The Conversation

Commercial divers from Canada and Australia share their experiences of working in a dangerous, male-dominated field with Datshiane Navanayagam.Sarah Anvari from Canada is a Dive Supervisor and Welder-Diver at Subsea Global Solutions in Vancouver. She specializes in ship husbandry commercial diving, providing services for commercial shipping, cruise lines, offshore projects, and marine construction.Tiff Allen from Australia is a highly skilled saturation diver. She has extensive experience in deep-sea commercial diving, performing complex underwater tasks and ensuring safety on offshore projects.Produced by Emily Naylor for the BBC World Service.(Image: (L) Tiff Allen courtesy of Tiff Allen. (R) Sarah Anvari courtesy of Sarah Anvari.)

Traditionally women often take on much of the responsibility for practical and emotional support for a family as well as passing on family knowledge and traditions. But is the role still relevant? Datshiane Navanayagam talks to women from Canada and the UK about being a modern matriarch.All her life, Helen Knott has looked to the strong women in her indigenous community for guidance, absorbed their stories and admired their independence. When her mother and grandmother died she tried to step into the roles they'd held in community. Her book Becoming a Matriarch is a love letter to the eldest daughters of families who often carry invisible responsibilities.Tanika Gupta is an award-winning playwright British playwright whose work celebrates her Bengali culture and often challenges gender and race stereotypes. She has worked across theatre, television, radio and film. Her latest play A Tupperware Of Ashes is about a restaurateur with dementia and the impact on her three children of looking after her. Tanika wrote the play after her own mother died from cancer. It will be screened internationally by the National Theatre later this year. Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Tanika Gupta credit Oscar May. (R) Helen Knott courtesy Duckworth Books.)

Musicians from China and Syria tell Datshiane Navanayagam about taking up traditional instruments and introducing them to western audiences.Wu Man is one of the world's foremost players of the pipa: a four-stringed Chinese lute which dates back 2000 years. She's also a composer and passionate advocate for Chinese traditional music.Maya Youssef from Syria is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun,’ the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Her award-winning intense and thoughtful music performances are rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forge pathways into jazz, Western classical and Latin styles.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Maya Youssef credit Igor Studio. (R) Wu Man credit Call the Shots Photography.)

Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from Costa Rica and Switzerland about how animal behaviour is studied and what it reveals about life on our planet. Marta Manser from Switzerland is a Professor of Animal Behaviour at the University of Zurich. She is the project director of the Kalahari Meerkat Project and has studied the species for nearly thirty years. Marta’s work has significantly improved our understanding of meerkat social structures, vocal communication, and group coordination. Dr Gloriana Chaverri is an Associate Professor at the University of Costa Rica and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. She began her work with bats by investigating their mating systems and social organization. Recently she has been focusing on bat vocal communication.Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Marta Manser courtesy of Marta Manser. (R) Gloriana Chaverri courtesy of Gloriana Chaverri.)

Music therapists from Spain and the UK tell Datshiane Navanayagam about the role music can have reducing isolation and easing some symptoms of dementia.Professor Melissa Mercadal-Brotons teaches music therapy at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. She was president of the World Federation of Music Therapy and her clinical and research work focuses on the impact of music on people with dementia. Amina Hussain is Manchester Camerata’s principal flute and resident music therapist. She runs sessions with groups of people with dementia that revolve around improvisation where everyone has an instrument that’s easy to play. She says the alleviation of symptoms like anxiety, isolation and confidence are wonderful to see.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Amina Hussain. Credit: Amina Hussain. (R) Melissa Mercadal-Brotons. Credit: Melissa Mercadal-Brotons.)

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others is a fundamental part of what makes us human. But is our ability to empathise with others at risk? If so, what could the consequences be for the next generation? Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the UK and Denmark who see empathy as a crucial skill for children to have for their wellbeing and in order for society to function. Leslee Udwin is a Bafta winning film-maker turned activist. She is the founder of Think Equal, a global education initiative that integrates social and emotional learning into early childhood education to promote empathy and equality. Her work has received international recognition, including endorsements from global leaders and the United Nations. Iben Sandahl is a psychotherapist and author specializing in Danish parenting principles. She developed a methodology for teaching empathy in classrooms as part of an Erasmus+ project and has created a toolkit used by hundreds of teachers in four countries over three years.Producer: Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Leslee Udwin. Credit: Claus Boesen. (R) Iben Sandahl. Credit: Signe Bay)

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to sports psychologists from the US and South Africa about helping athletes achieve peak performance mentally and physically. Now seen as an essential part of any elite team, as well as being involved in maintaining good team dynamics they support athletes coping with competition stress, injury, and those preparing for retirement. Dr Koketjo Tsebe has worked with various national sporting codes in South Africa. She was a team psychologist for Banyana Banyana and supported the team during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. She is also a team psychologist for the national softball team and is part of the South Africa Olympic team heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games. Dr Kensa Gunter works with athletes in the US to help strengthen the mental aspects of performance. She’s involved with teams and individuals at high school and college as well Olympic hopefuls and elite athletes in tennis, the NFL and both the men’s and women’s NBA. Working in Atlanta she also advises coaches, athletic trainers, governing bodies and sports nutritionists.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Kensa Gunta credit Katlyne Hill. (R) Koketjo Tsebe courtesy Koketjo Tsebe.)

Barbara Imhof and Melodie Yashar, renowned space architects, discuss designing habitats for the Moon and Mars. They explore gender dynamics in space design, female representation in architecture, astronaut well-being, and the future of space exploration. The podcast highlights the importance of sustainable design and the role of diversity in shaping the future of space exploration.

Judo is a powerful practice that cultivates discipline, resilience and community. It's also an incredible test of physical and mental strength. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two top female judo competitors to find out what it takes to be an elite athlete.Tina Trstenjak is a recently retired Slovenian judoka and Olympic gold medallist in the women's 63 kg category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She has also secured multiple World and European Championship titles, solidifying her status as one of the top competitors in her weight class. recently retired, she works for the International Judo Federation as an expert and referee observer. Sandrine Billiet is from Belgium and has also competed for Cape Verde internationally including at the 2019 World Judo Championships and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She says judo sustained her through her teenage years and the long illness of her mother. She works for the World Olympians Association.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Sandrine Billiet courtesy International Judo Federation. (R) Tina Trstenjak credit Gabriela Murgeanu-Sabau.)

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to ‘Tine Zekis from the US and Hira Ali from Pakistan, two career coaches seeking to understand and reexamine what imposter syndrome really means, as well as offer their advice on how to overcome it.‘Tine Zekis has dedicated her career to helping women of colour succeed in the workplace. In 2022, she founded an organisation which provides women with key insights on salary negotiation, career moves and imposter syndrome called Getting Black Women Paid. ‘Tine is the author of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work: The Black Woman's Guide to Conquer Perfectionism, Stop Overthinking & Thrive in Your Career. Hira Ali had been feeling symptoms of imposter syndrome long before discovering the term existed. It wasn’t until her article for The Huffington Post about the topic went viral that she realised just how pervasive the experience is, and began mentoring and coaching others. She is the author of two books: Her Way To The Top: A Guide to Smashing the Glass Ceiling and Her Allies: A Practical Toolkit to Help Men Lead Through Advocacy. Produced by Elena Angelides (Image: (L) 'Tine Zekis credit Noor Naseer. (R) Hira Ali credit Sabiha Hudda-Khaku.)