Woman's Hour

The government’s new violence against women and girls strategy was published last Wednesday. Many organisations welcomed the commitments it made but many had criticisms for areas not addressed, not least the specific needs of Black and minoritized women when facing domestic violence. Ngozi Fulani is the founder and director of Sistah Space, a small charity that offers specialist support for African & Caribbean heritage women affected by abuse. Professor Aisha K. Gill is an expert criminologist at University of Roehampton, working on violence against women/girls in Black and minoritised communities for over 20 years. They discuss the needs of these women and how big a problem this is in Black and minoritized communities.Why there is a lack of visibility of South Asian Women in sport? Mara Hafezi is a women's health coach and personal trainer, working predominantly with South Asian women. An endurance sport enthusiast, she is the Sports Co-Lead for South Asian Heritage Month. Shaheen Kasmani is a senior pro

It is 10 years since the tragic death of the singer Amy Winehouse from alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27. A new documentary film, Reclaiming Amy on the BBC on features Amy's closest friends and family and seeks to tell the story of the real Amy. We hear from her mother, Janis and close friend Catriona Gourlay.For the first time in 125 years, Team GB are taking more women athletes to the Tokyo Olympics than men. So could this be the best ever Games for women? Dame Katherine Grainger, Britain's joint most decorated female Olympian and Chair of UK Sport; double Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams and Anna Kessel, Women's Sport Editor at The Telegraph discuss. More than 1000 bodies of indigenous children have been found in unmarked graves outside of former residential schools in several parts of Canada over the last few months. Assistant Professor in the History & Classics Department from the University of Alberta tells us about the history of these schools - and the impact they had on the indigenous

The Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics starts today and Team GB are taking more women athletes than men for the first time in 125 years. Of the 376 athletes selected, 201 are female. So could this be the best ever Games for women? We talk to Dame Katherine Grainger, Britain's joint most decorated female Olympian and Chair of UK Sport; double Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams and Anna Kessel, Women's Sport Editor at The Telegraph.Staying with the games, we’ll hear from artistic swimmers Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe who are representing Great Britain at Tokyo 2020. The pair have spoken out about receiving trolling and bullying for their professional synchronised swimmer physiques, describing themselves as having "big shoulders, small boobs and small bums". We talk to the writer and activist Frankie Miren’s about her novel "The Service" in which she draws on her personal experience to look at the vulnerabilities and dangers of life as a sex worker. One listener has contacted us about a new support grou

Jules Williamson has directed her first feature film in her fifties. The premier is tonight. Off the Rails is a celebration of women. It centres round four friends who went Inter-railing when they were 19, who when one of them dies, revisit the same journey later in life taking her daughter this time. It’s a comedy drama with a great female cast - starring Sally Phillips, the late Kelly Preston (in her final role), Dame Judi Dench and Jenny Seagrove. Jules and Sally Phillips join Chloe Tilley to explain how long it took to bring this story to the screen, the messages of friendship and ‘anything is possible’, and why it has an iconic Blondie soundtrack.The number of young people hospitalised with eating disorders in England has risen during the pandemic, a BBC investigation has found. Data from NHS Digital showed the number of under-20s admitted over the past year was more than 3,200 - nearly 50% higher than in 2019-20. Hospitals are warning they are running out of beds to care for these patients, and wait

This Friday marks 10 years since the tragic death of the singer Amy Winehouse from alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27. A new documentary film, Reclaiming Amy on BBC 2 on Friday at 9pm features Amy's closest friends and family and seeks to tell the story of the real Amy. We hear from her mother, Janis and close friend Catriona Gourlay.A brand-new cricket competition, the Hundred is launching today. It's the first time a major team sport competition, which features both male and female teams, has opened with a women’s match. Despite a push for equality, the women playing in this tournament are set to earn thousands of pounds less than the men. Can this competition change things further for women in cricket? Head of the Women's Hundred and Female Engagement at the ECB, Beth Barrett-Wild and English international cricketer, Kate Cross join Chloe to discuss.After a year long inquiry the all party parliamentary group on aesthetics beauty and wellbeing has called for much tougher regulation of Botox and fill

