The Women's Podcast

In today's episode, we go time travelling back to the Ireland of 1983, to the unusually hot summer and autumn of that year, in the run up to the contentious abortion referendum. You will hear letters to the editor of the Irish Times during the campaign, and in its aftermath, from the referendum that resulted in the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We joined forces with the Dublin Dress for Success campaign to mark the end of another successful fundraising and clothing drive, recording an episode in front of a live audience in the salubrious surroundings of the headquarters of their sponsor Eir in Dublin 8. The conversation focused on women in the workplace and how things like the gender pay gap and returning from maternity leave can be improved to help level the playing field between the sexes. Our guests in this podcast: Carolan Lennon, CEO Eir, Sonya Lennon, designer, tech entrepreneur and founder of Dress for Success Dublin, and Gillian Harford, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at AIB. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Little over 34 years ago, a 15-year-old girl died after giving birth at a grotto in the small town of Granard in Co. Longford on a freezing cold, wet day in 1984. That girl, Ann Lovett, would have turned 50 last Friday, April 6th. Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland has written about Ann Lovett in the past. Recently she wrote an in depth article about not only her death, but also her life, and what kind of person Ann Lovett was. On today's podcast, Rosita talks to Kathy Sheridan about writing that story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Repeal the 8th: the anthology, is a collection of stories, essays, poetry and photography around the movement for reproductive rights in Ireland, edited by Irish Times columnist Una Mullally. It features work by journalists Kitty Holland and Nell McCafferty, novelists Lisa McInerney, Anne Enright and Louise O’Neill, as well as a host of others like comedians Tara Flynn and Aisling Bea. On today's podcast, Mullally and Galway poet Elaine Feeney – who has contributed her piece History Lesson to the book – speak to Kathy Sheridan about the anthology and the Repeal campaign.Repeal The 8th, published by Unbound, is out now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roisin Ingle is joined by Irish Times journalists Bernice Harrison and Niamh Towey for a meeting of the Women's Podcast book club to discuss Clover Stroud's memoir, The Wild Other. Some may have had to put their posh-ist prejudices to one side and “get over” themselves, but all agreed that Clover Stroud is a beautiful writer with an astonishing story to tell."Clover Stroud grew up in rural Wiltshire surrounded by animals and family. When she was just sixteen her adored mother had a horrific riding accident which left her permanently brain-damaged, and suddenly Clover was left to fend for herself. She embarked on an extraordinary journey to heal her broken heart, courting men and danger through two marriages and five children." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times reporter Conor Gallagher speaks to Kathy Sheridan about the Belfast rape trial that he has covered over the past nine weeks, which has dominated headlines for its duration. The trial concluded yesterday when the jury delivered unanimous not guilty verdicts in the cases of each of the four defendants.Also on the podcast, Noeline Blackwell chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on the differences between rape trials in Northern Ireland and the Republic, how the process can be improved to protect complainants and the impact that the Belfast trial could have on rape victims. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One in 10 women have endometriosis, making it one of the most commonly seen gynaecological diseases, yet it is poorly understood and not commonly talked about. Symptoms can begin even before a woman has her first period and they persist throughout their lives - leading to chronic and debilitating pain for some. The Endometriosis Association of Ireland is a voluntary organisation representing the many Irish women living with the condition. Board members Bébhinn Nic Liam and Julie Ronaghan both live with endometriosis and in today's episode they speak to Kathy Sheridan about their journeys with the disease to date, their hopes for the future and why they are passionate about sharing accurate information about it. Also on the podcast, consultant gynaecologist Dr Aoife O’Neill, who works with women who have endometriosis, speaks about how the disease is dealt with in Ireland and the work that needs to be done to improve treatment in this country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the referendum looming, the HeadStuff Podcast Network is launching a new series documenting the campaigning around the Eighth Amendment to the constitution of Ireland. The Eighth, hosted by Ciara O’Connor Walsh, gives a 360 degree view of this complex referendum in real time as it unfolds. Episode 1 will land tomorrow (23 March), where Ciara talks openly and frankly with people intending to vote against repeal. She talks to Kathy Sheridan all about it on today's episode of The Women's Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks ago, 27-year-old Méabh Ni Choileáin got in touch with us with the story of her autism diagnosis. After more than two decades of feeling like she just didn't fit in, being told three years ago that she was autistic completely changed her life.Growing up, Méabh felt different, but she had no reference point. Women and girls with Autism are invisible, she says. We only have to look at its stereotypical depiction in pop culture as a white male issue – Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, Rain Man, the boy from The Curious Incident.Next week is World Autism Awareness Week so we invited Méabh in to speak to us about her experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1968, the Quebecois playwright Michel Tremblay broke new ground with his play Les Belles-soeurs, putting 15 working-class Montreal women on the stage and having them speak naturally. Now Deirdre Kinahan adapts the play for 1970s Ballymun in a new Abbey production directed by Graham McLaren, The Unmanageable Sisters. We sent our unmanageable sister Róisín Ingle along for the Women's Podcast to find out what it's all about.The Unmanageable Sisters is running at The Abbey Theatre until 7th April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.