Woman's Hour

One in 5,000 women are born without a womb and many may have to have it removed because of cancer or other conditions. In the past decade there’ve been significant advancements in the development of human uterine transplants – with 56 having taken place world wide – though none have yet been carried out in the UK. Jenni talks to Mr Richard Smith, clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK about the progress we’re making in this country and to Dr Gulzaar Barn, Lecturer in Philosophy at the New College of the Humanities in London, about her concerns about the global market and the protection of vulnerable young women in countries where regulations and protections may not be as stringent as in the UK.We already know that many everyday objects and medicines are not designed with women in mind, but what about our cities? Author of Feminist City Leslie Kern joins Jenni to talk about what an inclusive city might look like: one that puts friendship, pushchairs and more public toilets above skyscrapers and sta

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety review has been released this morning. Baroness Cumberlege led the review into the the effects of vaginal mesh, the hormonal pregnancy test Primodos and the epilepsy drug Sodium Valproate. She discusses its recommendations and her experience of hearing so many moving testimonies from women across the UK. Jenni also hears some initial reaction from Mary McLaughlin, who has campaigned for women affected by pelvic mesh in Ireland, and Clare Pelham, the CEO of the Epilepsy Society who gave evidence to the review about the effects of sodium valproate. School leaving rituals – the sweatshirts, the prom, the signed T-shirts, the school trip and primary school final assembly. How important are they and what impact has the Coronavirus pandemic had on this year’s leavers? Jenni speaks to Juliet Benis, Head Teacher at Ambler Primary School and to A' level student Anna

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, also known as the Cumberlege review, is finally being published tomorrow after being delayed by Covid-19. It will focus on three health scandals that have severely affected women’s lives including vaginal mesh implants, an oral pregnancy test called Primodos, and an anti-epileptic drug called sodium valproate. The precise medical details between the cases differ, but what they all have in common is that women were given medical products that weren’t properly tested, and then weren’t believed when they complained of side effects further down the line. BBC Health Correspondent Anna Collinson talks about the background to the cases and the review, and Bonita Barrett discusses her experience of seeking help – and being ignored – when she went to her doctor in pain after being given a mesh implant without her consent. It’s 1957 and Jean

“Gendered power dynamics underpin the AI debate,” says Ivana Bartoletti. She’s an expert in data privacy and has set up a network called, Women Leading in AI. Ivana believes AI is linked to inequality and oppression. She talks to us about getting more women into coding, our addiction to being online and female cyborgs like Alexa and Siri.Why is the issue of HPV only discussed in relation to younger people? That's a question put by Helen, one of our listeners. The HPV vaccine is currently given to girls and boys in the UK, but would it help if older women got it too? We chat to Helen, as well as Imogen Pinnell from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. The Domestic Abuse Bill 2020 is having its third reading today in the House of Commons. It's taken two years to get to this point. Today we talk to Harriet Wistrich, Director of the Centre for Women’s Justice. She talks to Jane about the Bill’s significance, but more specifically about women prisoners who've offended partly because they've been victims of domestic abuse.

The Domestic Abuse Bill 2020 is currently making its way through Parliament, and will reach the House of Lords by the end of July. For the first time there will be a statutory definition of domestic abuse. The Centre for Women’s Justice is asking for an amendment to the Bill, to create a free-standing offence of non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation. We hear from Sandra who was strangled by a former partner and from Nicole Jacobs, the first domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, on why she too is calling for this amendment. We discuss the popularity of the skin lightening industry, despite the dangers and controversy? We hear from Nimmi Dosanjh who is Indian-Kenyan and light-skinned. Her 11 year old daughter is dark-skinned, from Linasha Kotalawala who is a beauty and lifestyle blogger and from Geeta Pandey the Editor of BBC News Online India Women and Social Affairs. The actor Roxanne Scrimshaw tells us about the new film Lynn and Lucy about the lives of two best friends in a close-knit communi