In the digital age, the humble typewriter seems rather quaint. But according to a new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, the typewriter is a technology with a key role in the story of female emancipation. The exhibition's principal curator, Alison Taubman, talks to Chloe Tilley about how typewriters provided a key opening into the world of work, propelled women into the public sphere, and played a major role in the fight for women's suffrage.More than 1000 bodies of indigenous children have been found in unmarked graves outside of former residential schools in several parts of Canada over the last few months. Assistant Professor in the History & Classics Department from the University of Alberta tells us about the history of these schools - and the impact they had on the indigenous communities in Canada. And President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Lorraine Whitman joins us to talk about the aftermath of these discoveries - and the fight for justice for the many missing and murde

Maria Callas is one of the most famous opera singers. She was brought up in New York and Greece by an emotionally abusive mother who forced her to sing. Despite being admired by Hollywood stars and royalty, she fought sexism to rise to the top but never had a happy private life. Lyndsy Spence's new book Cast a Diva draws on previously unseen documents to reveal her tragic story.Stacie Marshall has inherited her family's farm in a small Appalachian valley in the US state of Georgia. She'd vaguely known about the history of her family and their land but it wasn't until she moved into her grandparents house that she realised her family had in fact owned seven enslaved people. Now Stacie, the only young woman running a farm in the valley, is trying to make amends for the wrongs of her ancestors. She joins us live from Georgia and we also hear from Nkechi Taifa a civil and human rights lawyer and long-standing reparations advocate.A charity that provides sexual and reproductive support to disadvantaged women a

Three female football fans – hashtag ‘TheThreeHijabis - as they called themselves set up a petition calling for racists to be banned for life from all football matches in England. Shaista Aziz, Amna Abdullatif and Huda Jawad tell us about the petition which now has over a million signatories.As the Royal College of GPs marks 150 years of women in general practice we ask why more than half of GPs in the UK are women. We also discuss why women GP’s may still face issues like lower pay compared to men in their field. We hear from the President of the Royal College of GPs, Dr Amanda Howe and GP trainee, Dr Sophie Lumley.After more than a year of working from home during the pandemic, a third of women say they want to ditch their bra forever. Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, is Professor in Biomechanics at the University of Portsmouth she talks about the pros and cons of not wearing a bra.A Government challenge to a Parole Board decision to release Colin Pitchfork has been rejected - paving the way for the double child ki

Bronwen Lewis is a Welsh singer songwriter whose style sits between Country, Pop, Folk and Blues. She starred in the BAFTA Award Winning and Golden Globe nominated film ‘Pride’ where she sang the theme song ‘Bread and Roses' and brought Tom Jones to tears during her time on BBC’s The Voice in 2013. Proudly bilingual, this year her TikTok following grew as she went viral for her Welsh language covers of famous Pop songs and singing the Welsh National anthem in the lead up to the Wales v Denmark Euros game. She joins Anita to discuss her passion to promote the Welsh language and the inspiration behind her new music. Three female football fans – hashtag ‘The Three Hijabis - set up a petition calling for racists to be banned for life from all football matches in England. This was in response to the shocking levels of racism that was directed towards Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka on social media after their missed penalties resulted in England losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Within 48 h

After more than a year of many of us working from home during the pandemic, there's been a lot of talk about the lack of requirement to put on a bra. Just this week actor Gillian Anderson announced that her relationship with bras is over. Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor in Biomechanics at University of Portsmouth talks to Emma about the pros and cons of not wearing a bra. Social media influencers who document their lifestyles receive daily online abuse which increases when they promote products and make money. Instagram influencer Em Sheldon spoke to MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee yesterday about the trolling she receives which she claimed comes predominantly from adult women. Em joins Emma to discuss what should or could be done. It’s been confirmed that from next Monday 19 July all COVID requirements, including mandatory face masks and social distancing, will be lifted in England. But for more than one million of the most vulnerable people, shielding will continue. How are women

