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Women’s magazines collectively reach millions of readers each month. Beyond their influence in fashion, these publications are pivotal in addressing critical women's issues and advocating for empowerment. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two magazine editors to explore their approaches to staying relevant in an ever-evolving media landscape.
Grace O'Neill began her career at ELLE Australia as an intern and is now the Editor of the magazine. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times' T Magazine and British Vogue.
Iveta Dzērve is the Editor-in-Chief at SANTA, Latvia's leading lifestyle magazine. She has two decades of experience in medical, healthcare and lifestyle journalism.
Produced by Emily Naylor and Elena Angelides for the BBC World Service.
(Image: (L) Iveta Dzērve, credit Karlina Vitolina. (R) Grace O'Neill, credit Gabby Laurent.)
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The bra industry is worth billions of dollars a year, yet designs haven't changed a lot since the modern bra came into common use in the early 20th century. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to a sports bra designer from Wales and a breast cancer survivor in the US about their innovative new designs.
After a diagnosis of breast cancer in her late 20’s, Dana Donofree took her own experience of struggling to find a bra that was comfortable and pretty to found her own company, AnaOno. With a background in fashion design and talking to many women in the breast cancer community she's (re)designing intimates for those that have undergone surgery.
Mari Thomas-Welland used to work as a sports bra performance tester, testing the performance of sports bras for some of the biggest brands under laboratory conditions. After realising that, despite her job, she still couldn't find her perfect sports bra she decided to design her own and founded her company, Maaree. They're now the official bra supplier to the Welsh rugby team.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Dana Donofree credit AnaOno LCC. (R) Mari Thomas-Welland credit Mari Thomas-Welland.)
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Children's TV presenters from Ireland and South Africa tell Datshiane Navanayagam about working in television and their love for inspiring young minds.
Niamh Ní Chróinín from Ireland is a children's TV presenter for Cúla4, an Irish-language channel that broadcasts exclusively in Gaelic. She is keen to foster a love for Irish culture and language among children.
Shudufhadzo Mathagwa is a South African children's TV presenter, model and actor who is passionate about youth empowerment. She currently presents on Play Room, the 24-hour children’s television channel that combines education and entertainment with both a local and international focus.
Produced by Emily Naylor for the BBC World Service.
(Image: (L) Niamh Ní Chróinín courtesy of Niamh Ní Chróinín. (R) Shudufhadzo Mathagwa courtesy of Shudufhadzo Mathagwa.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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)
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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.)
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How are extraterrestrial spaces being designed? Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two space architects from Austria and the US to hear about how living spaces will be created for the moon and beyond.
Barbara Imhof from Austria is a renowned space architect and co-founder of LIQUIFER Systems Group, specializing in designing sustainable habitats for space exploration. She collaborates with NASA and ESA on projects like the Mars Analog Habitat and inflatable lunar habitats. Barbara's work integrates architecture, technology, and human factors to advance space exploration and inspire sustainable design on Earth.
Melodie Yashar is an Amercian architect and technologist focused on advancing human space exploration through innovative architecture and construction technologies. She has worked on projects such as Mars Dune Alpha and the Mars Ice House, emphasizing sustainable habitats for space environments. Melodie co-founded SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) and collaborates with NASA on extraterrestrial construction initiatives.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Melodie Yashar credit Regan Morton. (R) Barbara Imhof credit Bruno Stubenrauch.)
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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.)
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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.)
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Laughter isn't just for fun - it's a powerful tool that strengthens social bonds, enhances group dynamics and fosters emotional connection. It’s also great for our health. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two specialists about why having a laugh works.
Professor Sophie Scott is a British cognitive neuroscientist whose research has helped millions of people better understand and appreciate the use of laughter in social interactions. She is the director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience where she also runs a lab. Dr Disa Sauter is a social psychologist at the University of Amsterdam who leads the Positive Emotions Project (PEP). This initiative seeks to explore the unique benefits of various positive emotions. A key focus of her work is investigating how laughing can strengthen social bonds and enhance overall well-being.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Disa Sauter courtesy of Disa Sauter. (R) Sophie Scott, credit Small Wardour Studios.)
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How do you report on what is going on in your country when it is no longer safe for you to be there? Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women journalists who are living away from their home.
Hind al-Eryani is a freelance journalist and human rights advocate from Yemen. She publishes a blog and features in international media like The Washington Post and France’s TV5. She has covered the war in her country, written about women's rights and led a campaign against the use of Gat, a mild narcotic leaf common in Yemen. After facing threats to her life she now lives in Sweden with her daughter.