What do you do when your toddler is a fussy eater? A guide for parents about fussy eating which has been available for over ten years, has just been re-evaluated by 25 mothers. Jenni hears from Amanda, a mother of two daughters, plus one of the academics behind the guide, Claire Farrow, Professor in Children's Eating Behaviour at Aston University, Birmingham.The system of proxy voting for MPs on baby leave is due to expire this summer. Last year, Andrea Leadsom, then Leader of the House of Commons, announced that MPs could take baby leave. Men would get two weeks and women would get six months and they can, if they choose, vote by proxy. So, what is likely to happen now? And what can be done to prevent gender equality in Parliament from being seen as a luxury add-on as the country faces the current health and economic challenges of Covid-19? We hear from Andrea Leadsom MP and Sarah Childs, Professor of Politics and Gender at Royal Holloway, University of London. To everyone else, Terri White appeared to be li

Lynn and Lucy is a new film about the lives of two best friends in a close-knit community in Essex whose relationship is tested after a tragedy happens. It stars Nichola Burley and Roxanne Scrimshaw in her first acting role. Roxanne joins Jenni to discuss female friendship, community, motherhood and the depiction of working class women on screen. The Domestic Abuse Bill 2020 is currently making its way through Parliament, and will reach the House of Lords by the end of July. For the first time there will be a statutory definition of domestic abuse. The Centre for Women’s Justice is asking for an amendment to the Bill, to create a free-standing offence of non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation. Nicole Jacobs, the first domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, explains why she is supporting them.Professor Linda Scott’s book "The Double X Economy" describes how women are excluded from the global economy in myriad ways, in both developing and developed countries. She claims that the global economy's w

The stereotypical view of a gamer is a socially-isolated teenager who could be doing something better with their time. Liz Vickers is a 74 year old gamer from Manby, Lincolnshire, and so is her good friend, Bridget Odlin, aged 75, from Louth, Lincolnshire. They’ve been playing together, and separately, for almost more than 20 years. Lotta Haegg, an avid gamer herself, speaks to them. A new government report in Ireland shows that 6666 women accessed abortions there in 2019. This is the first annual report to be published since medical abortion became legal in Ireland up to twelve weeks of pregnancy. This followed the result of the May 2018 referendum on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. What do the figures tell us about abortion care in Ireland now? Jenni speaks to Ellen Coyne, a journalist at the Irish Independent newspaper and Dr Trish Horgan, a GP in Cork City and member of START - Southern Taskgroup on Abortion and Reproductive Topics.The novelist Amanda Craig joins Jenni to discuss her ninth nove

Dawn Bilbrough is a critical care nurse from York who in the early stages of COVID-19 posted an emotional video on social media that went viral. She was appealing to the public to stop panic buying as she was unable to get the basics in her supermarket after her shift ended. She joins Jane to discuss the impact of the video and what it has been like working on the frontline. This week Woman's Hour is focusing on women and gaming – and today we hear from cyberpsychologist Dr Daria Kuss who's been investigating the links between game-play and well-being. Our reporter Lotta Haegg also speaks to Emma Brown from Oxford, who's discovered a new-found motivation for exercise thanks to a virtual reality headset, and Lucy Hull from Birmingham who plays video games to forget her complex health problems.Last month information on the NHS website about the use of puberty blockers was changed. It had previously said that the drugs used to supress hormones at the onset of puberty in children experiencing gender dysphoria w

Last week Johnson & Johnson announced it will cease production on two lines of skin-lightening products sold in countries across Asia and the Middle East. At the same time, Unilever, who own the skin-lightening cream Fair & Lovely, have announced that they will change the product’s name. How significant are these moves? And why does the skin-lightening industry continue to be so popular, despite the dangers and controversy? Nimmi Dosanjh is Indian-Kenyan and light-skinned. Her 11 year old daughter is dark-skinned. Geeta Pandey is the Editor of BBC News Online, India Women and Social Affairs. Linasha Kotalawala is a lifestyle and beauty blogger.Over the next few days we’re going to be looking at women and gaming - the stereotype that only adolescent boys play video games doesn’t tally with the figures, which show women make up almost 50 per cent of those that play. And, women over 40 are among the fastest growing group of people who regularly engage in smartphone, video, or computer games. Our reporter

