WorkEqual is the brainchild of Sonya Lennon, stylist, designer and social entrepreneur. It’s a free service, which helps women find the confidence to enter or return to the workplace. Since 2011, it has helped more than 6,000 people move forward in their career journey. In this episode, Róisín Ingle talks to Lennon about the barriers facing women returning to work, the first steps to getting back out there and why it’s crucial to see women in leadership roles, so that change can begin from the top. We also hear from two WorkEqual alumni, Emma and Eileen, who talk about overcoming imposter syndrome, carving out new careers and the joy of finding themselves and their confidence again. For more information see WorkEqual.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This September, Oxfam is encouraging people to take a stance against the impact of fast fashion and to shop second hand. With the textile sector contributing to 10% of global pollution, Oxfam’s Second Hand September is an initiative to prevent clothes ending up in landfill and to give garments a new lease of life. Singer and musician Eleanor McEvoy is one of the ambassadors for this year’s campaign and in today’s episode she talks to Róisín Ingle about why she got involved, her tips for finding the best gems in charity stores and how her own style has evolved through the years. She also speaks about her latest tour, her love of performing and the heartache which inspired her 2021 album, ‘Gimme Some Wine’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At seventy years old, psychologist and author Dr. Bella DePaulo has been happily single her entire life. Having never felt the need to couple up, DePaulo describes herself as "single at heart’" and says her solo status allows her to live her most "joyful, authentic, and meaningful" life. DePaulo has spent many years researching and writing about the single experience and has just released her first book on the subject, Single at Heart. She hopes the book will prove that a powerful, healthy, and happy life is possible not in spite of being single, but because of it. In this episode, she talks to Róisín Ingle about the different ways in which single people thrive, the common misconceptions around singledom, and why she’d rather spend her life with "the ones", than the one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Aideen Finnegan sits down with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson and film director Aoife Kelleher to talk about their brand new film, Mrs Robinson. Told in her own words, the documentary reflects on key moments in Robinson’s life and career including her move from law into politics, the wedding that her parents refused to attend, and some of her political and personal regrets. In this conversation, Robinson explains why she was initially hesitant to make the film, what she hopes people can take from it and how she went from a shy child growing up in Ballina to walking the halls of Áras an Uachtaráin. Director Aoife Kelleher talks about her memories as a young girl watching the 1990 election, what inspired her to make the film and the joy of going through archive footage including never before seen home-videos shot by Robinson's father. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are Rivers in the Sky is the brand new novel from Turkish-British author Elif Shafak. The book is a “love letter to water”, but also a reflection on the climate crisis and the increasing issues with fresh water supply around the world. In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Shafak explains how she uses storytelling to address global issues and why her writing will always remain political. She also speaks about her nomadic upbringing, being raised by two strong women and her surprising love of melodic death metal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, influencer Hannah Neeleman made headlines after taking part in a beauty pageant just 12 days after giving birth to her eighth child. Last month the Sunday Times profiled the 34 year-old dubbing her the 'queen of tradwives.' The interview is still provoking commentary. Journalist Megan Agnew wrote about Neeleman's former career as a ballerina, truncated so she could leave New York City for Utah to spend the next 13 years having babies. Neeleman runs a farm with her husband, living a traditional Mormon lifestyle with no birth control, no elective abortions, no pain relief during labour and no nannies looking after the children. Her way of living has been embraced by the tradwife movement; one that adheres to strict, traditional gender roles and has its roots in right wing ideology. DCU professor of gender and digital culture, Debbie Ging, unpacks the tradwife trend which has exploded on TikTok and gone mainstream in 2024. Produced and presented by Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in August 2023. Rosemary Murphy, a dynamic 40-year-old woman from Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin, had two major goals from childhood. The first was to have a large family. The second was to study medicine and become a doctor. As a mother of 12 children, ranging from 20 to 19 months, the first goal has been well and truly achieved. This September, she will start the journey to achieving her second, when she begins a six year medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Murphy speaks about the joy of being accepted into the RCSI, the long road to get there and why "there’s no such thing as being too old, you can do anything at any age”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This November, Americans will have the opportunity to elect their first female president. After securing enough support from her delegates, Vice President Kamala Harris looks set to take on former president and convicted felon Donald Trump in the next election. But will Americans vote her in? In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Caitríona Perry, BBC News Chief Presenter based in Washington DC, to discuss Harris’ rise through the political ranks, her stance on key issues such as women’s reproductive rights and what she might bring to the role if voted into power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the beginning of 2019, writer and journalist Kitty Ruskin was young, free, and single and eager to give her sex life a bit of a shake-up. Having previously shunned the idea of one-night stands and kissing complete strangers, Ruskin decided to embrace her sexuality and embark upon a year of no-strings, casual sex. Partly inspired by Sex and the City’s Samantha and by her desire to shed her sexual reservations, Ruskin began meeting a variety of men on dating apps, one swipe at a time. In her new book ‘Ten Men,’ Ruskin shares the details of her year of sexual liberation and the darker and less discussed side of modern dating. She tells Róisín Ingle about the men she met, the men she'd rather forget, and the lasting impact of her experiment.Warning: This episode discusses sexual assault and rape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Dockrill was just 14 years old when she first set eyes on her husband, Maccabees guitarist Hugo White. The pair quickly began an intense relationship, exchanging carefully curated mixtapes and letters doused in Body Shop perfume. Despite a longing on both sides, the teenagers never let their friendship spill over into romance. It is this tale of young love that serves as the inspiration for Dockrill’s new novel, I love you, I love you, I love you. The book follows the story of teenage sweethearts Ella and Lowe, who spend their early years friend zoning each other, before eventually losing touch. In this episode, Dockrill talks to Róisín Ingle about why she decided to fictionalise her own story and the joys of delving back into the intensity of first love. She also speaks about her experience of postpartum psychosis following the birth of her son in 2018 and how she’s become a voice for this severe mental illness, which affects around 1 in 1000 mothers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, author and journalist Fiona McPhillips talks to Róisín Ingle about her new novel, When We Were Silent. It’s a thriller set in a Dublin convent school, where a culture of silence and abuse is rampant. The story was partly inspired by the 2020 podcast series about disgraced Irish swim coach George Gibney. In this wide-ranging conversation, McPhillips discusses her varied writing career, her personal struggles with infertility, and how she finally brought to life the novel she had been “threatening” to write for years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, is finally back in Dublin this weekend, bringing her Eras tour to more than 150 thousand fans at the Aviva Stadium over three nights. To celebrate the singer's return, we’ve gathered a panel of Swifties to talk about her music, stardom, and her dedicated fanbase. Writer, DJ, and disability activist Louise Bruton gives a potted history of Swift's career, from teenage country singer to global mega superstar. Creative writing student and member of University of Galway’s Swiftie Society, Ella Conneff, explains how Swift's music resonates and brings people together. We also hear from Kayleigh Bealin from the Irish Family History Centre, who has teamed up with EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, to track down Swift’s Irish roots and her connections to Derry and Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, just 23% of all engineering graduates in Ireland were women, while female engineers currently represent just 12% of the profession. Orlagh Costello, an engineer, coach, and speaker, is on a mission to change this and to encourage more women into this very male-dominated industry. Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23rd, Costello joins Kathy Sheridan in studio to talk about the many routes into the profession and the career possibilities available. She also explains how nearly everything we interact with on a day-to-day basis has been developed with the help of engineers, from the clothes we wear to the phone you’re probably listening to this podcast on. Costello also talks about the technical drawing teacher who inspired her career, what her first few years working after graduation were like, and how the engineering industry, like all industries, can benefit from having more women involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan, we all have the power to manifest our dreams into reality. However, it has nothing to do with wishful or magical thinking. Manifesting, she says, requires a change