Journalist Nazeeha Saeed, was arrested and detained by Bahraini authorities while covering protests in the country for France 24 TV and Radio Monte Carlo. Nazeeha says she was subjected to torture and abuse, but remained in Bahrain for five years trying to continue her journalism despite attempts to restrict and silence her. She eventually left and now lives in Germany.
Producer: Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Nazeeha Saeed, credit Hamza Qabbani. (R) Hind Al Eryani, credit Jesper Anhede.)
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Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to Lilian Olivia Orero and Nighat Dad about the scale of harassment women face on the internet.
Lilian Olivia Orero is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, award-winning writer and champion of women’s digital rights. She is the founder of the community-based organisation SafeOnlineWomen-Kenya. Lilian Olivia recently served as the youngest person on a UN led programme aimed at ending violence against women and girls.
Nighat Dad is a Pakistani lawyer and founder of Digital Rights Foundation, a charity organisation focused on cyber harassment, data protection and free speech online in Pakistan and South Asia. As a feminist and pioneer for women's rights activism in Pakistan, Nighat has raised awareness of Pakistani patriarchy.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Lilian Olivia Orero, credit Daniel Samwel. (R) Nighat Dad, courtesy of Nighat Dad)
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In recent years women have overtaken men as the majority on allotments and community gardens. These spaces for growing fruit and vegetables to eat at home have been peaceful places that provide families with healthy food. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Kenya and Ukraine about the appeal of these plots.
JC Niala is a writer, academic and creative from Kenya who has written about the history of allotments. Alongside Greenpeace, she has co-created ‘The Waiting List’, an allotment-sized artwork highlighting the significant demand and lengthy waiting lists for allotments.
Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cook and author of the award-winning Mamushka cook book. Raised in rural Ukraine she later moved to London where she missed the fresh tastes of homegrown food. This led her to start the lengthy process of securing an allotment, which she says helps make a place feel like ‘home’, particularly during times of war and displacement.
They've written essays for a book celebrating allotment life called This Allotment: Stories of Growing, Eating and Nurturing.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) JC Niala, courtesy of JC Niala. (R) Olia Hercules, credit Joe Woodhouse.)
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Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two of the first generation of women to ever fly F16s, Manja Blok for the Netherlands Air Force and Heather Penney for the US Air Force.
Manja Blok was the first female operational F-16 fighter pilot in the world. After taking the aviation exam at 19, Manja was told she was unfit to become a pilot and pursued a career as a beautician instead. She tried again at 22 and in 1991, made her F-16 debut in a career that lasted a decade and paved the way for women behind her.
Heather Penney joined the US Air Force in the late nineties, after Congress lifted the combat exclusion for women in aviation in 1993. Six months after becoming qualified for combat, Heather was assigned a mission on September 11th 2001 during the attacks in New York and Washington D.C, to intercept hijacked Flight 93.
Produced by Elena Angelides
(Image: (L) Manja Blok, courtesy of Joni Isreali. (R ) Heather Penney, courtesy of Tim Engle)
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Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two female neurosurgeons to hear about the pressures and rewards that come from working in their intense and male-dominated medical field.
Dr. Lola Chambless is an American neurosurgeon based in Nashville. She is passionate about medical education and serves as the Residency Program Director in Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Giselle Coelho is an award-winning paediatric neurosurgeon from Brazil who has a PhD from Harvard. She is currently the Scientific Director of the EDUCSIM Institute and works at Sabará Hospital.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Dr. Lola Chambless, credit Vanderbilt University Medical Center. (R) Dr. Giselle Coelho, credit Trianon Clinic.)
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A British explorer who transformed travel and travel writing and a Nigerian novelist and travel blogger talk to Ella Al-Shamahi about their adventures around the world.
Hilary Bradt co-founded the world's largest independently owned guidebook publisher fifty years ago. She’s been inspiring travellers to go off the beaten track ever since, publishing guides to destinations where no guidebook previously existed, like Uganda, Yugoslavia, North Korea, Eritrea and Madagascar.
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Nigerian travel storyteller, photographer, speaker and an international author whose books are published in 18 languages. She lives in Sweden, teaches travel writing and is the current editor-in-chief for Slow Travel Stockholm.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Lola Akinmade Åkerström, credit Jessica Wikström. (R) Hilary Bradt, credit Alex Graeme.)
- Visa fler