Deborah James is a the host of the BBC's You, Me And The Big C podcast, a campaigner, writer and mother of two. As @bowelbabe she blogs about living with stage 4 bowel cancer since Christmas 2016. After trialling experimental drugs she was told she had ‘no sign of active disease’, not once but twice. She joins Emma to discuss her recent experience of liver failure followed by sepsis, how she attended Wimbledon only 12 hours after leaving hospital, her mission to protect cancer care, and why she is rewriting her next book, How to Live When You Could Be Dead.Yesterday the Government's challenge to a Parole Board decision to release Colin Pitchfork was rejected - paving the way for the double child killer to be freed in the next few weeks. Pitchfork has served 33 years in prison after being jailed for raping and murdering 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in the 1980s. A judge-led independent review rejected a bid by ministers to halt his release. Philip Musson, the uncle of Dawn Ashworth tells Emma ho

This week, the Royal College of GPs is marking 150 years of women in general practice. More than half of GPs in the UK are women - but despite this, many still face issues like lower pay compared to men in their field. President of the College, Dr Amanda Howe and GP trainee, Dr Sophie Lumley join Emma to discuss why general practice is so appealing to women - and if they should continue to fill the ranks. Lucy D’Orsi, the new Chief Constable of the British Transport police is declaring a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on sexual harassment. She tells us why she wants to make tackling the problem a priority and for all of us to call out bad behaviour. In June 1953 Ethel and her husband, Julius Rosenberg were executed for spying, for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Their story gripped the American imagination and has inspired novels, plays and even non fiction. We hear from the author Anne Sebba who's written a new biography about Ethel Rosenberg, the first in 40 years.It's the time of year,

Baroness Julia Cumberlege, who led a critical review into how the health service has treated female patients, says she is angry and frustrated that not enough progress has been made. A year ago her report looked into two drugs and a medical device which caused women or their babies harm. It made a list of recommendations to support victims and prevent future, avoidable damage. The four UK governments are still considering the recommendations. Baroness Cumberlege joins Emma.It’s been four weeks of competition that concluded last night when England lost to Italy in the final. Despite the ultimate outcome, the Euro 2020 men's football competition really seemed to capture the imagination of many, and was a much needed tonic after a year and a half of the Covid pandemic ruling our lives. Emma speaks to a panel of female football experts about what all this momentum could mean for the future of the women's game. Dr Martha Newson is a cognitive anthropologist at the Universities of Kent and Oxford, and has resea

Lady Lavinia Nourse, the 77-year-old widow of the High Court judge Sir Martin Nourse was cleared of all 17 counts of historical child sex abuse involving a boy under the age of 12. In her first broadcast interview, she tells Emma about the case and why she's calling for those accused of child abuse to be granted anonymity until charged.There is a huge shortage of road hauliers in the UK. But of the half a million licensed lorry drivers, only 5% are women. Why is this? And what would encourage more women to get behind the wheel? Driver Suzy Mackenzie and Kate Lester, the Chief Executive of Diamond Logistics discuss.The Prime Minister has confirmed the end of Britain's mission in Afghanistan. It follows the decision by US President Joe Biden to withdraw US troops by September 11th. But what lies ahead for women? And what's changed for them since foreign troops entered the country in late 2001? Krupa speaks to Mahjooba Nowrouzi from the BBC Afghan Service and Dr Weeda Mehran, a lecturer in Terrorism and Conflict

British comic Gina Yashere has made it big on both sides of the Atlantic. A veteran of the UK comedy scene, she's also had huge success in the US. Now she's just released her first book, a memoir called 'Cack-Handed' in which she writes about growing up as a child of Nigerian immigrants in working-class London, and how this unique background helped her to make it in Hollywood. The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday the end of Britain's mission in Afghanistan. It follows the decision by US President Joe Biden to withdraw US troops by September 11th. But what lies ahead for women? And what's changed for them since foreign troops entered the country in late 2001? Krupa speaks to Mahjooba Nowrouzi from the BBC Afghan Service and Dr Weeda Mehran, a lecturer in Terrorism and Conflict at the University of Exeter.As England reach the finals of Euro 2020, we look at the story behind the term 'WAGs', or Wives and Girlfriends. There are some easily recognisable names on that list from Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole and C

