The Women's Podcast

In today’s episode, we’re covering a topic that isn’t often spoken about, but is estimated to affect around one in four families: family estrangement. It’s a subject that writer and Irish Times contributor Laura Kennedy wrote about recently in her Substack, detailing the complicated grief she experienced following the death of her father late last year - a man she hadn’t seen in over a decade. In today’s episode, Kennedy joins Róisín Ingle to reflect on the strange, unsettling reality of losing a parent whose death changes almost nothing in her daily life. You can find her piece on family estrangement on Substack here https://lkennedy.substack.com/But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including France’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ moment and a revealing confession made by an Olympic athlete at the winter games this week.

Last month, Action Aid Ireland published a new report highlighting the challenges that lone migrant parents, mainly women, experience when they leave state accommodation. Many face discrimination, unaffordable rents and inadequate supports, leaving them effectively trapped between direct provision and homelessness. In today’s episode, Deborah Oniah and Owodunni Mustapha (Ola) - two Nigerian women who have made the move from direct provision into secure housing - share their experience of finding accommodation as single parents in the middle of a housing crisis. We also hear from Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland, who explains what recommendations have come from the report and why for lone migrant parents, the barriers to securing housing are often multiplied. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including the latest tranche of Epstein files released last Friday and a new Netflix documentary which questions the guilt of the UK’s “most prolific child killer” Lucy Letby.

This Sunday 1st February is St Brigid’s Day and to celebrate the occasion we’re learning all about Brigid - the woman, the myth, the legend - from author and writer Kim Curran. Curran has just published her new book Brigid - a reimagining of Ireland’s most beloved saint - in which she details the life of Brigid, the miracles she made and the women she saved. It’s the story of a trailblazer who carved her own path, rebelled against the status quo and could never be caged by men, by gods, or even by history itself. So if you’ve ever wondered who the real Brigid was, what’s the story behind the cross and what inspired her to live as she did, then this is the episode for you. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the tragic death of a homeless woman in Dublin city centre this month and why more women in Ireland are having babies in their 40s.

This month on The Women’s Podcast Book Club, Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Róisín Ingle, and Ann Ingle are discussing Flesh by David Szalay. The book follows the life of István - an emotionally detached Hungarian man - as he moves from adolescence into adulthood. As the years pass, István moves from the army to the circles of London’s elite. His competing impulses for love, intimacy, status and wealth win him unimaginable riches, until they threaten to undo him completely.The next book club pick is Heart the Lover by American author Lily King. The group will be discussing it in March.

Although Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs may seem like a relatively new phenomenon, their origins actually stretch back to the mid 1980s. Back then, scientists were searching for an alternative treatment for diabetes, one that could replace insulin. Few could have imagined that this research would go on to reshape the treatment of obesity and later evolve into one of the best-selling drugs in the world.In her new book Off the Scales, journalist and author Aimee Donnellan traces the history of Ozempic, telling the story of the people behind its development. Among them is a young, ambitious woman from Macedonia whose research helped pave the way for the creation of the drug. In today’s episode, Donnellan talks to Róisín Ingle about the seismic impact GLP-1s have had on society and the body positivity movement. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including the Beckham family feud and one woman’s fourteen-year-fight to get her former partner prosecuted for domestic violence.

In late December, merchants and shopkeepers in Iran took to the streets to protest against the dire economic situation in the country. Since then, thousands more Iranians have joined the protests, snowballing it into a much bigger movement which is now calling for the end of the Islamic regime. The authorities have responded to the demonstrations with gunfire, tear gas and thousands of arrests. According to human rights agencies, more than 2000 people have been killed so far in the uprising, with some reports suggesting the death toll could be as high as 12,000. These protests follow on from the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom Movement which saw thousands demonstrate following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. To understand what is happening on the ground in Iran, and what this latest unrest means for its people and women in particular, Róisín Ingle is joined by two Iranian academics, Mayha Ostovar and Yasaman Ranjbaran. Ostovar is a lecturer at NUI Galway, while Ranjbaran is completing a PHD in ecology and evolution in Padua, Italy. Together, they speak about their hope for a free and peaceful Iran.

Over the past thirty years in Ireland, the lives of women have changed unrecognisably. Unparalleled advances in legislation have allowed for divorce, abortion and marriage equality. The economy has gone from boom to bust and to boom again, with more women entering the workplace. But for all the progress, there is still an underrepresentation of women in politics and positions of power, and there’s also a worrying rise in violence against women. This transformation of Irish society and its impact on women is documented by Irish social researcher and author Íde B. O'Carroll in her new book Thirty Years of Change Through Women's Eyes: Ireland, 1993-2023. In today’s episode, the US-based writer tells Róisín Ingle about the women she spoke to for the book and their perspectives on a changing Ireland. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the outcome of a harassment case taken by the wife of French President Brigitte Macron and calls to ban AI “nudification” apps.

Prima Facie, the award-winning one-woman play written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller, is coming to the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin later this month. It follows the story of Tessa Ensler, a highly successful criminal defence lawyer who specialises in sexual assault cases. When Ensler (played by Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer) is sexually assaulted by a colleague, she suddenly finds herself on the other side of the justice system and learns that the law was not written for victims - and that she is the one on trial.In today’s episode, Miller joins Róisín Ingle to discuss the play’s global success, the real-world impact it has had on the court system, and why the story has resonated with so many. She also talks about her background growing up as a working-class girl in Australia, where her love of writing came from and about working with Lena Dunham on upcoming projects.

2025 was the year Ireland elected its third female President, but only three women were appointed Ministers in the new Cabinet. Down one on the previous government. It was the year the hit Netflix show Adolescence had everyone talking about the dangers of the 'manosphere' and toxic masculinity and Australia introduced the world’s first social media ban for children. The year also saw the engagement of pop queen Taylor Swift to her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the relocation of American comedian Rosie O’Donnell and her family to Ireland. Dublin City Council took steps to protect the Molly Malone statue from being groped by tourists and a row over ‘skorts’ caused ructions within the GAA. To look back on this pivotal year and how it impacted the lives of women in Ireland and around the world, Roisin Ingle is joined by Irish Times features writer Nadine O’Regan, opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell and social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland.