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.)