麻豆社

Third of five special podcasts marking the centenary of the first women in the UK gaining the vote. Lyse Doucet interviews remarkable women from across the world who are making a real impact on the democratic process in their countries.

In 1980, the tiny country of Iceland did something no other nation had done. They elected a female head of state. 麻豆社 Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet travels to Reykjavik to meet Vigdis Finnbogadottir. Now 87, she was president for exactly sixteen years and remains the longest-serving elected female head of state of any country to date. "That's what I have given to the girls of this country," she says: "If she can, I can."

This five-part series features in-depth interviews with remarkable women about the relationship between women and democracy, on the 100th anniversary of the first time British women won the vote. Lyse travels across the globe, meeting women from Afghanistan, Liberia, Northern Ireland and Saudi Arabia to discover that the victory of 1918 in Britain has continued to resonate through the century. She hears reflections from some of the world's most influential women's rights activists, including former presidents, and shares her own experiences in reporting from some of the most troubled regions.

Producers: Ben Carter and Anne Dixey
Researcher: Louise Byrne.