How might our relationship with our bodies and appearance change after the pandemic? As part of the BBC's Rethink series, Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Kate Lister, Lecturer in the School of Arts and Communication at Leeds Trinity University, and Shahidha Bari, Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion discuss. Dr Amanda Brown has been working as a GP at Bronzefield, a women-only prison. In her new book. The Prison Doctor: Women Inside, she shares the stories of many of the women she has met inside the prison. Some medics have expressed concerns over a possible future rise in stillbirths and harm to babies because pregnant women in need of attention may have avoided seeking professional help during the pandemic. Dr Maggie Blott, Consultant Obstetrician and Lead for Obstetrics at the Royal Free in London and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology explains.Theresa May has made a million pounds on the speaker circuit since

Today’s Rethink essay comes from the musician and artist Brian Eno, he asks what the response to the pandemic has taught us about leadership, and how what we want and need from our future leaders might have changed. To discuss the future of leadership Jane speaks to Dame Heather Rabbatts, Chair of Time’s Up UK, Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyds of London and Professor Ngaire Woods, founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University. A new Netflix documentary – Athlete A – explores the physical, mental and sexual abuse of young women within the United States of America Gymnastics; including at the hands of former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar. Former artistic gymnast and writer Jennifer Sey tells Jane about her career and the culture within gymnastics that she believes allowed this to happen. Presented by Jane Garvey Produced by Sarah Crawley Interviewed guest: Dame Heather Rabbatts Interviewed guest: Inga Beale Interviewed guest: Professor Ngaire Woods Interviewed gues

Michaela Coel’s new drama “I May Destroy You” on BBC 1 is receiving rave reviews on Twitter and in the papers. The story centres around a writer called Arabella who is drugged and sexually assaulted but has no recollection of the assault except in flashbacks and has to piece together what happened to her. How effective is the way the story is told and what questions does it raise about consent, relationships and the portrayal of women’s everyday lived experience on screen? To discuss the series, Jenni is joined by Weruche Opia who plays Bella’s best friend, Terry, Zing Tsjeng, executive editor of Vice UK and the poet Vanessa Kisuule. The children’s charity Barnardo’s has seen a 44% increase in the number of children who need foster care during the coronavirus pandemic. This, coupled with a fall in potential foster carers coming forward, is creating what they call a ‘state of emergency’. Vulnerable children who may have experienced neglect or abuse are now having to wait to be placed in foster families. W

Rethink is a series of essays and discussions across BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and the World Service that looks at how the world might change after the coronavirus pandemic. Today's essay features the political philosopher Clare Chambers who considers how our relationship with our bodies, and our appearance has been affected by the lockdown. To discuss Jenni is joined by Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Kate Lister, Lecturer in the School of Arts and Communication at Leeds Trinity University, and Shahidha Bari, Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion. The American crime writer Karin Slaughter has sold over 35 million books worldwide. Her stories are violent and gritty and she writes frankly about the impact of violence against women and the long-lasting effects of trauma. She hopes people will see her books as an honest telling of stories we do not often hear about… survivors, fighters, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends and rogues. She joins us

Theresa May has made a million pounds on the speaker circuit since she stood down as Prime Minister just under a year ago. We discuss how she’s done it and whether she might have a long career ahead of her doing it. Working parents of primary-aged children often rely on out-of-school childcare for the school run and long summer holidays. But thanks to Covid-19, many of these providers are facing an uncertain future. A recent survey by the Out of School Alliance found that 40% of respondents were unsure they’d be able to re-open in September – meaning that around 250,000 childcare places could be at risk. So where will children go if parents have to return to work and grandparents remain off-limits? Dr Amanda Brown has been working as a GP at Bronzefield, a women-only prison since December 2015. She has just written her second book, The Prison Doctor: Women Inside, in which she shares the stories of many of the women she meets inside. Since April, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has seen a

