The Women's Podcast

Following on from the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court last week to overturn Roe v Wade, abortion is now restricted in at least seven states, with trigger bans set to take effect in several more. In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by women’s rights advocate Dr Erica Goldblatt Hyatt and American journalist, poet and essayist Katha Pollitt to discuss this “assault on human rights” and the impact it will have on the millions of American women who now face restricted access to reproductive healthcare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this book club episode, Niamh Towey, Bernice Harrison, Róisín and Ann Ingle discuss Trespasses by Derry writer Louise Kennedy. Set in Belfast, during the Troubles, it explores the relationship between a young Catholic woman and a married Protestant barrister. The group also share their summer reading recommendations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork writer Louise O’Neill’s latest book Idol delves into the heart and mind of a super influencer in the wellness world.In this episode she talks to Róisín Ingle about the book, her third novel for adults, and the thorny topics it throws up like consent, eating disorders, cancel culture and the authenticity of influencers. We also hear from Alice Kelly, a Leaving Cert student who is planning a pop-up bakery run out of a vintage pony box, in today’s episode. Alice has taken it upon herself to renovate the box, which she got as an 18th-birthday present from her family, and tells Róisín about her lifelong ambition to start her own bakery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naomi Long grew up in a staunchly unionist, east Belfast community. But as a centrist politician she has led the Alliance Party to become the third largest in Northern Ireland.  In this episode, she speaks to Kathy Sheridan about her matriarchal upbringing, her struggle with endometriosis, misogyny in politics, her faith and her primary school teacher’s appearance in Derry Girls.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The writer Katherine May believes we should all embrace our personal winters.She isn’t talking about the coldest season of the year though. For her, wintering is "a fallow period in life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of an outsider."In her book, Wintering, May recounts her own year-long journey through winter, sparked by a sudden illness in her family that plunged her into a time of uncertainty and seclusion. When life felt at its most frozen, she managed to find strength and inspiration from the incredible wintering experiences of others as well as from the remarkable transformations that nature makes to survive the cold.In the latest episode of The Women’s Podcast, May talks to Róisín Ingle about why wintering is so important, the events around her 40th birthday which led to her wintering with her husband and son, and her diagnosis of autism as an adult. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is the new memoir from Irish-Zambian writer Marguerite Penrose. It’s a perfectly apt title for a book that explores the author’s experience of life, which began in St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home in Dublin in 1974. In the book, Marguerite writes about coming to terms with the circumstances of her early childhood, about navigating the world with a disability and what it means to be both Black and Irish. In today’s episode of The Women’s Podcast, she tells Roisin Ingle about the search for her biological family, about the Instagram post which inspired the book and how she’s embracing life with openness and positivity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode of the Women’s Podcast we are talking about abortion, exactly four years on from the referendum to repeal the Eighth. The anniversary falls at a time when abortion access is being restricted in many parts of the world and with the news that the US Supreme Court is planning to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.In Northern Ireland, access to abortion has been available since April 2020 after new laws came into force. However the UK Government was forced to intervene recently to ensure those services are fully delivered, following Stormont’s “failure” to do so.In the Republic, activists like Ailbhe Smyth are calling for a full decriminalisation of abortion, in advance of a review of Ireland’s legislation on abortion. Smyth talks to Róisín Ingle about the “unfinished business” of the repeal movement and her worries about the global impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US.They’re joined by feminist activist, Green Party Northern Ireland member and PhD researcher, Kellie Turtle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2007, aged just 17, Amy Dunne was forced to go to the High Court to fight for her right to travel for an abortion, after a scan revealed that the baby she was carrying had a lethal abnormality and would not survive. From then on Amy became known as ‘Miss D’ and found herself at the centre of Ireland’s bitter abortion debate. Now in her 30s, Amy has written a memoir I Am Amy Dunne, reflecting on the culture of shame that she and many other Irish women have lived through. She talks to Róisín about the trauma she endured as ‘Miss D’, what she has learned from it and why no-one should ever have to experience what she went through. I AM (MISS D) AMY DUNNE, written by Amy Dunne, with Orla O’Donnell, is on sale now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, life for women and girls in Afghanistan has never been the same. Under their rule, access to education is limited, women are forced to cover their faces in public and there is a ban on nearly all paid employment. In this episode, Kathy Sheridan is joined by a woman who has sat opposite the Taliban in negotiations, former Minister for Women’s Affairs Hasina Safi. She tells Kathy about her evacuation from the country last year and her previous experience dealing with the group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lessons in Chemistry by American author Bonnie Garmus was our latest pick for the podcast book club. In a rare turn of events, our book clubbers found themselves in agreement, collectively singing the praises of this debut novel. That’s why we’re delighted to be joined by the author today, as she tells Róisín Ingle about her long road to writing success, the excitement of her book becoming an instant bestseller and how her main character Elizabeth Zott came to her one evening after a bad day at the office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.