The Conversation

Having a severe allergy doesn’t just affect physical health - it’s often the social isolation and mental toll of dealing with a somewhat ‘invisible condition’ that people with allergies also have to contend with. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the US and Spain who’re advocating for more awareness and visibility around the real-life impacts. Sarah Ackerman is from the US. Her sensitivity to certain nuts and other foods puts her at risk of anaphylaxis, a rapid-onset reaction that can be fatal if not treated immediately. She now supports other young people living with food allergies and caregivers through her work as a public speaker and through with her blog, ‘Girl Behind the Hive’. She believes that it’s important to show young people and their parents that it is possible to live fulfilling lives whilst also managing life-threatening food allergies and shares her experiences of everything from dating to travel. Irantzu Muerza Santos from Spain has severe, life-threatening allergic asthma which she must manage through a range of complex treatments and a strict daily routine. Having been under-diagnosed for nearly twenty years, she’s now a voice for millions of sufferers as President of Asthma and Allergy Spain – an organisation that’s committed to improving the quality of life for those living with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses. Produced by Hannah Dean (Image: (L) Sarah Ackerman, courtesy Sarah Ackerman. (R) Irantzu Muerza Santos credit: Armando Ruiz.)

Jamaica to the Philippines, Cuba to Vietnam – countries around the world are dealing with aftermath of heavy storms and flooding; with hundreds dead and billions in damage. The role of meteorologists warning of extreme weather is increasingly valuable. Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women tracking hurricanes and cyclones about the importance of their work. Kathy Ann Caesar is chief meteorologist at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados. As well as lecturing and teaching the next generation of weather watchers Kathy also advises regional institutions and emergency services on the advent of extreme weather events. Holly Hamilton is Director of Meteorology at Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority. The island only got its own weather forecasting service in 2022, they previously used just weather forecasting from the Bahamas. Holly is building the team to bring a more accurate picture of the weather they expect for the local community as well as the airports authority. Produced by Jane Thurlow

What's it like navigating the world as a disabled parent? Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the US and Italy about the reality of parenting with a disability and about why it’s important to reconsider some of the common misconceptions that exist within society around the kind of life that disabled mothers can provide for their children. Jessica Slice is an American disabled author, speaker and essayist who now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. She was diagnosed with an autonomic nervous system disorder in her twenties after a strenuous hike while on holiday in Greece. The condition changed her life forever – requiring her to use a wheelchair and sometimes experiencing chronic pain - but it also made her consider having children, seriously for the very first time. Her book, Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges An Inaccessible World chronicles some of the obstacles that disabled parents face, and examines the societal beliefs that underpin those barriers. Laura Coccia from Italy is a former Paralympian who is now a representative at the European Disability Forum. She now lives in Brussels and says she faces stigma everyday as a mother with a form of cerebral palsy. She wrote a weekly online diary about her pregnancy as a disabled woman in 2019, giving a candid insight to some of the challenges she faced, but also how she was going through the same things as any other pregnant woman. She has also co-authored a children's book called La Sedia Magica della Mamma, created to show disability not as an obstacle but as a natural part of life. Produced by Emily Naylor and Hannah Dean (Image: (L) Jessica Slice credit Vanessa Heins. (R) Laura Coccia courtesy Laura Coccia.)

Across continents and generations, the art of weaving has connected humans for thousands of years. But it’s dying out. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two women from The Netherlands and Turkey about their passion for preserving the traditional craft. Turkish social entrepreneur Damla Saydam founded Qirqit Studio to help preserve the endangered tradition of handwoven Turkish rugs. She was inspired by her family’s weaving heritage and memories of helping her aunt weave as a child. Damla collaborates with village women, many of whom have been weaving for decades and otherwise would have stopped, to ensure they receive fair wages and recognition for their craft. Erna Janine from The Netherlands runs Freeweaver Studio in London, driven by her love of sustainable fashion and enthusiasm to share the joy of weaving with others. Both her grandmothers inspired her love of the craft: one was a shepherd who processed her own wool and the other was one of the last women in Holland to wear traditional costume. Produced by Emily Naylor (Image: (L) Damla Saydam courtesy Damla Saydam. (R), Erna Janine credit Ben Veasey.)

After the discovery of a new gene therapy for Huntington's, a devastating brain disease, Datshiane Navanayagam talks to one of the women in the UK who worked on it and a biologist from India who's made recent discoveries that could improve treatment for TB, which still kills over a million people globally each year. Anne Rosser is Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at Cardiff University, combining both academic and clinical work specialising in patients with Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s is an inherited condition caused by a faulty gene which stops the brain working properly, affecting mobility, learning, thinking and emotions. Anne also directs the Brain Repair Group in Cardiff. Paridhi Sukheja is lead biologist for Tuberculosis drug discovery at Calibr-Skaggs Institute at Scripps Research in the US – a nonprofit research institute looking at drug discovery and treatments for diseases. TB is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases and, while widely treatable, it still kills 1.2 million people a year. Part of this is due to increasingly drug-resistant strains of the disease. Paridhi's work has been instrumental in the discovery of a potential new treatment for TB, including drug-resistant strains. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Paridhi Sukheja credit Nick Cusato. (R), Anne Rosser courtesy Anne Rosser.)

