The Conversation

Can women earn more than their partners and still be happy at home? How does a higher income affect family dynamics and the division of household chores? Datshiane Navanayagam talks to an author in the UK and a South African academic who've researched the issues.Dr Bianca Parry is a social psychology lecturer at University College London. While working at the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA) at the University of Pretoria, she carried out several research projects on female breadwinners, focusing on the experiences of marginalised and vulnerable communities.Melissa Hogenboom is an award-winning science writer and author (she also works for BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC). Her latest book is called Breadwinners: and other power dynamics that influence your life. She draws on socio-economic research and dozens of candid interviews with female breadwinners, stay-at-home dads and same-sex couples about how unequal earnings affect relationships.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Dr Bianca Parry credit Mariki Uitenweerde. (R), Melissa Hogenboom credit Fran Gomez de Villaboa.)

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to an ice hockey referee from Austria and a football referee from Denmark about their experiences as female officials in men's leagues.Austrian Julia Kainberger played ice hockey professionally for the Salzburg Eagles while also pursuing a career in officiating. She was one of the 12 European officials for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and, in 2024, became the first female referee in a men's Champions League game. Julia looks forward to a day where no female referee has to be 'the first one' anymore and it becomes the norm.Frida Klarlund is a Danish football referee who has officiated international matches since 2015.  In 2021 she became the first woman to referee in the men’s second division. Frida has refereed at major tournaments such as the Women’s Champions League, World Cup qualifiers and the Women's Euros. She currently works in Denmark’s top women’s league.Produced by Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Julia Kainberger courtesy Julia Kainberger. (R) Frida Klarlund credit UEFA.)

What can the sounds of the natural world tell us about the health of our ecosystems? Datshiane Navanayagam talks two sound ecologists in Scotland and Australia about using soundscape monitoring as a tool to help in conservation work.Dr Elizabeth Znidersic is an Australian environmental scientist with a particular interest in sound ecology. She has worked extensively in the US and in Tasmania with the Parks and Wildlife Service. Her current project, 'Eavesdropping on wetland birds' uses sound recorders to detect secretive marsh birds and she is about embark on a world-first trial, looking into the effectiveness of using call-playback systems to help restore terrestrial ecosystems.Dr Denise Risch is a marine mammal ecologist and senior lecturer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. For twenty years, she’s been involved in the study of aquatic soundscapes and investigates how marine species are impacted by man-made noise pollution. She’s been involved in a project which uses underwater microphones to measure turbine noise in Pentland Firth strait and another, to establish the effects of acoustic signals on harbour porpoises in Scottish waters.Produced by Hannah Dean(Image: (L) Dr Elizabeth Znidersic courtesy Dr Elizabeth Znidersic. (R) Dr Denise Risch credit Jonny Reid.)

Dr. Mona Hanna is a pediatrician and director of RxKids, a program in the US providing cash to new mothers. Dr. Miriam Laker-Oketta, a Senior Research Advisor at GiveDirectly, advocates for cash transfers in Uganda. They discuss how cash helps families manage the financial strains of pregnancy and early motherhood. The guests share compelling evidence that unconditional cash transfers can reduce infant mortality and improve health outcomes. They highlight personal experiences that motivated their shift from medicine to cash-based solutions, showcasing the broader impact on community well-being.

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women from South Africa and Germany about reclaiming the craft of brewing beer - something which was historically the domain of women.Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela is a brewmaster and the first black, female co-owner of a craft brewery in South Africa. Her award-winning range of Tolokazi beers pays homage to the female brewers of Africa, inspired by the Tolo Kingdom’s rich brewing history and celebrate ingredients unique to the African continent such as marula fruit and the rooibos bush. Apiwe regularly trains graduates - most of them women - in the art of beer-making at her brewing facility in Johannesburg. She is also an international beer judge and taster.Ulrike Genz is the brewmaster at Schneeeule Brewery in Berlin, which she founded in 2016 after years of developing a recipe thorough scientific study of the Berliner Weisse, a beer that had its heyday in the middle of the 19th century. Once celebrated far beyond Berlin’s borders as the “Champagne of the North” the beer is now, according to Ulrike, a “barely drinkable, mass-produced industrial beer”. Schneeeule Brewery’s mission is to give Berlin back a piece of its culture back…served, of course, in the correct glass! Produced by Hannah Dean(Image: (L) Ulrike Genz credit Markus Raupach. (R), Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela beer4change.)

