Woman's Hour

The soprano Laura Wright tells us about her new single released with The Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London to mark Mental Health Awareness week.Baroness Doreen Lawrence discusses why the Labour Party are conducting its own enquiry into why people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are more than four times more likely to die as a result of Covid-19 than their white counterparts.Two twenty-somethingsJackie Adedeji and Erin Bradshaw tell us how life has changed for them since the pandemic began.The author Glennon Doyle tells us about her book untamed which explains why we should all listen to and trust the voice deep inside us.Should maternity leave be extended because of the lockdown? The parents of a 6 month old have had more than 200 thousand signatures to a petition asking the government to extend it by three months. We hear from James one of the parents who started the petition and from Cheryl Adams the Executive director of the Institute of Health Visiting on the difficulties fac

The soprano Laura Wright first came to prominence when she won the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year in 2005 aged just 15. A lover of sport, she’s well known for her performances at huge sporting events from the FA Cup Final, British Grand Prix, Invictus Games and being England Rugby team’s first ever official anthem singer. She tells Jenni how during lockdown she has been using her voice by working with organisations and charities to address the challenges of isolation. To mark Mental Health Awareness week, she’s released a new single with The Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London in aid of charity.Could oestrogen provide some kind of protection against Covid-19? Dr Louise Newson is a GP and menopause specialist. She is working closely with NHS England to see whether women having periods or taking hormonal therapies like the pill and HRT are protected in some way. Covid Symptom Study: https://covid.joinzoe.com/Professor Heather Viles has been awarded the Royal Geographical Society's prestigio

Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Labour’s race relations adviser.What will be the long term impact of Covid-19 on women in the workforce? Plus as just over 400 prisoners and more than 500 prison staff in England and Wales have tested positive for the virus, how's the pandemic affected the way prison and probation officers carry out their work. We hear from Anita, who’s a prison officer at a male young offenders institute and Ellen who’s a probation officer in Leicester.And Jenni talks to the best selling author Glennon Doyle who poses the question" Who were you before the world told you who to be?" in her new book "Untamed"Presenter Jenni Murray Producer Beverley PurcellGuest; Baroness Doreen Lawrence Guest; Glennon Doyle Guest; Sam Smethers Guest; Anna Ritchie Allan Guest; Anita Guest; Ellen

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we look at why it’s important to discuss mental health and trauma with young people. The Mental Health Foundation reports that 70% of children and young people who experience a mental health problem have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. Why does this matter and what impact can it have on a child’s progression and adulthood? Ebinehita Iyere is a youth practitioner and works with young people who have experienced trauma or grown up in difficult circumstances. Anneli Roberts is a mental health campaigner and blogger.Could Covid-19 lead to the end of the some girls' right to an education? Room to Read is a global NGO working in 16 countries supporting literacy programmes and girls in secondary education. Sarah Myers Cornaby , Senior Development Director for Europe and Africa says many of the thousands of girls they mentor may never return to school after the pandemic.Woman’s Hour Corona Diaries are creating a unique social record of the thoug

The parents of a six month old have set up a petition asking the government to extend maternity leave by an extra three months. They believe that the lockdown has meant parents have missed out on the usual things you’d do on maternity, putting them at a disadvantage. There’s already been a parliamentary Q&A about this, and the signatures are still coming in. It’s not know yet whether it’ll be debated in the House of Commons but there will be another Q&A session on Thursday this week. Jane discusses the arguments with the petition's originator.After the summer half term holiday, some children will be returning to school. Those in reception and years 1,6, 10 and 12 will be the first to be welcomed back to the classroom in just under two weeks’ time. Many headteachers have begun speaking to parents about their concerns and their likely decision. We discuss the issues that parents are having to weigh up and the pressures that they face. In her new book of short stories ‘The Ministry of Guidance and Other

What makes someone want to go to see the same show at the theatre time and time again? We talk to documentary maker Mark Dooley about his film, Repeat Attenders – which follows some of musical theatre’s super-fans – and to Gudrun Mangel who features in the film and has found the confidence to be herself as a huge fan of Starlight Express.Most young people are at low risk of catching or falling seriously ill because of COVID-19 but it’s still having a serious impact. From future job prospects to living arrangements, how is the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown affecting women in their twenties? Jackie Adedeji is 26 and has moved back in with her parents. Erin Bradshaw is 22 and taking her final exams in her third year at university.We are currently living through a time when kindness is very much to the fore, frequently commented on and valued. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to spontaneous, widely recognised and (literally) applauded acts of kindness, from individuals and communities across the UK. From the on

