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The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will broadcast a range of programmes in the coming weeks to coincide with International Women's Day (8 March), marking the day that celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Ranging from the dramatic, to the newsworthy to the light-hearted, the insightful content will showcase the different aspects of women's roles in society across the ages and the globe.

A major new women's history archive collection, which offers an in-depth examination of the women's movement from the 1950s, onwards will also be released online.

On television, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Four will screen the first of a new three-part documentary called Women on Monday 8 March. The opening film, Libbers (9.00pm), maps the ideology of women's liberation in the 1970s and includes interviews with British and American feminists, including Kate Millett, Susan Brownmiller and Germaine Greer.

The second film, Mothers (15 March, 9.00pm), documents the daily lives of ordinary women with children, and the final programme, Activists (22 March, 9.00pm) follows feminists over a three-month period, as they organise meetings and demonstrations, exploring their politics and motivation.

To support the Women strand on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Four, two major new women's history archives will be released online by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ at bbc.co.uk/archive.

The first collection Second Wave Feminism (8 March) is an in-depth examination of the women's movement in the 1970s. This collection continues the story of a previous archive collection the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ released last year which looked at the Suffragette movement.

Second Wave Feminism includes interviews with key feminists, and programmes revealing the opposition to the movement for women's rights make this collection an exploration of some of the obstacles and inequalities women still faced 50 years after wining the vote.

The second archive collection looks at Marriage, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, and at how changing attitudes and new developments, such as the legal changes around divorce and the development of the contraceptive pill, impacted this institution.

Also on television, Question Time (11 March, 10.35pm, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One) for the first time will feature an all-women audience with a panel including the broadcaster Monty Don.

Continuing the documentary strand on television, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will highlight important connections between the lives of young British women and the experiences of women across the world when ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three screens two programmes that explores women's rights in Judith: Going Back To Congo (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three, 30 March) and Nel: From Camden To Kabul (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three, 23 March)

And coming up on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One A Passionate Woman, a drama about two stages in the life of a wife and mother, will star Billie Piper and Sue Johnston.

On radio, Lauren Laverne will celebrate great female singers and songwriters of the past 40 years. She also welcomes Sarah Blasko into the studio for a live session (8 March, 10.00am, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 6 Music).

Jana Bennett, Director of Television & Digital Media, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Vision, said: "These programmes offer a fantastic snapshot of the differing roles of women in society across the ages and the globe. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ strives not just to showcase major British female talent but also to provide excellent education resources with archive programming and insightful documentary strands."

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