Today Radio 4 launches Rethink - a series of essays and discussions right across BBC Radio that ask how the world might change after the pandemic. We begin with an essay from Stirling Prize winning architect Amanda Levete asking how we could design the world around us differently. Has being confined to our homes and immediate communities taught us new things about what we need and want from them? How will more remote working change the role of the office? How might we now start to build for better and more equal societies? Jane is joined by architect Elsie Owusu OBE, economist Kate Raworth and 2019 Stirling Prize winner Annalie Riches, all with their own ideas of how Covid-19 could transform our homes and communities.Some medics have expressed concerns over a possible future rise in stillbirths and harm to babies because pregnant women in need of attention may have avoided seeking professional help during the pandemic. Jane speaks to Dr Maggie Blott, Consultant Obstetrician and Lead for Obstetrics at the Roy

Naomi Campbell the model, icon, and activist, who’s been at the summit of the fashion industry for over three decades tells us how she believes the fashion and beauty industry needs to play its part in bringing about change when it comes to racial equality.Who is doing the most when it comes to childcare and chores in heterosexual couples, and how might lock-down be changing things? We hear from Ali Lacey, a PhD researcher from Sussex University which is looking into this subject, Mary Ann Stevenson of the UK Women’s Budget Group and Francine Deutsch Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College in the US. The Science journalist Debora Mackenzie tells us about her book: COVID-19: the pandemic that never should have happened, and how to stop the next one. As two black British women writers - Bernadine Evaristo and Reni Eddo-Lodge - top the UK fiction and non-fiction bestseller charts for the first time, we hear from best-selling author of Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams and Sharmaine

Bernadine Evaristo’s bestseller Girl, Woman, Other is on plenty of reading lists after winning the 2019 Booker Prize, but what books are getting her through lockdown? One of them is Darling by Rachel Edwards - who joins Jenni to tell her all about her debut novel. Research shows that in lockdown, in heterosexual couples, women still do the majority of the childcare and chores. However, there has been a modest increase in the time men spend on these tasks overall. So could this be an opportunity to improve equality in the home? In April we ask you to get involved with research into how lockdown is affecting the well-being of families. The team at Sussex University now have their first set of preliminary results. PhD researcher Ali Lacey discusses their findings along with Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director of the UK Women’s Budget Group and Francine Deutsch, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College in the US, and editor of Creating Equality at Home – How 25 Couples Around the W

Naomi Campbell is an actress, an innovator, an icon, an activist, and a philanthropist who’s been at the summit of the fashion industry for over three decades. When Pat McGrath signed her up to be the global face of her makeup brand she said “she’s an inspiration to women, especially women of colour. She demonstrates that anything is possible”. Jenni talks to her about the collaboration, her reaction to the death of George Floyd and how the fashion and beauty industry needs to play its part in bringing about change.In just under five months’ time US voters will go to the polls. President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence are set to face Joe Biden whoever he picks as his running mate. Biden has already said he will pick a woman – and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, following the death of George Floyd, there is much speculation about the possible Black women he might pick. So how might this impact on the presidential election? And what will shape the key messages of Democrats an

Self-employed women are receiving less government support during coronavirus if they’ve taken maternity leave between April 2016 and March 2019 – because maternity pay isn’t taken into account when calculating payments under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The group Pregnant Then Screwed is now threatening the chancellor with indirect sex discrimination. It’s estimated between 75,000 and 80,000 women are affected. We speak to founder of Pregnant then Screwed, Joeli Brearley and the freelance journalist, Alex Lloyd who says the support she’s getting is about half what it could have been if average earnings had included maternity pay.Casey Stoney MBE is Former Captain of England and now Head Coach of Manchester United Women. We see the return of the men’s Premier League tonight, while the women’s season was ended early in May, and Casey joins Jenni to talk about the women’s game.Science journalist Debora Mackenzie talks about her book 'Covid-19: the pandemic that never should have happened & how