The Conversation

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)