Podcast appearances and mentions of divya arya

Delhi correspondent Divya Arya recently met a woman who claims to perform miracles. She's called Radhe Maa and her devotees see her as a God. She's not the only person in India who claims to have god-like powers, but she is unusual as mostly these people are men. Divya got rare access to the lavish home in which the 'godwoman' lives, to better understand this world of unquestioning faith. Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Why are members of the Afghan Cabinet speaking out against the de facto leader over his ban on girls' education and restrictions on women working? Nuala McGovern speaks to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, and Fawzia Koofi, member of the Afghan Parliament and the first woman to be elected as Second Deputy Speaker.Harvest, a new documentary, shows the realities of the egg freezing process. Director and writer Sophia Seymour decided to film her journey of elective egg freezing. With the number of women choosing this form of fertility planning rising, Sophia joins Nuala to discuss why she decided to do it, and film it. They are joined by Dr Ippokratis Sarris, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and Director of King's Fertility.According to NHS figures more than 44,000 children in England and Wales were admitted to hospital with constipation last year - with a 60% rise overall in hospital diagnoses of constipation in primary schoolchildren in the past decade. Dr Ellie Cannon GP and author, and Sarah Timms from Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence (ERIC) a children's bowel and bladder charity join Nuala.22-year-old pistol shooter Manu Bhaker is this year's BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year. Our correspondent Divya Arya was at the event, and joins Nuala McGovern to tell us more. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

Even though cricket is a national obsession in India, many other sports struggle to find an audience. And in terms of performance in international competitions, India has historically lagged behind. At last year's Paris Olympics, India — a country of more than one billion people — failed to win a single gold medal and it finished behind smaller countries like St Lucia, Kyrgyzstan and Botswana on the medal table.The country's female athletes face a particular set of challenges. But they are breaking down barriers and trying to prove that the playing field belongs to everyone. The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year awards honour pioneering Indian sportswomen. The BBC's Divya Arya attended the event and explains the challenges that female athletes face in India and what is being done to change this. We also hear from one of this year's recipients, Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

It has been reported that USA women's footballer Naomi Girma has agreed terms to join Chelsea FC for a world record transfer fee of £900,000 or $1.1 million. Anita Rani is joined by Tom Garry, Woman's Football writer at The Guardian. Nearly three decades ago, Marianne Jean-Baptiste was Oscar nominated for her role in Mike Leigh's film Secrets & Lies. Now, she's receiving rave reviews with a stand-out performance in his latest film, Hard Truths. With an almost entirely black cast, Hard Truths explores complex family dynamics. Marianne plays unhappy housewife Pansy. She's in the Woman's Hour studio. As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas enters its fifth day, we look at the experiences of women and children on both sides. A 19-year-old journalist Malak A. Tantesh living in a camp in Gaza explains her reality now the ceasefire has come in to effect. We also hear from Mandy Damari – mother of Emily, one of the hostages released on Sunday. Have you connected with a loved one after they have died? Maybe it was through a passion they had or introduced you to. Jula connected with her late father by sharing his extensive record collection online. She joins Anita. The rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor in a hospital in Kolkata, India, in August prompted marches and strikes nationwide over safety issues for female doctors. There were calls for her rapist, Sanjay Roy, to be given the death penalty but, when it came to sentencing this week, the judge commented that he had considered all the evidence and did not consider the case to be a "rarest-of-rare" crime and instead sentenced Roy to life imprisonment. We hear from Divya Arya, women's affairs journalist for BBC Delhi. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Emma Pearce

India's caste system, one of the world's oldest social hierarchies, has shaped lives for centuries, granting privileges to some while oppressing others. Although caste based discrimination was banned in 1948, its influence hasn't gone away and is now spilling into our social media feeds, with some young women asserting pride in their caste identities. We're joined by correspondents from Delhi, Umang Poddar and Divya Arya, who explain the complexities of caste and unravel this new trend on Instagram.We also hear from two Indians, Sachin and Christina, who come from different ends of the system. Their insights help us explore the ongoing impact of caste in India today.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Baldeep Chahal & Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

