Woman's Hour

A long-awaited report on how women born in the 1950s were affected by increases to their retirement age - the so-called WASPI women, which stands for women against state pension inequality - has been published today. It recommends compensation and says the Department for Work and Pensions failed to adequately inform the women affected. Emma Barnett hears from Steve Webb, former pensions minister from 2010 to 2015, when changes to pension ages were accelerated, and to Frances Neil, a WASPI coordinator in Essex.Dr Jen Gunter is a gynaecologist and author based in California, with a huge global following, known for calling out products marketed to women which claim to address their neglected health issues but have no evidence base and could be harmful. In her latest book, simply called Blood, she tackles the menstrual cycle and myths ancient and modern associated with it. Jen joins Emma in studio.John Lennon told them that ‘girls don’t play guitar’, but these four girls from 1960s Liverpool were determined to pr

On 27 February, Emma Barnett spoke to Zoe Clark-Coates, who runs the baby loss and bereavement charity The Mariposa Trust, about her campaign for baby loss certificates. They were introduced in England in February for parents who’ve lost a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Emma shares her own story and also speaks to a woman who’s decided it’s not for her, and another who applied straight away and has now received four baby loss certificates. Have you ever had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right? A gut reaction or a tingly spidey-like sense that tells you something is off? Author of Emotional Labour, Rose Hackman joins Emma to explain why we need to stop calling it 'women’s intuition'. Carolynne Hunter cares for her 14-year-old daughter who has severe cerebral palsy. She spoke out about her rising household costs back in 2022 and Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet paid her energy bill. Carolynne joins Emma to give an update on her life since then. It's been announced that a breast can

The Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is today delivering a speech in which she’ll promise to ‘reform the Treasury’. If Labour were to win the next General Election, she would be the first female Chancellor the UK has seen. But what would her economic plans mean for women? And how do they compare to the current government’s? Economic Adviser Vicky Pryce and Journalist Lucy Fisher join Emma Barnett to discuss. Bestselling novelist Lesley Pearse has written 31 books and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. But she didn’t start writing until her mid-30s, and it would be another 13 years before her first novel was published. Now Lesley has written an autobiography of her extraordinary life – from a difficult childhood to making shepherd’s pie for David Bowie. She joins Emma to tell her story. Denmark is set to become the latest country to extend military conscription to women. This comes as Russia has warned the war there could spin out of control and expand geographically. What’s it like for women living in the

Dame Laura Kenny, Britain's most decorated female Olympian, talks to Emma Barnett about her sporting career, motherhood and her decision to quit cycling.Are we staying in more since the pandemic? We talk to Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO of UK Hospitality, and Ellen Scott, Acting Digital Content Director at Stylist Magazine. Our pornography series continues with 'Elaine', a woman in her late 60s who's worried about her husband's porn use. Followed by a discussion about the effect habitual porn use has on our brains with Dr Paula Hall, a Sexual & Relationship Psychotherapist, and Professor Valarie Voon, Neuropsychiatrist and Neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge.Actor Imogen Poots is starring in a new film about the English heiress turned IRA bomber and art thief Rose Dugdale called Baltimore. Imogen tells Emma about her approach to the role. After today’s programme aired, the news broke that Rose Dugdale has died aged 83.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Andy Garner

Cara Dillon won the All Ireland singing trophy aged only 14 and has gone on to receive countless awards and accolades including Album Of The Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She has worked for Disney – singing the title song to the animated movie Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue, and topped the charts with dance remixes. She joins Emma to discuss her book and a new album – Coming Home – in which she brings storytelling, poetry, and song, offering personal memories and stories inspired by her native Co. Derry, and exploring themes of family, identity and home.The government in South Korea has said the country’s birth rate has fallen to a record low, despite it having spent billions on initiatives to encourage women to have more children. It dropped to 0.72 in 2023 - and for a population to hold steady, that number should be 2.1. Why are women in the country deciding not to have children? BBC journalist Yuna Ku in Seoul explains.We continue our series looking at how porn in shaping our sex and relatio

