The Conversation

Latest Episodes:

Losing a loved one to suicide Jan 15, 2024

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This programme contains discussion of suicide and suicide attempts. If you feel affected by this topic, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at: www.befrienders.org Datshiane Navanayagam meets two women who use their own personal experience of love and loss to help others heal. Raashi Thakran is a mental health advocate from India. After losing her 18-year-old brother Raghav to suicide, Raashi campaigned to create the country’s first 24/7 helpline, which launched in September 2020. Charlotte Maya is a lawyer and writer form the US. Charlotte was 39 when her husband Sam took his own life. Her memoir, Sushi Tuesdays, is a frank and ultimately hopeful account of how she tried to make sense of this loss for herself as well as for her two young children.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Raashi Thakran, courtesy of Raashi Thakran. (R) Charlotte Maya, credit Karen Ray Photography.)

How to raise a teenage boy Jan 08, 2024

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Sana Safi meets two parenting experts who help women navigate their relationship with their teenage sons.

Rosalind Wiseman is the best-selling author of 9 books, including Queen Bees & Wannabes, which became the inspiration for the movie Mean Girls, and Masterminds & Wingmen, in which she discusses the joys and challenges of raising young men. Rosalind also co-founded Cultures of Dignity, an organisation that partners with communities to bring social and emotional learning to all.

Phinnah Chichi Ikeji is a British-Nigerian family coach. She’s the founder of Parenting Teens Solutions and Empowering the next generation, two organisations helping parents and teachers understand today’s teenagers. Her book is called The Parenting Teens Navigation System.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Rosalind Wiseman (R) Phinnah Chichi Ikeji.)

Women fighting for justice on death row Jan 01, 2024

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Nelufar Hedayat meets two criminal defence lawyers who fight for people's lives on death row.

Sarah Belal is a barrister and the founder of Justice Project Pakistan. She represents the most vulnerable people on death row in Pakistan and abroad.

Andrea Lyon is a lawyer, professor and former law school dean. She was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case, and she holds 19 wins in 19 capital cases. Her book is called Angel of Death Row.

Produced by Alice Gioia.

(Image: (L) Andrea Lyon. (R) Sarah Belal, credit Getty Images.)

Women in love with cheese Dec 25, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who are revolutionising the dairy industry.

Mausam Narang is the founder and Head Cheesemaker at Eleftheria cheese. She has made history by becoming the first Indian person to win big at the World Cheese Awards in 2021. Before working in the dairy industry, Mausam studied language in Germany and worked in the corporate world for 8 years. It’s during her travels in Europe that Mausam caught the cheese-making bug, and in 2014 she decided to start her own artisan cheese company.

Emma Young a.k.a. The Cheese Explorer is a specialist and consultant and the author of The Cheese Wheel. She has worked in the Cheese industry since 2009 in retail, wholesale, cheesemaking, judging and now as a teacher and consultant to the cheese industry. She is also an International cheese judge and a teacher for the Academy of Cheese and the Guild of Fine Food.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Mausam Narang. (R) Emma Young, credit Richard Heald Photography.)

Women in cybersecurity Dec 18, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa meets two cybersecurity experts who help women stay safe online.

Vandana Verma Sehgal is a Security Solutions leader at Snyk and the Chair of the Board of Directors for OWASP, the Open Web Application Security Project Foundation. She is also the founder of InfosecKids and InfosecGirls.

Sophina Kio-Lawson is an information security engineer from Nigeria and the co-founder for SheSecures, an initiative that promotes cyber literacy and inspires and empowers young African women who aspire to work in the tech industry.

Produced by Alice Gioia.

(Image: (L) Sophina Kio-Lawson. (R) Vandana Verma Sehgal.)

How going to school can change a girl’s life Dec 11, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from Kenya and India who have established their own schools about the life-changing impact an education can have for their communities. For Dr Kakenya Ntaiya, the dream of an education turned into a lifelong mission to empower girls in rural Kenya. She founded the Kakenya Center for Excellence, a primary boarding school for girls in southwest Kenya. The school has grown into a successful nonprofit organization called Kakenya’s Dream with a focus on education, health and leadership. You can find out more by searching @KakenyasDream on major social media platforms.

After spending decades at the top of the corporate ladder, Shukla Bose decided to shift direction, fuelled by a desire to alleviate social injustice. She founded Parikrma Humanity Foundation, a nonprofit organization that runs English-medium schools for under-privileged children in Bangalore. For more information, please search @parikrma_foundation on Instagram.

Produced by Emily Naylor

(Image: (L) Kakenya Ntaiya, credit Lee-Ann Olwage. (R) Shukla Bose, courtesy of Shukla Bose.)

Paramedics saving lives Dec 04, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two paramedics from Norway and Australia to learn about the demands and rewards of working as part of the emergency response. Randi Simensen was awarded Ambulance Worker of the Year in 2023 and has 20 years' experience working as a paramedic at Oslo University Hospital, Norway. She was the first Norwegian woman ever to operate a single paramedic unit in 2009. Randi also works as a PhD candidate affiliated with Innlandet Hospital Trust and the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation.

Michelle Murphy from Australia has 27 years’ experience as an Intensive Care Paramedic across Metropolitan and Rural Regions in front line and senior management roles. She created the Council of Ambulance Authorities Women in Leadership group and has been honoured with an Australian Meritorious Service Award.

100 Women: Changing how we think about our planet Nov 27, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa meets two climate change pioneers who are are on this year's BBC 100 Women list.

Basima Abdulrahman is the founder and CEO of KESK, the first company in Iraq that offers green services and products.

Jennifer Uchendu is the founder of SustyVibes, a youth-led sustainability organisation, and The Eco Anxiety Project, an initiative promoting awareness and research into climate change and its impact on young Africans’ mental health.

Produced by Alice Gioia

Female drummers breaking barriers Nov 20, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two world-renowned drummers to find out what it takes to play professionally in the music industry.

Canadian Sarah Thawer started playing drums and singing at the age of two and her first stage performance was at five. Known professionally as Sarah Drums, Sarah is known for her versatility, playing a wide range of genres from jazz and fusion to funk, R&B, and hip-hop. Sarah has performed on shows such as Late Night With Seth Meyers and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Anika Nilles is a German drummer, composer, solo musician, and musical educator. She launched her career on YouTube during the early 2010s and has released two full-length albums to date, both with backing band Nevell: Pikalar in 2017 and For a Colorful Soul in 2020.

Produced by Emily Naylor.

(Image: (L) Sarah Drums, credit Eduardo Orelha. (R) Anika Nilles, credit Marius Mischke.)

The rise of women in eSports Nov 13, 2023

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Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two professional e-sport gamers who earn their living playing online.

Julia 'Bish' Robson is a prominent gamer and Twitch streamer who tailors her content for a South African audience. She also hosts LAN events - days of gaming in large conference centers - where people often sleep under the desks in order to play as much as possible. She has to contend with regular load-shedding (full on electricity outages) which impacts her ability to make a living as a full-time gamer.

Eefje Depoortere from Belgium is an award-winning television presenter, reporter, and e-sports player who is best known for hosting the League of Legends European Championship. She is known professionally as Sjokz.

Produced by Emily Naylor

(Image: (L) Eefje Depoortere, credit Colin Young-Wolff. (R) Julia Robson, courtesy of Julia Robson.)