How do you manage to create boundaries between work and home during lockdown? Dr Yasin Rofcanin, of the University of Bath’s School of Management discusses his new research exploring how COVID-19 is impacting our understanding of boundaries. We also hear from Chloë Davies, head of PR and Partnerships at myGwork, and Melanie Eusebe, management consultant and chair of the Black British Business Awards.Ida B. Wells was an journalist and campaigner. She's just been honoured with a special Pulitzer Price for her courageous reporting of the violence inflicted on African Americans during the lynching era. Professor Paula J. Giddings, who's written a biography of her, tells us about Ida and all that she achieved.How is lockdown affecting people living with dementia, as well as their carers? Linda Clare, Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Dementia at the University of Exeter, and Philly Hare, Co-Director of Innovations in Dementia discuss. Nurse and poet Molly Case reads her poem 'Hold Your Pen Torches Hig

At the end of the week when government advice started to ease the lockdown we take stock and look at how relationships between the generations have been affected by social distancing measures and shielding. Woman’s Hour listeners tell us how the government advice for over-70s has affected them. We hear how families have responded and how adult children and parents are negotiating their changed roles. And we discuss how best to communicate when you see risk differently.With Gabrielle Rifkind, Psychotherapist and Director of the conflict resolution organisation Oxford Process, and Professor Jane Lord, Professor of immune cell biology and Director of the Institute of Inflammation & Ageing, University of Birmingham.

Cycling is seeing a huge increase in popularity thanks to people avoiding public transport and wanting to get some exercise. In today’s Woman’s Hour Corona Diaries, Krysia Williams talks about the beauty of cycling in lockdown, and how the Bristol Bike Project – where she works – has been supporting key workers in moving around the city. Every year, 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer - and 18,000 of those come from screening. Since lockdown there’s been a 70% drop in GP referrals, according to data from Prevent Breast Cancer. Jenni talks to Lester Barr, consultant breast surgeon and founder and chairman of the Prevent Breast Cancer charity, about why early diagnosis is so important and what women should be doing at the moment if they’re worried. Shelley Klein grew up in the Scottish Borders in a house designed on a modernist open-plan grid; with colourful glass panels set against a forest of trees. Years later Shelley returns to look after her father, Bernat Klein, an uncompromising and groun

Ida B. Wells was an journalist and campaigner. She's just been honoured with a special Pulitzer Price for her courageous reporting of the violence inflicted on African Americans during the lynching era. Professor Paula J. Giddings, who's written a biography of her, tells us about Ida and all that she achieved.We're talking about dementia during lockdown and how challenging it can be for carers. Research carried out by the University of Exeter shows that many people living with dementia, as well as their carers, already felt isolated and lonely before COVID-19 but now these feelings have intensified. Jane speaks to Professor Linda Clare about the research and to Philly Hare who's Co-Director of Innovations in Dementia CIC. They've worked with people who have dementia and have come up with practical tips.Due to COVID-19 midwives all around the world are facing new challenges. We speak to Anneka Knutsson from the UNFPA which works in over 150 countries and also Tania Akter, who's a midwife in a very remote par

It’s been seven weeks since the UK went into lockdown, and for many women, the lines between work and home life have become blurred on a day-to-day basis. What’s the best way to create boundaries in order to protect your own mental well-being and a sense of routine? Dr Yasin Rofcanin, of the University of Bath’s School of Management, has worked on new research exploring how COVID-19 is impacting our understanding of boundaries. Chloë Davies is the head of PR and Partnerships at myGwork – a business community for LGBT+ professionals. She’s currently working from home with a four and two year old. Melanie Eusebe is a business professor and a Director at Accenture, a management consulting firm.Where The Crawdads Sing, the first novel by Delia Owens, has sold more than 6 million copies. Woman’s Hour listeners have suggested it as a perfect lockdown read. Delia talks to Jane from her home in North Carolina – what does the book have to say about loneliness, resilience and the power of nature? The debate continues a

Tomorrow marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. The day's also become International Day of the Nurse. We speak to nurse and poet Molly Case and to Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer in England.Childline has new figures about the number of under 11s wanting help because of the coronavirus lockdown. Jane talks to Laverne Antrobus a Child Psychologist at the Tavistock Clinic and to NSPCC campaigns manager, Helen Westerman.Coronation Street is dealing with the issue of coercive control between husband and wife in one of its storylines. We hear from Shelley King who plays Yasmeen who's the victim, as well as Lindsay Williams who's one of the script writers on Corrie. And she's been described as ‘the kind of cook who makes you want to eat vegetarian food even if you're not vegetarian’. Anna Jones shares some fresh ideas about lockdown lunches and the surprising things we can do with a can of tomato soup. Here's one of her recipes: Caper, herb and egg flatbreads / SERVES 2 AS A LIGHT MEAL2