India's ancient caste system can result in controversy and discrimination in the country. But a new trend has sprung up of young women flaunting their caste on social media. Our Delhi correspondent Divya Arya has met some of these women, to try and find out why they are so keen to express 'caste pride'. Plus BBC Mundo's Laura García meets the residents of a Parisian retirement home who have found their own way of embracing the Olympic spirit. Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

In the industrial town of Haryana in Northern India, young girls are breaking barriers training hard to become the next generation of gold medal-winning wrestlers, following their idols who have tasted Olympic glory abroad and made a stand against attitudes to women at home. But their success has come at a price. BBC journalist Divya Arya looks at what it takes for these girls to become an Indian wrestling heroine.

As India goes to the polls in the penultimate round of voting in their general election, Anita speaks to the BBC's Divya Arya in Delhi. They discuss what political issues are most important to women in this election, and how the main parties have been wooing them.Valérie Courtois was recently announced as the winner of the 2024 Shackleton medal for her work revolutionizing climate conservation in the Canadian arctic, most notably for her vision connecting Indigenous Guardians as ‘the eyes and ears on the ground' to preserve ecosystems. Valérie talks to Anita about leading the movement for indigenous-led conservation and land stewardship.   Carys Holmes is a 17-year-old girl with an ambition to join the British Army. She passed all of her army selection tests but says she was later taken aside and told she was being rejected because of an 'extensive' history of breast cancer in her family. Anita is joined by Carys who explains that the army has now retracted its decision. Emma Norton, a lawyer and Director of the Centre for Military Justice, also joins. Clara Schumann was one of the greatest female musicians of the 19th Century – a virtuoso performer who gave over 1,500 concerts in a 60 year career, all while raising eight children and financially supporting her household. Concert pianist Lucy Parham and actress Dame Harriet Walter join Anita to discuss their concert I, Clara which celebrates the ground-breaking life and work of Clara Schumann in her own right.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio managers: Donald McDonald and Bob Nettles

In a bonus episode from Delhi, James Coomarasamy explores identity and politics in India as the country conducts the world's biggest election. He's joined by journalists Divya Arya and Rajesh Joshi.

As India completes 10 years of being governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP, Divya Arya explores the divergent political and religious views of different castes in modern day India. Despite government-led programmes to increase job opportunities and reduced caste based discrimination, inequalities still exist particularly in smaller towns and villages. Divya meets a young Brahman influencer who makes reels about her caste pride, a man from the lower Dalit caste who has moved away from Hinduism and another Dalit man who has joined an organisation with close links to the ruling BJP.

The Eagles of the Desert are a group of volunteers who look for migrants who've been reported missing while crossing the hazardous Sonoran Desert from Mexico into the United States. BBC Mundo reporter Valentina Oropeza and cameraman Jose Maria Rodero joined them on a search, and they share their experience of the desert and the work of the volunteers. Policing Uzbekistan's schools Last month, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan told the National Guard to go into schools to tackle truancy. It's a big topic on social media, with some parents upset about the discipline being imposed by the guards. BBC Uzbek's Ibrat Safo has been following developments.Being Hindu in India Identity is an important issue in India's upcoming elections, and for much of the population, it's deeply embedded in Hinduism. In a series of interviews across the country, BBC Delhi's Divya Arya explores the many different ways of being Hindu, including an episode on Dalits, who are at the bottom of the religious caste ladder and have historically experienced inequality and oppression.Cuba and South Korea South Korea has restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, a longstanding ally of North Korea, after 65 years. BBC Korean's Yuna Ku and BBC Mundo's Atahualpa Amerise explain the history and context of the surprise announcement, and what it might mean. (Photo: Volunteer searching in Sonoran desert. Credit: BBC)