The Footie! England's through to the final of the Euros after a nail biting match against Denmark last night. We speak to Emma Hayes, Chelsea Women Manager who was on the TV commentary team last night; to Jacqui Oatley who's commentated for World Cups and European Championships for both the BBC and ITV, and to Jane Merrick, Policy Editor at the i newspaper who tweeted last night about loving the celebration. We also hear from 2 members of Atomic Kitten, who sing us some of their song, Whole Again, specially reversioned for the England team. We talk about money with Otegha Uwagba. She's got a new book called We Need To Talk About Money.At the end of last month Bill Cosby was freed from prison after serving less than three years of a potential ten year sentence. Accused by more than 60 women of rape or sexual assault he's always maintained his innocence. Victoria Valentino was one of those women who made allegations but didn’t speak up for 45 years. She tells Emma her story. And contraception and environmenta

Lady Lavinia Nourse is calling for those accused of child abuse to be granted anonymity until charged. Speaking exclusively to Woman’s Hour just over a month after she was cleared of child sex abuse, the 77-year-old widow of the High Court judge Sir Martin Nourse was cleared of all 17 counts of historical child sex abuse involving a boy under the age of 12. In her first broadcast interview, she tells Emma Barnett what she wants to achieve by speaking out, and the trauma of the ordeal. Emma is also joined by Lady Nourse’s legal representative Sandra Paul from Kingsley Napley.A new study on a risk model that may improve the prediction of preterm birth has just been published. Researchers say predicting the signs and symptoms of preterm labour make it challenging to diagnose - and often times this leads to unnecessary treatment such as extra tests, bed rest or even hospitalisation which can be both common and costly. Lead author, Dr Sarah Stock from the University of Edinburgh hopes it's going to improve decisio

There is currently a huge shortage of road hauliers in the UK. According to the Road Haulage Association, up to 100,000 more lorry drivers are needed to transport the food, medicines and equipment vital to the UK economy. It’s estimated that 95% of all the products we consume are at some point moved around by road freight. And with Brexit, the Suez Canal blockage, and coronavirus restrictions causing big logistical issues, more people are urgently needed…. But of the half a million licensed lorry drivers, only 5% are women. Why is this? And what would encourage more women to get behind the wheel? Emma speaks to driver Suzy Mackenzie and Kate Lester, the Chief Executive of Diamond Logistics.Disappointment is a fact of life, but that doesn't make it any easier when it comes. At last night's Wimbledon, 18 year old British wildcard Emma Raducanu had to retire from her last-16 match after suffering apparent breathing difficulties. Although we're still not sure exactly what happened, it's not a huge leap of imagina

Studies have found that men are more reluctant than women to wear face covers. So, in a couple of weeks when restrictions are likely to be lifted, making it a personal choice, what are we likely to see happen. Emma talks to Christina Gravert, behavioural economist from the University of Copenhagen.Labour’s Yvette Cooper tells Emma about an amendment she's tabling today to the Police Courts Crime and Sentencing Bill to try to change the law on common assault. Critics of the law are concerned that cases need to be filed within six months otherwise they’re “timed out” meaning vulnerable women can fail to get justice.Strictly Come Dancing co-host and BBC presenter Claudia Winkleman has released her first book, Quite. She joins Emma to talk about Strictly, parenthood and how being perfect is boring.A woman who has Down's Syndrome is taking the government to Court this week. Heidi Carter is fighting for a change in the law around termination and Down's Syndrome. Currently, the time limit to terminate a pregnancy is

The novelist Libby Scott has just released her third novel ‘Ways to Be Me’ in collaboration with the author Rebecca Westcott. Along with her mum she tells us about her new book and it’s realistic portrayal of autism, and her own diagnosis at the age of 10. The presenter, journalist and “Queen of Mean”, Anne Robinson, tells us about becoming the first female host of Channel 4’s longest running series CountdownWe discuss why the future of the high street needs to put women at the centre of its design and overall regeneration. Mary Portas has done a TED talk and podcast arguing for a new approach by business and customers and has now written a book about it all called “Rebuild”. Suzannah Clarke has published new research saying women are responsible for 85% of spending on the High Street and they need to be taken into account in future planning if the downward trends are to be reversed. Eilidh Doyle is Scotland’s most decorated track and field athlete of all time. The Olympic, World and European medal holder ha