The BBC World Service presents remarkable stories of women's history, told by the women who were there. Selected from its "Witness" program, audiences will hear moving, inspiring and even outrageous stories about a few of the most important women in living memory.
Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique"
With its call for women to leave the home and enter the workplace, "The Feminine Mystique" paved the way for the women's liberation movement and became a bestseller. It called for a shakeup of the job market with maternity pay and subsidized childcare.
Women and the Iranian Revolution
In February 1979, the Islamic Revolution severely limited women's freedom - including being forced to wear the Islamic veil by the "hijab police." We hear one woman's memories of that time.
Fighting for Rural Women in South Africa
It's estimated that across the whole of Africa between 70 and 85 percent of all food is grown by women, but less than 2 percent of the land is owned or even controlled by women. Sizani Ngubane describes herself as a troublemaker as she talks about the movement for women's land rights.
The Murder of Anna Politkovskaya
The outspoken Russian journalist was shot dead outside her Moscow flat in October 2006. She had been a fierce critic of Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, and a campaigner for human rights. Her son, Ilya Politkovsky, was the first family member at the scene of the crime.
Why I invented the sports bra - When Lisa Lindahl couldn't find a comfortable bra to run in, she decided to design one. In 1977 she and a friend fashioned the first modern sports bra out of two pairs of men's supportive underwear or 'jockstraps.'
"Witness" presents stories that are inspiring, harrowing, and richly told. Listen Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m. on WRVO, on-air and online.