BBC language service journalists share stories and experiences that lifted their spirits in a year with more than its fair share of tragic news.BBC Russian's Nataliya Zotova explains how an imperious seagull named Agamemnon helped her settle in her new home in Riga, after leaving Russia. BBC Delhi's Divya Arya tells us about helping an interviewee who had shared her story of surviving domestic violence and living with significant facial burns, to become a guest presenter for BBC Hindi. BBC Afghan's Aalia Farzan tells us about presenting a schools programme for Afghan children, and being able to return home and see her mother again for the first time since she was forced to leave in 2021. BBC Brasil's Joao Fellet shares the story of the Japanese Brazilian farmers in the Amazonian state of Pará, who have switched from mono-cropping to agroforestry, regrowing a forest of sorts and providing a profitable model for land cleared by logging. And Ethiopian-based journalist Kalkidan Yibeltal shares the experience of travelling to the Simien Mountains in northern Ethiopia and experiencing the therapeutic quiet and stillness of the national park, in a year otherwise devoted to covering conflict. (Photo: Seagull on windowsill in Riga. Credit: Nataliya Zotova, BBC)

Delhi is often described as the most polluted city in the world. Right now the air quality is so bad the government has ordered all primary schools to shut until 10th November. We want to focus on what's being done to improve things. Kamala Thiagarajan, a climate and science reporter from India, explains. We also hear about what's working to improve air quality in Accra, Ghana. And the BBC's Divya Arya tells us how women who were attacked in Manipur are coping six months on.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Daniel Dadzie Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Manipur, a state in north-eastern India, has been struggling with violence over the past few months. Clashes between two communities have killed more than 150 people.One graphic video has gone viral. The BBC's Divya Arya went to Manipur and the street where it was filmed.Also, Hannah speaks to two of the people behind Disney's first animation series made by studios across Africa. And the Barbie movie has passed a billion dollars at the box office.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editors: Verity Wilde and Rachael Akidi Okwir

It's been two months since violence in Manipur broke out between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities. When a video emerged showing two women being sexually assaulted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it ‘shamed' India. BBC Delhi's Divya Arya has covered women's affairs for many years, and explains how in Manipur, as in many other inter-community conflicts, women's bodies have become the battlefield. Liang Shi - China's "No.1 Gaokao holdout" China's Gaokao university entrance exam is notoriously tough, but one man claims to have sat it, and failed, 27 times. Fan Wang of BBC Chinese shares Mr Liang's story. Nepalis joining the Russian army A growing number of young Nepalese men have enlisted with the Russian army, tempted by offers of good pay and a fast track to citizenship. BBC Nepali's Swechhya Raut spoke to some of those who have signed up about their experiences. Power cuts and water shortages in South Africa South Africa has been experiencing regular electricity blackouts which in turn have affected water supplies, with some South Africans drilling boreholes on their properties. Pumza Fihlani from BBC Johannesburg explains the long history behind the crisis. Syrian refugees in Turkey Turkey is home to more than 3.3 million Syrians who fled because of war and insecurity. But there's growing pressure on them to go back, with many in the Turkish press and social media arguing that Syria is now safe. Nihan Kalle of BBC Monitoring reports on a popular Turkish travel vlogger whose videos from Syria reinforce this narrative. (Photo: Women protest against sexual violence in India's north-eastern state of Manipur following inter-communal violence and sexual assault. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

BBC Mundo's correspondent in Bogota, Daniel Pardo, shares the story behind the extraordinary survival of four indigenous children who used ancestral knowledge to stay alive in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash. Their story has sparked a debate about the divide in the country between indigenous and urbanised communities. Indian wrestler protest Since January some of India's top female wrestlers have been protesting, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, outgoing chief of the Wrestling Federation of India and also a BJP MP. He has been accused of sexual harassment, which he denies. BBC Delhi's Divya Arya brings us up to date with this week's developments. Brazil, a 'nursery' for Russian spies? BBC Brasil has investigated the strange story of at least three alleged Russian spies who adopted Brazilian identities. Leandro Prazeres tells us why a false Brazilian identity would be ideal cover for agents who need to circulate worldwide without arousing suspicion. Me and my name Egyptian Reem Fatthelbab tells us the story of her name, from her own intervention in choosing her first name, to the family history and meaning contained in her surname, inherited from her great-grandfather. Humans and elephants in conflict in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is home to thousands of wild elephants, which increasingly come into conflict with humans. Last year, nearly 150 people died in elephant attacks and around 440 elephants were killed. BBC Sinhala's Shirly Upul Kumara visited an elephant hotspot to see the problem first hand. (Photo: Four children rescued after 40 days in the Amazon jungle. Credit: Colombian Military Forces/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

