In this special edition, we're focusing on women's rights in Africa. As UN Women writes, women on the continent are the backbone of family and communities. Yet many endure the worst working conditions with unpaid care, low pay jobs and little or no social protection. They also suffer from different forms of violence including female genital mutilation, child marriage and physical violence. So how does feminism fit within this context especially as many conservative male leaders in the region often dismiss it as a Western import. Annette Young talks to Minna Salami, the author of 'Can Feminism be African?' We also look at how Togo's strict abortion laws mean thousands of women are left with no choice but to seek illegal terminations, often putting their lives at risk. Plus the teenage girls in a Kenyan refugee camp who are learning self-defence in an environment rife with gender violence.

In this edition, we report on the growing popularity of women-only dance clubs in Europe where you can also be sure to be in bed before midnight. Also as European governments continue to battle against people-smugglers, we meet the Italian aid groups who offer a new lease of life to Nigerian sex trafficking victims. Plus the tale of how two Latin American women, both victims of online sexual violence, inspired the creation of an AI chatbot which helps other women in the same situation.

With the war with Russia now in its fourth year, the number of women joining the Ukrainian army continues to soar to some 70,000 up from 56,000 at the start of the Russian invasion. Our colleagues at France 2 went to meet the female fighters of Bucha. Also the number of indigenous women murdered in the US is 10 times higher than any other ethnic group. Annette Young talks to French-American director, Sabrina Van Tassel, whose latest documentary focuses on the plight of one such woman.

In this special edition, we focus on misogyny especially among boys and young men as the Netflix series, "Adolescence," has gone viral. The harrowing British drama, about a young boy accused of killing a female classmate, has garnered rave reviews for its performances and storyline. Yet its most important legacy could be kick-starting societal change, and opening up a conversation about toxic masculinity. Also Annette Young talks to Dr Jackson Katz, a specialist in gender violence and whose book entitled "Every Man: Why Violence Against Women is a Men's Issue" has just been published.

In a special edition, we focus on Syria, a nation emerging from decades of a brutal dictatorship. The country's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a constitutional declaration, laying out rights for women and freedom of expression. This after his Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad's government last December. Yet sectarian violence still threatens to split the country apart as we saw recently with those attacks directed at the Alawite community, treated as associates of Assad. We report on the fears of Syrian women that their new-found freedoms may be under threat with the rise of religious observance. Annette Young also talks to Mariam Jalabi, a co-founder of the Syrian Women's Political Movement, an umbrella organisation representing women from all communities and pushing for them to have a seat at the table.

What happens when you gender-flip the tale of “Moby Dick”? Annette Young talks to British-Chinese author, Xiaolu Guo, who has done just that with her latest book, “Call Me Ishmaelle”.  Also, confronting sexual harassment on Japan's public transport where one in 10 young women say they have been groped on trains, highlighting an often-unreported crime. Plus, a new wave of Kenyan authors, illustrators, and media creators are challenging the way young girls see themselves and their futures. 

To mark International Women's Day, we focus on what was clearly the biggest story in France in recent months. That being the rape trial of Gisele Pelicot who went on to become a global feminist icon after waiving her right to remain anonymous. A court in Avignon hearing how for nearly a decade, the 72-year-old grandmother had been drugged unconscious by her husband and offered to more than 80 strangers for sex. But will Gisele Pelicot's extraordinary bravery result in substantive change especially as there is no definition of consent in French rape law? Annette Young is joined by Louise-Anne Baudrier from the Women’s Foundation and Megan Clement, the editor-in-chief of the Paris-based feminist newsletter, Impact. We also take a look at the need to teach consent from an early age. 

Now when you think of a psychopath, what images immediately come to mind? Most likely that of a man; be it Adolf Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson or Joseph Stalin. Not so, says Annette Young's guest this week. Miriam Frankel, the Senior Science Editor at the Conversation Media Group, talks about why scientists have been seemingly reticent to explore dark traits among women. Also Western governments are massively slashing foreign aid budgets as they boost spending on defence with aid organisations saying it will be women and girls who will bear the brunt of such moves. Plus how the ballerinas from the Ukrainian national ballet have found a new lease of life as their art becomes a form of resistance.

With Donald Trump back in the White House; they've become the most controversial initials. That's DEI or diversity, equity and inclusion programs promoting equality in the workplace. The US president has declared war on DEI, declaring it to be "immoral." So what does it mean beyond American shores? Annette Young asks Dr Marcelle Laliberté, Chief DEI Officer at HEC, France's leading business school.

A few concepts arguably dominated remarks at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this February: inclusivity, ethics and deregulation. Debates about these themes, complimentary for some but conflicting for others, will have a significant impact on whether the technology can or will be used to address societal ills, including gender inequality. While the French government highlighted its pursuit of inclusive, open and safe AI, some of the world's biggest leaders in technology, including the US and the UK, refused to sign the joint declaration vowing to do the same. With the White House both ideologically opposed to such objectives and even linking them to stifled innovation, is it possible to use artificial intelligence as a tool to pursue gender equality? Erin Ogunkeye spoke to Dr. Eleanor Drage, senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge and Zinnya del Villar, Director of Data, Technology and Innovation at Data-Pop Alliance.