Spanish women will be the first in Europe to be able to take time off work for severe period pain. But could such a law backfire and instead reinforce gender discrimination? Annette Young talks to menstrual health specialist, Maria Carmen Punzi. Plus we take a look at the latest summer fashion item trending on TikTok, dubbed the "subway shirt,” where women wear an oversized item of clothing so as to prevent unwanted male attention while using public transport.

It is estimated some 50 million people are living in modern slavery; 10 million more in the last five years. This includes millions in forced labour and forced marriage; with women and children being especially vulnerable. Annette Young talks to Grace Forrest, the founding director of Walk Free, an international human rights group focused on the elimination of modern slavery. Also we meet the women in Venezuela who have taken their futures literally into their own hands and are building their own family homes as the country confronts a housing crisis.

The Cannes Film Festival kicks off and while seven out of the 21 directors nominated this year are female, there's anger over the opening movie starring Johnny Depp who's staging a comeback after winning a defamation trial against his former wife, Amber Heard, who accused him of abuse. Also protests continue in India after athletes spoke out against the country's wrestling federation while accusing its president, who's also a well-known politician, of sexual misconduct. Annette Young talks to FRANCE 24's Leela Jacinto about the contentious allegations and the status of #MeToo in India.

In this edition, the tale of a secret women's language in China that's existed since feudal times and the attempts to keep it alive by those who still use it in the southern province of Hunan. Annette Young also meets Iraqi Kurdish activist, Soma Farhang from the Women Empowerment Organisation of Iraq and Ahang Habib, a journalist working with Kirkuk Now; both seeking to amplify women's voices in the region.

As fighting continues in Sudan between two military factions, tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes with aid workers warning women and children are being disproportionately affected by the violence. Also with the UN saying it will take us close to 300 years until the world reaches gender parity, Annette Young talks to Anita Bhatia who's just finished her term as the UN Women's Deputy Director on how women's rights are facing a global backlash. Plus being a Barbie doll in a Barbie world takes on a new meaning as its manufacturer, Mattel, launches its first Barbie doll with Down's syndrome as part of promoting diversity.

As online violence targeting women continues to rise, artificial intelligence is set to take trolling to a whole new level. So will the European Union's new Digital Services Act make tech platforms a safe place for women? Annette Young talks to Asha Allen from the Centre for Democracy and Technology. Also members of Uganda's lesbian community bravely speak out as the Ugandan parliament passes sweeping anti-gay legislation that criminalises anybody identifying as LGBTQ+. This as the country's president urges politicians to reconsider the bill.

An independent investigation commissioned after the kidnapping, rape and murder of British woman Sarah Everard suggests her abuser, Wayne Couzens, was likely just the tip of the iceberg. The "Casey Report" revealed that London's Metropolitan Police is institutionally sexist, racist and homophobic, failing to protect both its own staff and the public from predators. The Women's Equality Party is just one in a growing chorus of voices calling for major reforms, if not a complete overhaul of the force. Erin Ogunkeye spoke to its leader, Mandu Reid. Plus, we check in on how women in Afghanistan are defiantly hoping to sidestep the Taliban's education bans.

Twenty years on after the fall of Saddam Hussein, we meet Iraqi women activists who still face a massive uphill battle in their fight for equality. Also Annette Young talks to leading feminist, Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari on how the Israeli government's controversial judicial reforms could endanger women's rights. Plus with India on the brink of surpassing China and becoming the world's most populous country; the number of women in the Indian workforce still continues to decline.

Despite its historic reputation as a centre of education, power and wealth, Cambridge is the UK’s most unequal city. Like the rest of the country, many of its residents are suffering greatly from the nation's cost-of-living crisis but none more so than women and children. This as the number of food banks in the country now outnumber McDonald's outlets, with a fast-growing number of working women becoming regular customers seeking donated food. In a special edition, Annette Young meets a cross-section of women whose lives have been dramatically impacted by a rapidly declining economy.

A group of leading Iranian and Afghan women are calling to make gender apartheid an international crime as the situation in both countries continues to deteriorate rapidly for women and girls. Annette Young talks to Dr Ewelina Ochab, a lawyer from the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute who is working on the campaign. Also as southern Turkey rebuilds following the catastrophic earthquake in February, once again women are being impacted the most with many living in tent cities where hygiene conditions are poor and their safety is at risk. Plus the Egyptian women's field hockey team that's scoring more than goals as they face gender discrimination while lacking financial sponsorship.