BBC Delhi explores the steady rise in female-led households in their documentary "Women in Charge: Is India Changing?" From widows to the growing number of women whose husbands have left home to find work, these women are assuming control of household finances, their children's education and local communities. Divya Arya discusses how this 'mini revolution' is affecting India's traditionally patriarchal society. Vietnam's migrant workers in Taiwan Taiwan relies heavily on legal migrant workers from South East Asia for its economy. A recent film highlighted the tragic death of one illegal migrant, and raised the issue of the lives of these migrant workers in Taiwan. Tran Vo from BBC Vietnamese and Benny Lu from BBC Chinese collaborated to look into the challenges, and sometimes tragedies, faced by these workers. Russians in Serbia Between February and November last year, 140,000 Russians officially moved to Serbia after the invasion of Ukraine. BBC Serbian was keen to find out more about the impact both for the Russians themselves and the local population, as Jovana Georgievski reports. Syria's deadly truffle harvest It was a bumper year for desert truffles in Syria, attracting many to hunt for them in remote areas. But around 250 truffle hunters have died, some from landmines, but most in attacks by gunmen. Alex Wright and Mina Al-Lami from BBC Monitoring have been investigating these deaths. (Photo: Widow and deputy village council head Maan Kanwar in Rajasthan wearing traditional colourful clothing. Credit: BBC)

According to a new report from Adoption UK nearly half of families with adopted children aged 13 to 25 say they are at ‘crisis point' or ‘facing severe challenges'. Author, Becky Brooks, discusses her report alongside Clare, a parent of adopted children. Indian women wrestlers have been living on the streets of Delhi in protest after they accused their sport's federation's top official of sexual harassment and abuse. There is just three months until the World Championships and the Asian Games when ordinarily these women would be focussed on intense training. Nuala discusses the situation with Divya Arya, Women's Affairs Journalist at BBC Delhi. A new production of Rigoletto opens next week at Opera Holland Park. Described as “a propulsive tragedy of toxic masculinity and unfettered power”, the director, Cecilia Stinton, explains why she has set it in an Oxbridge-style college post World War I, and the relevance of the story to a modern audience. The soprano, Alison Langer, who plays the role of Gilda, also joins Nuala and performs live in the studio. New research has found that women are twice as likely to die within 30 days of a heart attack compared with men. To explore why women continue to appear more vulnerable after having a heart attack Nuala is joined by consultant cardiologist Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan. The Happy Couple is the second novel by the acclaimed Irish novelist Naoise Dolan, whose debut Exciting Times was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It follows a young couple, Celine and Luke, in the run-up to their wedding and explores the creeping doubts they have about each other, marriage and monogamy. Naoise joins Nuala in the studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Schools in the Indian state of Karnataka reopened yesterday after protests broke out in response to the state government trying to ban women wearing the hijab in classrooms. The issue gained widespread attention after videos and images of girls wearing hijab getting heckled while being denied entry to school went viral. Protestors took to the streets to condemn the decision, and women have marched in solidarity in cities across India. Divya Arya, BBC woman's affairs journalist and Sumayyah Khan, a law student at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh join Krupa Padhy. It's been announced that children aged between 5 and 11 in all four nations of the UK are to be offered a low dose of the covid vaccine. Children are at a much lower risk of becoming severely ill from a Covid infection, so the health benefits of vaccinating them are smaller than in other age-groups. Also, many will have some protection from already having caught the virus. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments across the UK, have been weighing up the evidence for immunising five to 11-year-olds. It concluded vaccination should go ahead to prevent a "very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation" in a future wave of Covid. Dr Elizabeth Mann, an immunologist at the Lydia Becker Institute at the University of Manchester and Naomi Grimley, BBC Global Health Correspondent discuss. Isabelle Farah is a British Lebanese actor, comedian, and writer. Following an undergraduate degree in French and Film Studies, she trained as a classical actress. She started doing stand up comedy in 2017 and has since gigged across the UK and internationally. Her one woman comedy show, Ellipsis, about grief, authenticity and punchlines, enjoyed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe last summer, and is currently on at the Pleasance Theatre in London. She explains the personal event that inspired it. New research funded by the Home Office has found that a tenth of domestic abuse cases involve parents being attacked by their children. These findings are based on almost 67,000 reports investigated by Lancashire police, of which 7,171 involved a child over 16 abusing a parent or parental figure. The reports show that abuse was more likely to be intimidating or coercive behaviour than outright violence and the age of the abuser averaged at 27 years old. Nicola Graham-Kevan is a professor of criminal justice psychology at the University of Central Lancashire and led the research. Kat Wilson is a senior support worker at Woman's Aid. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Dr Elizabeth Mann Interviewed Guest: Naomi Grimley Interviewed Guest: Divya Arya Interviewed Guest: Summayyah Khan Interviewed Guest: Isabelle Farah Interviewed Guest: Nicola Graham-Kevan Interviewed Guest: Kat Wilson