As part of our ongoing series on pornography and how it’s shaping our relationships, we’ve heard from many of our female listeners whose attitudes and feelings towards porn vary greatly. Men are still the major consumers and producers of porn, so today we hear from some of them. Clare McDonnell is joined by the Times journalist Sean Russell, a man in his 30s, and two listeners: Jake, who is in his 40s, and also Gabriel, who is in his 60s. The three share how porn has shaped their sex and relationships.Do you keep a diary? Why and who for? Is it for yourself or for potential readers in the future? And does it allow you to express emotions that have no other outlet? These are just some of the themes explored in Secret Voices: A Year of Women's Diaries, which has been billed as the first comprehensive anthology of solely female diarists. Compiled by the historical biographer Sarah Gristwood, it features entries from over the past four centuries, from the likes of Florence Nightingale, Beatrix Potter, Audre Lorde

Folk singer Cara Dillon joins Emma Barnett to discuss her book and a new album – Coming Home – which explores themes of family, identity and home. Host of the UK’s first ever maths summit, mathmetician Anne-Marie Imafidon talks about hosting the UK's first ever maths summit and the importance of the subject for business.Seven out of 10 candidates who've been selected to stand for the Conservative Party at the next election are men, according to new data gleaned by the journalist Michael Crick. We speak to him and the Charlotte Carew Pole, the Director of Women2Win, which aims to get more women into politics.Journalist Monique Clesca on the latest situation in Haiti, where powerful gangs have killed thousands and are using rape to "instil fear" Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Gayl Gordon

A new law will be introduced in the House of Commons at lunchtime today to clear the names of the hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted for theft and false accounting. To discuss what this means Emma Barnett is joined by Jo Hamilton, a former post sub-master who was wrongly charged with stealing £36,000 from the Hampshire village post office she ran and BBC Economics Correspondent Andy Verity. A fertility clinic in London has recently had its license suspended over what are being called “significant concerns” about the unit. Homerton Fertility Centre says there had been three separate incidents that highlighted errors in some freezing processes - meaning some people’s embryos were lost. Emma Barnett talks to the Telegraph’s Health Editor Laura Donnelly and Dr Ippokratis Sarris from King’s Fertility.We continue our series looking at how porn in shaping our sex and relationships today by speaking to Dr Fiona Vera-Gray. She says that when we think about porn we still mostly think about men, men as the pr

A group of mums called Mothers' Manifesto are on day three of a five-day hunger strike in front of Parliament. They’re trying to draw attention to food insecurity and the plight of mums who have to go without food to ensure their children can eat. Today they’re meeting MPs to campaign for universal free school meals. Organiser Emma Hopkins tells Emma Barnett what they’ll be asking for.A former dancer has brought a legal case against her performing arts school alleging verbal and emotional abuse in the form of body shaming, along with allegations that the school had failed in its duty of care to her as a pupil. Last month, the case was settled out of court, and she received a pay-out, although the school did not admit liability. Her lawyer believes this successful claim is the first time a dancer has taken a dance school to court over body shaming. The woman and her lawyer speak to Emma about what happened. The woman has a court order in place to keep her anonymous, so we are not naming her. In recent years, m

For the first time, four mums are speaking out about what it was like to be at the centre of a conspiracy that went viral, even reaching the USA. Accused: The Hampstead Paedophile Hoax is a new documentary that looks at what happened to them. Director Emily Turner and mum ‘Anna’ (not her real name) join Emma Barnett to talk about why they wanted to speak out and share this story. The photograph gracing the front pages this morning of the Princess of Wales with her children, reportedly taken by Prince William - was the first image of Kate to be released by Kensington Palace since her planned abdominal surgery in January. Photo agencies, including Reuters and Associated Press, have retracted the photo over concerns it has been "manipulated". Emma speaks to Alexandra Shulman - Former Editor of British Vogue and journalist - who knows Catherine, the Princess of Wales - from having advised her about designers for her wedding dress through to their work together when she placed her on the front cover of British

