Where To Be A Woman

Find out what has made it into our female fantasy land. Scaachi and Sophia have crossed the globe to ask the question, “Where can women live their best lives?” Over an amazing 15 episodes, they’ve listened to experts and advocates give examples of where women thrive when it comes to subjects ranging from body image to the gender pay gap, period equity, women's safety and living sustainably. In this season finale, Scaachi and Sophia look back on some of the most memorable findings and hear what listeners think.

Share your thoughts on this episode and suggest ideas for a new one by sending us a voice note on WhatsApp: +44330 123 9459

In an historic year for elections around the world, we hear from New Zealand and Mexico about women and politics. According to the United Nations, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. Sophia Smith Galer and Scaachi Koul discuss the recent Mexican elections and the process that led to its first female President-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum. They also talk about Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand. They are told about mentoring, training and quotas.

Guests: Mónica Tapia, political scientist from Mexico and founder of women's leadership incubator Aúna, and emeritus Professor Barbara Brookes, a women’s and medical historian from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Does samba lift your mood? How about karaoke or playing a guitar? Does music feed your soul? Scaachi and Sophia hear how music can make you feel alive and affect sleep quality, mental alertness, and memory. They find out about free lessons in Finland and the power of music in Brazil. It’s time to start singing, play an instrument or sit back and listen and pretend you are in a music video – that’s what Sophia likes doing on a train.

From commuting to going out in the evening, Scaachi and Sophia explore safety. We hear about “gender sensitive” city planning, street lightening, public transport and schemes to help keep people safe in the evenings, including night walks. They both like the idea of the right to party!

Guests: Austrian architect and lecturer Sabina Riss talks about Vienna, and researcher Tonja Jerele from the University of Ljubljana discusses Slovenia.

Let us know what you think. Share your thoughts on this episode and suggest ideas for a new one by sending us a voice note on WhatsApp: +44330 123 9459

New mum Janine Harouni is anxious and lonely, so why do the other mums online look so happy? This is a guest episode from Dear Daughter.

Namulanta is building a “handbook to life”, sharing your parenting advice, personal stories, with letters to your daughters. If you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son, what would you write?

This episode includes discussion about difficult parts of pregnancy and also miscarriage.

For more episodes from Namulanta Kombo’s Dear Daughter podcast, go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter or search for “Dear Daughter”.

Janine Harouni was performing stand-up comedy while 40 weeks pregnant, but now there's a whole other set of challenges. On social media, she sees pictures of pregnant models who don’t appear to gain weight. Nobody seems to talk about the gross parts or the difficult parts. She’s exhausted and full of worry. Then a surprise family DNA test changes her perspective on motherhood.

We discuss the menstrual cycle - turning period poverty to period dignity. From free and locally produced sanitary products to the No Pad Tax campaigns.

Sophia Smith Galer and Scaachi Koul explore menstruation education, legislation and cultural change, as they meet two people from different countries to explore how period equity can be achieved for everyone. And is education on reproductive health up to scratch?

Guests: Ailsa Colquhoun from Hey Girls in Scotland, and menstrual hygiene advocate, Lilipearl Baaba Otoo, in Ghana.

What’s it like for you once a month where you are? Let us know. Share your thoughts on this episode and suggest ideas for a new one by sending us a voice note on WhatsApp: +44330 123 9459

Keeping a journal? Writing books or an academic paper? Maybe it’s good for you. Scaachi Koul and Sophia Smith Galer both write and feel it contributes to their wellbeing and is therapeutic. They hear from the United States and Serbia about getting published and women in STEM. So what are you waiting for? Pick up a pen or start tapping away on a keyboard and then let us know about it!

Guests: Chris Olsen, founder of Publish Her, and Nataša Simić, from the University of Belgrade’s Institute of Psychology.

You can read the full privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2pj25vkld7tZ2Lq2d0Z3YjT/where-to-be-a-woman-privacy-notice

Would a four-day week and no texts from your boss after work improve your wellbeing? We hear about quiet quitting and digital nomads too. Should this episode be called 'life-work balance', with life coming first? Sophia Smith Galer and Scaachi Koul find out what can be learnt from Gen Z, and talk to two women from Portugal and Singapore about what works in the world of work.

Hot flushes, mood swings, medication and the good experiences too all come up, as we explore the menopause and perimenopause. The physical and mental symptoms vary in severity and between individuals. The way different cultures view this life change also varies from country to country. For some it’s still a taboo issue.

Sophia hears about a parliamentary inquiry in Australia. Scaachi finds out about a grassroots group in Zimbabwe that has been helping women understand what’s happening to their bodies and creating a sense of community.

Guests: Sonya Lovell, host of the podcast Dear Menopause; and Primrose Hove, cofounder of Let’s Talk Menopause.

You can read the full privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2pj25vkld7tZ2Lq2d0Z3YjT/where-to-be-a-woman-privacy-notice

#WheretobeaWoman

Further information:

There are an estimated 7,000 languages around the world, and experts think being a polyglot – someone who speaks more than one language - is good for us. So where in the world is multilingualism flourishing? And what are the social, emotional and cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages? Whether it’s Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Irish, French, Kashmiri, Pedi, Swazi or Afrikaans - should we all start learning a new one?

We hear from an organisation supporting multilingualism among children in Ireland. And we learn about the twelve official languages - and many more - being used every day in South Africa.

Guests: Suzanne McCarthy from the organisation Mother Tongues, and social linguist Dr Lorato Mokwena.

Let us know what you think. Share your thoughts on this episode and suggest ideas for a new one by sending us a voice note on WhatsApp: +44330 123 9459