Manjula Pradeep was born in Western India to a Dalit family, a community considered to be on the lowest rung of the caste ladder. Growing up she experienced discrimination and indignity because of her background, but she excelled at school, and managed to defy expectations to become a lawyer and high-profile activist. Now she's helping Dalit rape survivors get access to justice. Manjula spoke to Divya Arya. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Harry Graham Picture: Manjula Pradeep Credit: BBC/Divya Arya

Manjula Pradeep was born in Western India to a Dalit family, a community considered to be on the lowest rung of the caste ladder. Growing up she experienced discrimination and indignity because of her background, but she excelled at school, and managed to defy expectations to become a lawyer and high-profile activist. Now she's helping Dalit rape survivors get access to justice. Manjula spoke to Divya Arya. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Harry Graham Picture: Manjula Pradeep Credit: BBC/Divya Arya

There is fear and uncertainty in Afghanistan as people wonder what their lives will be like under Taliban rule. Sana Safi from BBC Pashto shares her insights from listening to and interviewing the Taliban, and talking to contacts in Afghanistan. Delhi and Kashmir: two lives in letters In 2017, BBC journalist Divya Arya brought together schoolgirls Saumya and Duaa, from Delhi and Indian-administered Kashmir, to become penfriends. She tells us how their growing understanding and friendship overcame political divides. Divya's book about their correspondence is called Postbox Kashmir: Two lives in letters. The rise of plastic surgery in China Plastic surgery has become a booming industry in China, but this has led to a rise in unlicensed clinics and many high profile botched operations. Waiyee Yip from BBC Singapore has been following the trend. A Russian bike odyssey BBC Russian's Oleg Boldyrev is a keen cyclist, and as Covid restrictions prevent more exotic routes, he's taken his bike along the backroads of Russia, revisiting childhood haunts and gauging opinions about next month's parliamentary elections. Image: Members of Taliban forces sit at a checkpost in Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021 Credit: Reuters/Stringer

We continue our series Family Secrets. Listener Melanie explains why she finally went to the police to reveal her family secret after 37 years. There's global attention on President Trump’s trip to India – a guest of Prime Minister Modi of the Hindu Nationalist BJP. This morning he'll be making a speech at a cricket stadium in Gujarrat. Meanwhile- hundreds of women are said to be on hunger strike in Uttar Pradesh in the north of the country, protesting about new Citizenship laws. Salman, Divya Arya, a Women’s Affairs journalist at the BBC in India, gives us the background to the protests which have been going on for some time. Plus Majella works in the local chip shop in a small town in Northern Ireland with her alcohol-dependent mother. She’s the subject of Michelle Gallen’s first novel ‘Big Girl, Small Town’ . She talks to Jane about the inspiration behind it. Presented Jane Garvey Producer Beverley Purcell Guest; Michelle Gallen