The South London singer-songwriter Raye joins Emma Barnett following her record-breaking six wins at the Brit awards last weekend. Raye tells us about her grandma Agatha who joined her on stage after winning Best Album for My 21st Century Blues. She also talks about being a woman in the music industry and the strength she has found from fellow female musician Charli XCX.A new documentary, Copa 71, follows the trailblazing women who headed to Mexico for an unofficial Women's World Cup in 1971. Woman's football had been banned in many countries including the UK for 50 years. Unperturbed 6 teams gathered and played in front of crowds of 100,000 fans. One of those players, Chris Lockwood joins Anita Rani alongside co-director of the film Rachel Ramsay.On the 3rd March 2021, Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, an off-duty police officer. The incident sparked national outrage and a surge in fighting violence against women and girls. Three years on, how much has changed? Emma Barnett speaks to the Detective

A new documentary, Copa 71, follows the trailblazing women who headed to Mexico for an unofficial Women's World Cup in 1971. Woman's football had been banned in many countries including the UK for 50 years. Unperturbed 6 teams gathered and played in front of crowds of 100,000 fans. One of those players, Chris Lockwood joins Anita Rani alongside co-director of the film Rachel Ramsay.On International Woman's Day Maidenhead MP and former Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she is standing down at the next election, telling the Maidenhead Advertiser she has taken the “difficult decision” after 27 years representing the constituency. She becomes the 63rd Tory MP — and the most senior — to announce that they will not be standing again in 2024. She says that causes such as tackling modern slavery were taking an "increasing amount" of her time - as a reason for her stepping down now. We hear from David Lee - deputy editor for the Maidenhead Advertiser who broke the story and assistant editor at the Spectator Isa

Nikki Haley has officially dropped out of the race to become Republican candidate for US President. So what does this mean for the upcoming elections, for women voters and also for women in politics? Emma Barnett speaks to political strategist at the Harvard Belfer Center, Shannon Felton Spence and director of the US and Americas at Chatham House, Leslie Vinjamuri.The author Liz Jensen’s son Raphael was a wildlife biologist, an environmental activist, and a prominent member of Extinction Rebellion. In 2020, at the age of 25, he unexpectedly collapsed and died due to an unknown heart condition. Liz speaks to Emma about her new memoir, Your Wild and Previous Life, about her process of grief, hope and rebellion. On Friday 22nd March, Anita will take Woman's Hour to Doncaster and join forces with BBC Radio Sheffield for a special panel edition of Woman's Hour - Who wants to be a female entrepreneur? Ahead of that, Emma talks to BBC Radio Sheffield presenter Paulette Edwards who is spending a day at Opportunities

The South London singer-songwriter Raye joins Emma Barnett following her record-breaking six wins at the Brit awards last weekend. Raye tells us about her grandma Agatha who joined her on stage after winning Best Album for My 21st Century Blues. She also talks about being a woman in the music industry and the strength she has found from fellow female musician Charli XCX.The English channel has always held an allure for endurance swimmers the world over, but the first British woman to complete it was Mercedes Gleitze. She achieved this feat in 1927 and a new film, Vindication Swim, recreates that moment in history. Kirsten Callaghan plays Mercedes, she joins Emma along with the current channel swimmer Sarah Philpott to explain what it’s like to spend that long in open water, and what drives women to do it.It’s the Oscars this weekend, the first ceremony since the Academy introduced new diversity rules for all candidates. But almost seven years since the start of the Me Too movement - has Hollywood really becom

Two years after the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, lawmakers in France yesterday made history by enshrining this right in their country's constitution - it was a global first. We talk to Stephanie Hennette-Vauchez about the change.Singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris performs live.We look at what's behind the cuts to Birmingham City Council's budget - equal pay or a new IT system? With Heather Jameson, editor of the Municipal Journal and Dr James Brackley, lecturer in accounting at Sheffield University.In the next part of our series about porn, Ena Miller talks to ‘Sam’ who, from an early age, measured herself by the women she saw in pornography.  And Imelda May talks about her new documentary Lilly and Lolly: The Forgotten Yeats Sisters, on Sky Arts. Elizabeth and Susan Yeats (also known as Lolly and Lilly) founded a women-only arts and crafts guild to promote women’s economic and cultural independence. Overshadowed by their famous brothers, W.B Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats…

