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Society & Culture

The Conversation

by BBC World Service
Society & Culture

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Latest episodes

  • Women making sport greener

    October 19, 2026 · 26 min

    From the pitches we build to the stadiums we fill, the world of sport can have a huge impact on the environment. The biggest sporting events in the world bring joy to millions of people, but that comes at a cost. As the climate crisis…

  • The healing power of wild landscapes

    October 12, 2026 · 26 min

    Plunging into a remote mountain lake, camel-trekking for miles through empty desert… Natural landscapes have an incredible ability to change the way we think and behave. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to women from Wales and the Netherlands…

  • Crime scene and trauma cleaners

    October 5, 2026 · 26 min

    Cleaning up after a death or violent incident is often far too traumatic and potentially dangerous for family members or for regular cleaning services to undertake. Instead, it’s a task carried out by a small but specialised group of…

  • Women getting to the root of mushrooms

    September 28, 2026 · 26 min

    Around the world, mycelium – the root part of fungi – is being used practically as a biological material due to its distinctive properties. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two women hoping to reduce the environmental impact of plastic packaging…

  • Cricket’s top women umpires

    September 21, 2026 · 26 min

    Datshiane Navanayagam talks to women from India and the UK who officiate international and domestic matches for the women’s and men’s games. They’re both on the ICC’s development panel for umpires. Vrinda Rathi is an Indian cricket…

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  • Women bringing science to social media

    September 14, 2026 · 26 min

    While the proportion of girls studying science subjects beyond high school is going up, physics, maths and engineering are still dominated by men. Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women from Sweden and the UK who are using social media…

  • What is a joyful life?

    September 7, 2026 · 26 min

    Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Sweden and the United States about what they've learned about treasuring moments of joy. Kate Bowler is an historian, podcaster and author. She wrote Joyful Anyway after a stage IV bowel cancer…

  • Fertility in your 40s

    August 31, 2026 · 26 min

    Why does it become much harder for older women to become pregnant? And how does fertility treatment differ from one country to the next? Ella Al-Shamahi finds out what women need to understand about their bodies. Ella speaks to Sarah…

  • The manosphere and its impact on women

    August 24, 2026 · 26 min

    Datshiane Navanayagam discusses the impact of toxic masculinity in South Africa and South Korea. The United Nations has raised concern about online communities promoting misogynistic and anti-feminist views saying they’re a serious threat…

  • Women saving seeds for the future

    August 17, 2026 · 26 min

    Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Uganda and the UK working at seed banks to secure the future of the world's plant life. Gloria Otieno is a scientist and genetic policy specialist with Alliance Biodiversity CIAT working to…

  • Women helping earthquake survivors

    August 10, 2026 · 26 min

    When devastation strikes around the world there are groups of experienced, dedicated teams that will fly in to support local people in saving lives. Others support people in the long, slow task of dealing with the aftermath and impact on…

  • Kickstarting girls' careers in construction

    August 3, 2026 · 26 min

    The trades and construction sectors are crying out for new talent, yet many school leavers have no idea that this industry could offer a meaningful and lucrative career path. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women on a mission to get…

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About the show

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.