Divya Arya looks at what happened in India at the height of the Cold War, and afterwards as the Berlin Wall came down, 30 years ago. She explores the rich politics of a country which chose not to pick a side during the Cold War. Where realpolitik and clever diplomacy have been key components for Indian leaders on the world stage from Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1940s to Narendra Modi today. As two superpowers fought for power and influence during the Cold War, India played a game of diplomacy, moving between the USA and Soviet Union, whilst trying to prioritise its' own interests. The Non Aligned Movement was founded in a newly independent India, by the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It is the position that India took when it formed a coalition of countries which refused to pick a side, instead remaining friendly with both. Nehru believed that in an atomic age, peace was the only guarantee of survival. This stance was tested during the 1950s and 1960s; India signed a quasi-military agreement with the Soviet Union but trade liberalisation has brought India closer to the USA more recently. How is India navigating international relations today? Does it bend to the will of the USA or can it continue to choose its own path as it did during the Cold War? Presenter: Divya Arya Producer: Nina Robinson (Photo: Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra (M K Rasgotra) is an Indian diplomat and former Indian Foreign Secretary under Indira Gandhi) Credit: Nina Robinson, BBC

A visit to an IS women and children's camp in northern Syria where the residents face an uncertain future. Anna Foster visits the Al Hawl camp to talk to those who are trying to salvage some form of life beyond the caliphate The rape and murder of an eight-year old girl last year in Indian-administered Kashmir had reverberations across India. As they awaited the verdict of the trial of the eight accused, Divya Arya went to speak to the nomadic Muslim community trying to come to terms with their loss. The rate of destruction in the Amazon rainforest has increased by 60 percent in the last two months, and the impact of deforestation is being heavily felt by Brazil's indigenous people. David Shukman, the BBC's Science editor, went to visit the Uru-eu-wau-wau people and learned how they were trying to balance their traditional way of life with the pace of change and development in the region. A local village mayor in south-West France has launched a campaign for rural noises, such as the sound of cicadas and roosters, to be awarded national heritage status. Chris Bockman visits the village of Gajac and discovers that the battle lines have been drawn between two very different groups of residents over the issue. The Catalan independence movement has attracted international media to the region, and one journalist, Tim Smith, found himself on assignment in Barcelona for a prolonged stay. He discovered the internet can be a useful resource for forging new and eclectic friendship groups, and finds himself immersed in everything from heated political debates to advanced cycling.

The biggest democratic event in the history of the world is under way in India with hundreds of millions of people voting in the country’s general election. We’ll find out on the 23rd of May whether the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been re-elected. He’s a polarising figure, loved and loathed in equal measure, who plays on his machismo. Women have had the vote since India gained Independence but last year the country was rated the most dangerous place for women in a controversial survey. Now for the first time they are being treated as a real constituency. We speak to Poonam Joshni, a women’s rights activist, and to Divya Arya, the women’s affairs correspondent for the BBC in Delhi. Produced by: Jaja Muhammad, Seren Jones and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields.

At a time when religious extremism and honour killings have been dominating the political and social discourse, we take a look at the issues surrounding marriages between inter-faith and inter-caste couples ahead of India’s parliamentary elections. Divya Arya, the BBC’s Women’s Affairs journalist in India tells the story of couples who have fled their homes and communities in fear of their lives in the name of love.