in the way we think and behave: it’s about learning how to harness the power of the brain. In her new book,The Neuroscience of Manifesting, Brennan explains the science behind this mental process and sets out the everyday strategies to help you build the life you want to live. In this conversation with Aideen Finnegan, the former Fair City actress talks about her move from acting into psychology, the importance of self compassion and the core building blocks of manifestation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to getting divorced in Ireland, many couples end up going through the Irish courts to settle their separation agreements. This process often involves one side battling against the other and can, in some cases, take years to finalise, costing anywhere from twenty to sixty thousand euros. According to divorce expert and author Michelle Browne, there is an easier, cheaper, and less adversarial way to divorce: mediation. In her new book, Scars of Divorce, Browne outlines the devastating and traumatic effects of settling a divorce in the courtroom and explains how her own personal experience inspired her to study law and eventually become a family mediator. In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Browne details the benefits of mediation, talks through the pitfalls of parenting through divorce and explains “how to get your mojo back” after a marriage breakdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A regular on The Women's Podcast, journalist and author Caitlin Moran was in Dublin recently as part of her latest book tour. As someone who regularly discusses the problems of girls and women in public, Moran has often been confronted with the question: “But what about men?”. Indeed, the statistics on male misery are grim: boys are falling behind in school, are at greater risk of addiction, depression, suicide, and increasingly at risk from online misogynist radicalisation thanks to the likes of Andrew Tate and Jordan B Peterson. Moran explains what led her to write her new book What About Men? and discusses the issues affecting men and boys that she says if tackled will also help women and girls.This episode was originally published in July 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The local and European elections are taking place in just over two weeks time, on Friday June 7th. Since the beginning of the campaign, there have been a number of worrying incidents where election candidates have faced intimidation, harassment and abuse while out canvassing or hanging up party posters. Green Party Councillor Janet Horner and Social Democrats election candidate Ellen O’Doherty have both experienced this type of intimidating behaviour in their constituency. They talk to Kathy Sheridan about what happened, how it has impacted their campaigns and how abuse in political life is widespread, problematic and targeted disproportionately at women and minority groups. We also hear from Lisa Keenan, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Trinity College, who recently contributed to the Taskforce report on Safe Participation in Political Life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author, podcaster and fond friend of the show, Marian Keyes is back with her sixteenth novel ‘My Favourite Mistake’. It follows Anna Walsh, as she ditches her high-flying PR job and makes the move from the Big Apple to the wilds of Connemara. In this episode, Keyes talks to Róisín Ingle about abandoning the original idea for the book, in favour of writing a love story instead. She also reflects on some recent personal milestones; moving house, celebrating 30 years of sobriety and having her portrait unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, author Caroline Magennis talks to Róisín Ingle about her new book Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women. It’s a look beyond the often divisive conversation around choosing not to have children, and offers an alternative message of hope and celebration. We also hear from Margaret O’Connor, a Limerick-based psychotherapist and presenter of the ‘Are Kids For Me’ Podcast. Through her work as a therapist, O’Connor supports people wondering if parenthood is for them. Writer Laura Kennedy, is also here to discuss the pressures faced by women as they approach the end of their fertility window and her own feelings of  ambivalence around motherhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s hard to believe the last time Wallis Bird was on the podcast was nearly five years ago in 2019. Since then, the Berlin-based musician has released two more albums, the latest of which, Visions of Venus, was released last month. It’s a creative collaboration with the German classical quintet Spark, and together they are showcasing 1000 years of female composers from Clara Schumann to Kate Bush, Enya to Hildegard von Bingen. In this wide-ranging conversation with Róisín Ingle, Bird talks about the women at the centre of this ambitious album and what their music means to her. She also shares the details of her ongoing renovation project, turning a derelict farmhouse in rural Germany into a house for herself and five others, and she talks about the grief and shock at losing her best friend suddenly last December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.