From mushrooms to sea kelp: Two female foragers in South Africa and Japan tell Datshiane Navanayagam about how picking wild food has helped them to feel more connected to their natural surroundings.Emily Smith is from the UK and lives in rural Japan. She moved there to explore her Japanese heritage and says she felt a deep and calming connection to her natural surroundings. She spends her days learning all she can about edible plants and mushrooms from books, the internet and, most importantly, her elderly neighbours. She is currently working on a project about Japan’s seventy-two micro seasons.Roushanna Gray is a wild food forager, based in Cape Point, South Africa. She’s passionate about teaching people how to source food for free. She takes groups into forests to forage mushrooms, berries, greens and edible weeds, and to tidal pools for seaweed and kelp. Roushanna teaches her international guests about how they can use their senses, as well as the seasons, to find the most nutritious food.Produced by Mora Morrison(Image: (L) Emily Smith, credit Joshua Atkins. (R) Roushanna Gray credit Alex Oelofse.)

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women from France and Finland who service and create timepieces. Camille de Rouvray is a French watchmaker from a family of horologists. One of her ancestors was the official clockmaker for King Louis XV in the 1740s. Centuries later, when Camille was 35 years old, she decided to change careers completely to continue her family's legacy and follow her true passion. After training in Paris, she opened a watchmaking studio in Mirmande, a small village in the South of France. Camille is especially enthusiastic about antique clocks and feels a deep connection to the original creator when restoring them.Paula Pyhälä from Finland is a service manager at Lindroos, Finland’s largest privately owned watch service provider, established in 1878. She leads a team of nine watchmakers, four administrative staff and one polisher. Paula graduated from the Finnish Watchmaking School in 2008 and continued her training at the prestigious WOSTEP Watchmaking School in Switzerland. She says she often feels like a crime detective when servicing watches.(Image: (L) Paula Pyhälä, courtesy Paula Pyhälä. (R) Camille de Rouvray courtesy Camille de Rouvray.)

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to women from Italy and US about the craft of film restoration and the importance of bringing movies, especially those by women, back to life.Sandra Schulberg is the founder and president of IndieCollect – a nonprofit in the US that has restored more than 85 films since 2016 and rescued thousands of abandoned film negatives. She describes the independent movies they care for as ‘orphans’ and says it’s vital to keep these films alive as they’re not just cinematic heritage, they’re cultural history.Italian-born Elena Nepoti is the film conservation manager at the British Film Institute National Archive. She’s particularly focussed on the restoration of films from the silent era and is currently managing an ongoing major project – restoring a series of Sherlock Holmes pictures from the 1920s which were given approval of Arthur Conan Doyle himself.Produced by Hannah Dean and Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Elena Nepoti, courtesy Elena Nepoti. (R), Sandra Schulberg credit Barbara Katz.)

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to women running orchestras in Hungary and the UK.Orsolya Erdödy is the managing director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra working alongside founder-conductor Iván Fischer. The BFO is rated among the top ten orchestras in the world regularly performing at the world’s most prestigious concert venues. Orsolya is also chief musical advisor of the Benedictine Archabbey of Pannonhalma, founded in 996 one of the oldest buildings in Hungary. She regularly appears on the Forbes list of most influential Hungarian women.Sarah Bardwell is the Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK. An orchestra of around 100 musicians it tours globally performing with a range of international artists including Lang Lang, Diana Ross and Andrea Bocelli. As well as marketing, income generation, finance, staff and board management, Sarah is ultimately responsible for all the Orchestra's activities including touring, performances, artistic planning, conductor/artist selection, learning and community partnerships.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Sarah Bardwell, credit Tim Lutton. (R), Orsolya Erdödy credit Halász Nóra.)

Datshiane Navanayagam speaks two women from the Czech Republic and the UK about the ways in which they use horses to promote human physical and mental health.Vera Lantelme-Faisan’s professional background is in Equine Assisted Physiotherapy in the Czech Republic. Between 2004 and 2009, she played a key role in establishing a EAT centre for children at a rehabilitation hospital in Saudi Arabia and last year she assumed the role of president of The Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) - a leading international resource for all those involved in Equine Assisted Services. Claudia Nicholson's personal experience of horses providing the support and sanctuary she needed throughout the angst of her teenage years is one of the reasons why she wanted to help people experience the therapeutic benefits of horses and other equines in their own lives. She now runs her own centre for Equine Assisted Learning at Downmere Farm, in the South Downs National Park where she prioritises working with vulnerable children and young adults - building up confidence and self esteem through non-ridden ground work exercises with the horses as active participants. Produced by Hannah Dean (Image: (L) Vera Lantelme-Faisan, credit Karolina Kutanorova. (R), Claudia Nicholson courtesy Claudia Nicholson.)