Artistic swimmers are known for making perfect synchronicity look effortless. Datshiane Navanaygam talks to athletes from Spain and Slovakia to reveal why the sport is far tougher than it appears. Silvia Solymosyová from Slovakia was the first artistic swimmer to reach 1 million followers on social media after videos of her dancing underwater went viral . She is a multiple World Championships finalist and double European Championships medallist in the sport. Silvia used to compete in the mixed duet with her brother and was inspired by her mother, who was also a professional artistic swimmer. Emma Garcia is a Spanish artistic swimmer who currently Vice Chairs the Athlete Committee for European Aquatic. Part of her role involves supporting the mental health of European artistic swimmers and increasing the number of boys and men competing. She is the winner of over 30 medals for the sport. Produced by Emily Naylor

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 ecologist who 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. (Image: (L) Dr Elizabeth Znidersic courtesy Dr Elizabeth Znidersic. (R) Dr Denise Risch credit Jonny Reid.)

For many families, income plunges and poverty spikes right before a child is born and remains high throughout the first year. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to doctors in Kenya and the US about the positive impact of giving cash to pregnant women and new mothers. Dr Mona Hanna is a paediatrician, professor, public health advocate and director of the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Hospital Paediatric Public Health Initiative. Mona also runs Rx Kids in Flint, Michigan and across the state, it is the first community-wide programme in the US designed to address poverty as a root cause of health disparities through the provision of unconditional cash allowances to pregnant and new mothers. Dr Miriam Laker-Oketta is the Senior Research Advisor at GiveDirectly, a non-profit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest people, no strings attached. Born and raised in Uganda, she initially trained and worked as an infectious diseases doctor. However, after becoming increasingly frustrated by her patients' late-stage disease presentations and their inability to afford basic medication and meet essential needs due to poverty, Miriam transitioned from medicine to direct cash aid. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Dr Mona Hanna credit Rx Kids. (R), Dr Miriam Laker-Oketta credit GiveDirectly.)

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 courtesy Roushanna Gray.)

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 London 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

While confidence is widely understood as important, actually building and maintaining it can feel like an impossible task. A comedian from New Zealand and a body positive writer, speaker and influencer from the UK tell Datshiane Navanayagam about how they grew their self-confidence and give advice for others on how to get it. Megan Jayne Crabbe is a British bestselling author, presenter and body confidence advocate known for helping people improve their relationship with their bodies. She produces empowering content around body positivity, mental health and feminism which is shared with her more than 1.3 million social media followers. Her latest book is called We Don't Make Ourselves Smaller Here, which explores what we can do to live life as our fullest, boldest and most confident selves. Alice Snedden from New Zealand is a comedian and television actor, director and writer renowned for her confidence. Alice studied law at university but never practiced it. The night before she was admitted to the bar, Alice performed her first stand-up comedy set and never looked back. Television shows she has been involved with include Alice Snedden's Bad News, Starstruck and Break Clause. Produced by Emily Naylor (Image: (L) Alice Snedden courtesy Avalon. (R) Megan Jayne Crabbe credit Kiran Gidda.)

The global housing crisis continues to grow, with the UN’s urban development agency estimating 40% of people worldwide lack access to adequate housing. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to female architects in Tanzania and Spain designing cheaper, more sustainable homes. Victoria Heilman founded the Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH), a group of architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and scientists. TAWAH tackles housing poverty and gender inequality by teaching women construction skills. The training enables them to build affordable, environmentally friendly homes for elderly residents who would otherwise be living in unsafe and uncomfortable housing, at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable. Cristina Gamboa is a Spanish architect and co-founder of Lacol, a cooperative of 14 architects established in 2014 in Barcelona. The group design homes, offices, community buildings and art spaces that are environmentally sustainable, affordable and bring people together. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Victoria Heilman courtesy Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity. (R) Cristina Gamboa credit Lacol.)

Two women from Greece and Sweden tell Datshiane Navanayagam about the dog training process and the prejudices service dogs still face when it comes to broader societal acceptance. Lia Stoll is a Greek-Canadian guide dog trainer and co-founder of Lara Guide Dogs school in Greece. She was inspired by her father, who was also a guide dog mobility instructor, as Lia grew up with guide dogs and working with people who are blind and partially sighted. Anki Celander is a dog behaviourist and trainer who co-founded an assistance dog school in Sweden and now helps people with disabilities to train their own dogs to become certified assistance animals. She has over two decades of experience. Produced by Emily Naylor (Image: (L) Lia Stoll courtesy Lia Stoll. (R) Anki Celander courtesy Anki Celander.)

Two women from Italy and the US tell Datshiane Navanayagam about following the movements of growing wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park and the Italian Alps. Elisa Ramassa started work as a park ranger in Italy's Gran Bosco di Salbertrand, near Turin, in 1997. That same year the park recorded the first sightings of a wolf pack. They'd been extinct in the Italian Alps since the 1920s. She's spent the whole of her career tracking the local wolves, observing pack behaviour and family structures, while watching the population re-establish itself. Erin Stahler is a biological science technician and the programme manager for the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Wolves were reintroduced to the park in 1995 and there’s now 10 packs making up a steady population of around 100 wolves. She says the wide open spaces of Yellowstone National Park make it a perfect place for studying the fascinating behaviour of wolves. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Elisa Ramassa courtesy Elisa Ramassa. (R) Erin Stahler credit NPS.)