don't know that the place they urinate from is not the same place they menstruate from. Cultural taboos mean they are not encouraged to even look 'down there' and there's a general belief that the vagina is unclean. Potentially harmful douching is therefore widespread - as it is in other parts of the world, including the US.IMAGE L: Dr Susan Adongo Meme (credit Dr Susan Adongo Meme) R: Dr Jen Gunter (credit Jason LeCras)

Riding across continents in some of the world's toughest cycle races. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who've used their reserves of physical and mental strength. Fiona Kolbinger was the winner of the Transcontinental Race in 2019. She crossed Europe, from Bulgaria to France - a distance of 4000km - in ten days two hours and 48 minutes. She beat the second closest rider, a man, by almost six hours. She says when a part of her was in pain she focused on the bits of her body that had hurt yesterday but had got better, knowing that something different would hurt tomorrow!Emily Chappell worked as a cycle courier in London before developing a taste for long distance adventures, cycling from Wales across Asia to Japan. In her first Transcontinental Race in 2015 she made it only halfway, waking up suddenly on her back in a field, floored by the physical and mental exertion. The following year she was the first woman to cross the line - two days ahead of the other female competitors. She says these cycling challenges make her feel powerful and confident in all aspects of life and more women should give it a go.Image (L) Emily Chappell (credit: Kristian Pletten) (R) Fiona Kolbinger (credit: James Robertson)

Two women from South Africa and Australia discuss ‘toxic masculinity’ with Kim Chakanetsa. How can we raise boys to be in touch with their emotions and to become men who respect women?Clementine Ford is an Australian feminist whose books Fight Like A Girl and Boys Will Be Boys challenge traditional gender stereotyping. She regularly receives death and rape threats from people who accuse her of being a man-hater. She actually believes that a patriarchal society can be as damaging for men as for women. With a young son herself, she wants to see boyhood redefined to include sensitivity, kindness, respect and nurture.Sisonke Msimang is a South African writer whose work focuses on race, gender and democracy. Having lived in many different countries, she says that all societies allow and even expect men to be violent and predatory. She wants to dismantle this, but believes the term toxic masculinity is not helpful if you want to take the majority of people with you. Sisonke's memoir is called Always Another Country.IMAGE Clementine Ford (credit Clementine Ford) Sisonke Msimang (credit Nick White)