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. 

The brutal murder of Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei in September 2024 brought renewed global attention to a silent epidemic in Kenya: femicide and other forms of violence against women. With nearly 100 women murdered by men in just three months, 2024 was one of the deadliest years on record for Kenyan women. With mentalities slow to change and in the absence of a meaningful response from the government, some Kenyan women are taking matters into their own hands by enrolling in self-defence classes. And while William Ruto's government unveiled a 42-member task force to address gender-based violence in January, feminist activists are already voicing concerns it will do little make a significant impact. Erin Ogunkeye spoke to feminist and security professor Awino Okech of SOAS University of London for more. She's also the director of the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice. 

In this edition, how amid grief comes strength. Mothers in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro who lost their children due to gang violence, form a support network which also fights for justice. Also South Africa has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world yet despite this, half of the safe houses for domestic violence survivors in Cape Town, are facing closure. Plus we meet a group of Buddhist Nepalese nuns who've taken up kung fu as they seek to promote female empowerment.

In a special edition, we focus on how Afghanistan under the Taliban, has literally become hell on earth for women and girls. Annette Young meets Fawzia Koofi, a women's rights activist and a former member of the Afghan parliament who has also survived several assassination attempts. The two talk about the need for international efforts to end gender apartheid and the role of international sporting boycotts. Also, our colleagues at FRANCE 2 meet a group of Afghan women exiled in Paris who are producing a TV broadcast for women still living inside Afghanistan, offering a much-needed spark of hope. 

With Donald Trump re-entering the White House, what will it mean for American women this time around? Annette Young talks to Carter Sherman, the reproductive health reporter for the Guardian US. Also the gender divide in South Korea is becoming all the more evident during this latest political crisis over the arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol; with young men protesting against his impeachment while their female peers called for him to be detained. Plus the rise of e-sports or video gaming in China and how once again, women are finding themselves shut out of one of the world fastest-growing sectors.

Annette Young talks to American feminist writer, Soraya Chemaly, about her latest book, 'The Resilience Myth,' which questions the way we cope with trauma in our lives. Also how the fight against sexism and misogyny online has just got that much tougher due to Meta's decision to drop fact-checkers from Facebook and Instagram. Plus how women scientists in the Democratic Republic of Congo are seeking to encourage teenage girls to follow their path.

For the first show of 2025, we focus on that often-forgotten issue; girls' rights. Our team in Pakistan report on how climate change is resulting in a rise of child marriage in the country. Also we head to Senegal where the case of a nine-year-old girl, pregnant as a result of being raped by her Koran teacher, has sparked outrage particularly from human rights groups. Plus Annette Young talks to Memory Banda, a girls' rights activist in Malawi about how to engage communities in strengthening and protecting the rights of girls.

While Syrians celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad, concern is expressed over the need to protect women's rights in a country decimated by decades of cruel dictatorship. With Donald Trump heading back to the White House, what will it mean for women across the world particularly those reliant on US aid in the field of reproductive rights. Annette Young talks to journalist, Neha Wadekar, who's been investigating how right-wing American Christian groups are increasing their funding to the anti-abortion movement in Africa. And we meet noted Iranian singer, Sepideh Raissadat, who can perform everywhere except for her home country. 

As Paris celebrates the reopening of Notre Dame more than five years after it was destroyed by fire; Annette Young meets some of the women who have restored or rebuilt the historic cathedral. They talk of the challenges of bringing the 900-year-old building back to life as hundreds of skilled artisans from around the globe worked furiously to meet the December 2024 deadline. But all three women speak of the deep satisfaction of being involved in the cathedral’s rebirth. Plus we speak to a medieval historian who reveals that women were also part of the cathedral’s original construction in the Middle Ages.

With the advent of social media, our brains are receiving a constant stream of images. So how can we undergo a visual detox? Annette Young speaks to Marine Tanguy who has written a book on how to do just that. Also as we face a global epidemic of domestic violence, a novel approach in southern Italy offers survivors the opportunity to rebuild their lives by providing training and accommodation. Plus a female theatre group in the Balkans stage the ancient Greek play which condemns women's suffering in war while celebrating our capacity to resist.