The Conversation

Less than 0.001% of the deep ocean has been explored. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two women from South Africa and the US who have dedicated their careers to finding out more about our planet's most uncharted depths.Dr Katy Croff Bell is an American ocean explorer and deep-sea technologist. She has over 15 years of experience leading ground-breaking oceanographic and archaeological projects. Katy is the founder of the Ocean Discovery League, an organisation dedicated to expanding global access to deep-sea exploration by developing affordable, durable technology for scientists and researchers.Dr Zoleka Filander is an award-winning South African marine biologist with South Africa’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Environment. She leads pioneering expeditions into uncharted marine territories, gathering crucial data to inform conservation strategies. Zoleka is passionate about sharing the deep ocean’s wonders to inspire public respect and a sense of urgency for its preservation.Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Katy Croff Bell courtesy of Katy Croff Bell. (R) Zoleka Filander credit Logan Lambert.)

Women fusing tech and agriculture to farm food - indoors, local and soil-free

The music industry is notoriously competitive, making it difficult for artists to break through. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two music scouts to find out what they look for when signing musicians to their labels and how to succeed in the business.Jane Abernethy is Managing Director at Omnian Music Group, a Brooklyn-based label group comprised of Captured Tracks, Sinderlyn and 2MR. Originally from Scotland she began her career music scouting in the UK before becoming the Director of A&R at the US label 4AD, where she signed groundbreaking artists like Grimes and contributed to the discovery of Bon Iver. Argentinian-born Laura Tesoriero has spent the last two decades working in music distribution for Latin American artists. She is the Senior Vice President for The Orchard, a music and entertainment company specialising in media distribution. Laura was the first female chair of the Latin GRAMMY board and is a Wonder Women of Latin 2020 honouree. Produced by Emily Naylor and Elena Angelides(Image: (L) Jane Abernethy credit Dan Bessini. (R) Laura Tesoriero credit Catalina Bartolome.)

According to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions. That's more than aviation and shipping combined. We talk to two women making climate-friendly clothes and developing innovative textiles in a bid to reduce the waste produced by fast fashion.Regina Polanco is the founder and CEO of Pyratex, a textile company making fabrics from seaweed, banana and orange peel for some of the biggest brands in fashion. Born in Vienna, she has also lived in Morocco, Mauritania and Switzerland but she returned to Spain, the country where she grew up, to found her company in 2014.Sasha McKinlay grew up in Singapore and moved to the United States to study architecture. Now a design researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she's developing so-called 'active' textiles. They're essentially textiles with embedded functionality without the need for electronic inputs. These include materials that can be either warm or cool depending on the weather, and garments that can be made in a single size and robotically tailored to fit the wearer or to be customised into new styles.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Sasha McKinlay credit Katie Koskey. (R) Regina Polanco credit Pyratex.)

Everyone wants to feel confident in the workplace. But knowing what to do to perform at your best isn’t always easy. Datshiane Navanayagam is joined by two entrepreneurs and career coaches to explore strategies to help women thrive in their jobs. Jo Wimble Groves is an award-winning British entrepreneur, writer and motivational speaker specializing in women in the workplace. She has a blog tacking work-life balance and resilience called Guilty Mother which has a global following of 55,000 readers. Jo's expertise in leadership and productivity has earned her multiple Women in Business awards. Alexandra Roxana Popa from Romania built her successful business career with the guidance of inquisitive mentors who helped her grow by asking the right questions. After training at CTI Coaching school in London she became a career coach and focusses on empowering women in their professional journeys.Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Jo Wimble Groves credit Leana Catherine Photography. (R) Alexandra Popa credit Ioana Dodan.)

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to translators from Turkey and Argentina about giving a writer's work a new life in another language, and whether the age of digital translation is putting the craft in jeopardy.Ekin Oklap is Turkish and grew up in Italy. She's the English language translator for Nobel prize-winning Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk and was shortlisted for the 2016 International Booker Prize. She also translates books from Italian to English for novelist Francesca Manfredi and crime writer Ilaria Tuti.Erika Cosenza is an Argentinian translator, interpreter, editor and proof-reader. She translates English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. She now lives in Spain and helped set up a gender, diversity and inclusion network for the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters.Produced by Jane ThurlowThis episode was edited on 6 November 2024(Image: (L) Erika Cosenza credit Gisela Caffarena. (R) Ekin Oklap credit Alev Arasli Oklap.)

In a compelling conversation, Judy Gitau, a Kenyan lawyer committed to women's rights, and Debora Upegui-Hernandez, a Colombian analyst, tackle the urgent issue of femicide as a global crisis. They discuss alarming statistics, revealing that over 89,000 women lost their lives to femicide in 2022 alone. The guests explore the inadequacies of legal frameworks and the impact of disasters like hurricanes on increasing gender-based violence. They emphasize the need for cultural change, grassroots movements, and effective policy reforms to pave the way for lasting solutions.

Ana Lily Amirpour, an Iranian-American filmmaker known for her acclaimed film "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night," teams up with Gigi Saul Guerrero, a Mexican director celebrated for "La Quinceañera." They delve into how women bring cultural folklore into horror, transforming traditional narratives. Discussions cover the empowering themes of femininity and resilience, as well as how personal identities shape storytelling. They also explore the significance of Mesoamerican folklore and the role of horror as social commentary, challenging conventional cinematic tropes.

Women make up a large proportion of the workforce in the global tea industry. But despite their crucial role, women in the tea sector often face lower wages and limited access to leadership positions. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks with two tea entrepreneurs to learn more about running tea businesses.Susie Walker-Munro from the UK runs Kinnettles Tea Garden in Angus, Scotland, where she grows cold-tolerant tea plants. She began experimenting with tea cuttings on her farm in 2007 and has since collaborated with other women to create an all-female tea garden collective.Tea has always been central to Esha Chhabra’s life, from her upbringing in India to her family’s move to the US, where the tradition of making loose leaf tea was preserved. She co-founded Alaya Tea in 2019, a brand focused on sustainable farming and ethical sourcing from small farmers. Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Susie Walker-Munro credit Ashley Coombes. (R) Esha Chhabra credit Alaya Tea.)

Despite their pivotal roles in advancing healthcare, women’s contributions to medicine have often been overshadowed or erased by male-dominated narratives. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks with two women dedicated to reclaiming this lost history and highlighting the vital work that women have done in the field of medicine.Yunxin Li is a Chinese academic who specializes in the gendered foundations of ancient Chinese medicine. Her research uncovers the often-overlooked contributions of female healers in premodern China. By focusing on the intersection of gender and healthcare in ancient Chinese history, Yunxin offers a fresh perspective on traditional medical systems and the influential roles women played within them.Kandace Chimbiri, a British author born to Barbadian parents, is committed to highlighting the overlooked contributions of Black women in medicine, particularly in the UK’s healthcare system. In her children's book The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses, she uncovers the largely untold story of Black women’s vital role in shaping the NHS. Through her work, Kandace aims to inspire young readers and honour the legacy of Black women in healthcare.Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Kandace Chimbiri credit Warren Linton Photography. (R) Yunxin Li courtesy of Yunxin Li.)