For decades, India has ring-fenced around half of all government jobs and university spots for the socially disadvantaged groups that were for centuries relegated to the bottom rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy. Now, a similar policy is being launched for the poor as well. Divya Arya asks whether affirmative action can help tackle poverty. In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we speak to a student from the disadvantaged groups, an economist and a corporate diversity advisor about the quota system. Has it led to greater social inclusion, and can the new policy aimed at tackling poverty have any meaningful impact? Presenter: Divya Arya Contributors: Thallapelli Praveen, PhD candidate, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Rosita Rabindra, Co-Founder, Diversity Dialogs; Ashwini Deshpande, Professor of Economics, Ashoka University. Image: A father and son look at a laptop (Credit: Getty Images)

In 2013, India passed an Act to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace. Five years on, has it had any meaningful impact and where does that leave men and those from the LGBTQ community? In a special edition from Delhi, Divya Arya asks how workplaces in India are tackling the problem and whether the #MeToo movement has made sexual harassment less taboo. She is joined by Anita Cheria, president of labour rights organisation CIVIDEP, diversity consultant Arti Chaudhry and Harish Iyer an equality champion at NeoNiche Integrated Solutions. (Picture: Indian activists shout slogans outside a police station in Mumbai. Credit: Getty Images)

Access to pornography though mobile phones has been sudden and widespread in India: some say way too sudden for a conservative society, and blame this for the sexual violence against women. But when legal attempts are made to ban pornography, a strong resistance emerges in the name of freedom of expression, including sexual expression. Others argue that online pornography is the wrong target, pointing out that around a third of porn viewers in India are women. But what do Indian men themselves make of this? The BBC’s India Women Affairs correspondent Divya Arya travels the country to meet men from all backgrounds to find out.

Nancy Kacungira presents a special programme on climate change, profiling the people whose trailblazing ideas and innovations are hoping to mitigate against global warming. Deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, one isolated community of Achuar have come up with an ingenious solution to protect their territory from the ever encroaching threat of deforestation. From BBC Mundo, Laura Plitt takes to the waterways aboard the Amazon jungle's first solar powered canoe. The loss of the Aral Sea in Central Asia is an ecological disaster. Toxic chemicals in the exposed sea bed have caused widespread health problems. From BBC Uzbek, Rustam Qobilov investigates whether an ambitious project to plant millions of trees can save the Karakalpak people of Uzbekistan. With the fastest growing population on the planet, India’s energy needs are staggering. From Delhi, women's affairs correspondent Divya Arya travels to the sunny state of Rajasthan to meet one social entrepreneur who’s attempting to provide solar technology to those living without power. And finally in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam, Ly Truong meets the scientist hoping to feed the world in a more sustainable way. This BBC Production was supported by funding from the Skoll Foundation. (Picture: Dr. Pham Thi Thu Huong, from the Field Crops Research Institute in Vietnam. Credit: BBC) Presented by Nancy Kacungira Produced by Claire Press

BBC Hindi recently brought together two schoolgirls, one from Delhi and one from Indian-administered Kashmir, to became penfriends. What they have in common is music and youth, but they're divided by regional loyalties and religion in the long-running dispute over Kashmir. So the question is: can the two teenagers find common ground? The reporter behind the project is Divya Arya. Image and credit: Teenage penfriends Duaa (L) in Indian Administered Kashmir and Saumya (R) in Delhi, India

Divya Arya meets the women from rural parts of India who are bucking the trend and working in jobs traditionally done by men. She meets the 'Solar Mamas' learning solar engineering, a widowed railway porter taking on the tough job her husband used to do, the women in rural Karnataka finding a voice in local radio, and those learning the male-dominated trades of boat building, masonry, carpentry and farm management.

Women from rural parts of India are bucking the trend and working in jobs traditionally done by men. In Rajasthan, Divya Arya drops in at the Barefoot College to meet ‘Solar Mamas’ learning solar engineering to take electricity to their remote villages and meets a widowed railway porter who has taken on the tough job her husband used to do, the women finding a voice in local radio, and those learning the traditionally male-dominated trades of boat building, masonry, carpentry and farm management in Kerala.

Bouncer, mechanic, taxi driver and firefighter - just some of the jobs being done by women in India today. Divya Arya meets some of the women who are challenging gender stereotypes and breaking down social taboos in order to find work in areas traditionally the preserve of men.

Unemployment rates in India have shot up in recent years, and around twice as many women are out of work compared with their male counterparts. Divya Arya travels across India meeting some of the women who are challenging gender stereotypes and breaking down social taboos in order to find work in areas traditionally the preserve of men.