On the 3rd March 2021, Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, an off-duty police officer. The incident sparked national outrage and a surge in fighting violence against women and girls. Three years on, how much has changed? Emma Barnett speaks to the Detective Inspector who interviewed Wayne Couzens, Nick Harvey, and former Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudri.If you’ve browsed through political podcasts recently, you’d be forgiven for thinking the guys have got that particular market cornered. There’s The Rest is Politics with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, Political Currency with Ed Balls and George Osborne, and Politics at Jack and Sam’s. That may be about to change, with an all-female line-up on new podcast Electoral Dysfunction, featuring Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, Labour MP Jess Phillips and Conservative peer and former Scottish party leader Ruth Davidson. Jess and Ruth join Emma Barnett to tell her what they’ll be covering.Poet Hollie McNish is back with a new book, with her u

The twice Oscar-nominated actor Samantha Morton has just received the Bafta Fellowship: a lifetime achievement award which recognises an outstanding contribution to film and television. She grew up in the social care system and began working in film and television at the age of 13. In a moving speech at the Baftas last week, Samantha dedicated the award to every child in care today.Both Republicans and Democrats in the US state of Alabama are trying to find a legal solution that would protect access to IVF treatment, after a court ruling cast doubt on its future. Alabama's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. Jenny Kleeman speaks to lawyer Eric Wrubel, who specialises in fertility law and Kristia Rumbley who has three frozen embryos at a fertility clinic in Alabama.People in their early 20s are more likely to be out of work because of ill health than those in their early 40s, according to a new report. Lindsay Judge, Research Director at The Resolution F

A parliamentary committee has issued a new and scathing report about Primodos - a pregnancy test drug issued by doctors between the1950s and 1970s. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests says claims there is no proven link between Primodos and babies being born with malformations is “factually and morally wrong". The report claims evidence was “covered up” that it's possible to “piece together a case that could reveal one of the biggest medical frauds of the 20th century”. Around 1.5 million women in Britain were given hormone pregnancy tests which was 40 times the strength of an oral contraceptive pill. We hear from Hannah Bardell the SNP MP for Livingstone and a member of the APPG and Marie Lyon who gave birth to a daughter with limbs that were not fully formed - she had been prescribed Primodos. She has been campaigning for nearly 50 years.One in four children starting school in England and Wales are not toilet-trained, according to teachers who now spend a third of their day supporti

Both Republicans and Democrats in the US state of Alabama are trying to find a legal solution that would protect access to IVF treatment, after a court ruling cast doubt on its future. Alabama's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. Jenny Kleeman speaks to lawyer Eric Wrubel, who specialises in fertility law and Kristia Rumbley who has three frozen embryos at a fertility clinic in Alabama.How is porn shaping our sex lives? In a new Woman’s Hour series we want to start an honest conversation about how the availability and content of porn affects what we do, how we feel and what we expect. Today, our reporter Ena Miller talks to a woman who had to decide where the line was for her around her husband's porn use. Is the boys' club in tattooing over? A new book, Tattoo You, celebrates the most innovate and trailblazing tattoo artists from across the world – two thirds of which are women, non-binary and trans artists. Tattoo expert Alice Snape and tattoo artis

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is calling for 'Raneem’s Law' in memory of a 22-year-old woman who was stabbed to death by her ex-husband. Raneem Oudeh spoke to police five times in less than two hours before her ex-husband killed her and her mother Khaola Saleem in 2018. One of Labour’s proposals is for domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms so that victims speak to an expert from their first call. Emma speaks to Yvette Cooper in her first broadcast interview on the issue and also to Raneem’s aunt, Nour Norris, who is backing the proposals.In a new Woman’s Hour series we want to start an honest conversation about how the availability and content of porn affects what we do, how we feel and what we expect from sex and relationships. Today we begin by speaking to the woman leading the Independent Pornography Review for the government looking at the legislative and regulatory framework around pornography. The Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin joins Emma in the studio.Last July comedian, actor