BBC Two to explore the ‘history of women’

Biographer and historian Dr. Amanda Foreman is to present a landmark BBC Two series on the history of women, from the dawn of civilisation to the modern day.

The series sets out to redress a significant imbalance in global history, exploring the extraordinary and often overlooked role women have played in the forging of the modern world, as Amanda confronts the difficult questions:

How did power become a male right? Why is the female body a living battleground? Who decided that women are inferior?

In addition to asking the hard questions, the Ascent Of Woman is also a celebration of women; from Enheduanna, the first known writer in history, to Margaret Sanger, the pioneer of women’s sexual liberation, the series will traverse the globe to uncover and interrogate key stories of women that have changed human history.

Amanda considers the status of women as a barometer of a society’s tolerance, fairness and openness, and argues that for the next economic cycle to be the age of full participation, there has to be a woman-led revolution that unleashes the potential of all individuals. At stake are the goals of autonomy, authority and agency for all women.

The new four-part series, The Ascent Of Woman, starts 2nd September on BBC Two at 9pm.