The conductor and organist Anna Lapwood tells us how she’s trying to get more girls to take up the organ.Have women leaders handled the global health crisis of Covid-19 better than the men? And, what might explain why? Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and Professor of Politics at King’s College London, and Clare Wenham, Assistant Professor in Global Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science discuss.If lockdown measures are relaxed and children start the process of going back to school how will it work? Are social distancing measures remotely feasible with class sizes of 30? We hear from Dr Emma Kell who trains teachers and works for a pupil referral unit and virologist Professor Jonathan Ball.We look at why the number of women experts used in news programmes across all networks has fallen during the Covid-19 pandemic? Emeritus Professor Lis Howell, who directs the Expert Women Project which records and reports the appearance of women authority

Today marks 75 years since VE day and we remember the end of war in Europe. We speak to Shirley Mann about how her mother’s own war experience inspired her to track down more women’s stories from this time. She shares the stories she discovered of the women who were pilots, wireless operators, and even “plotters” in the Battle of Britain bunker – and what they did next. Three women from the Armed Forces are taking legal action against the MOD claiming they are victims of sexual assault and rape. Their cases have already gone through military courts but there were no convictions and they believe justice would be better served if their cases were dealt with through the usual routes: the police and the CPS. We hear from lawyer Emma Norton, director of a new organisation called the Centre for Military Justice, who is representing the three women. Is Ireland going through a ‘golden age of literature’ when it comes to women’s writing? Sally Rooney and Anna Burns are hugely popular but what is behind this boom in ne

The leaders of the USA, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Italy and the UK have come in for some criticism over their handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. They all have one thing in common, and it has been widely remarked on – they’re men. From Jacinda Ardern to Angela Merkel, women leaders across the world seem to be coping with Covid-19 better. But is it true? And, what might explain why? Jenni talks to Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and Professor of Politics at King’s College London and Clare Wenham, Assistant Professor in Global Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.Could your relationship survive one partner’s endurance sport obsession? In her new novel The Motion of the Body Through Space, Lionel Shriver explores the impact of extreme exercise on the ageing body and on one marriage in particular. Since taking aim at the whole concept of cultural appropriation in a speech at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in 2016, Shriver has become well kn

Anna Lapwood is one of the UK’s few female concert organists. She was the first woman to be awarded an Organ Scholarship at Magdalen College, Oxford, in its 560-year history. She was then appointed the youngest ever Director of Music at Pembroke College at Cambridge University aged just 21. She has used this position to spearhead a number of initiatives including a choir for 11-18 year old girls and the Cambridge Organ Experience for Girls which encourages girls to take up the organ. We hear her Pembroke Chapel Choir performing Media Vita by Karensa Briggs. Anna's also making her presenting debut hosting BBC Four’s coverage of the BBC Young Musician 2020. MPs are to try to outlaw the courtroom murder defence of “rough sex gone wrong” during parliamentary debates on the domestic abuse bill, as cases of domestic violence soar during the coronavirus lockdown. Elizabeth Yardley is Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University. She tells us about her re

Many parents have been longing for the the day the kids can go back to school following the lockdown. How are you feeling about sending your children back into the classroom? Over the last week, a number of old and offensive posts on Twitter have resurfaced. Many of them were written by influencers, artists and presenters. The majority of them contain abusive language towards dark skinned black women. Now the "court of public opinion" is calling for these individuals to be "cancelled". What's behind highlighting something some one said years ago? And what impact is it having on young black women online? .Despite having no experience of crofting or of island life, Tamsin Calidas moves with her husband from London to a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. It’s idyllic, for a while but as the months wear on, Tamsin finds herself in ever-increasing isolation. She talks to Jane about beginning her journey back from the brink. Plus a report out today from the Child Poverty Action Group and the Churc

The breakout of COVID-19 has put many aspects of life on hold – including the Big Day. Emily McMahon and her partner Jack Walsh tell us about their online wedding with friends and family over video call.The Expert Women Project has been recording and reporting the appearance of women authority figures appearing on news programmes for the last five years. Since this project began the number of women experts on these programmes has risen by at least 40%. Emeritus Professor Lis Howell directs the project and the former cabinet minister Baroness Morgan of Cotes, one of its supporters, join Jane to discuss the latest batch of results tracking the appearance of women on flagship news programming during the Covid 19 pandemic. Tishani Doshi is an Indian poet, writer, and dancer. Her latest novel, Small Days and Nights tells the story of Grace who returns to India from the USA to cremate her mother, only to find out she has an unexpected inheritance, a house on the beach and a sister with down’s syndrome. How does

Alison White's memoir Letter to Louis about raising a child with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities was the subject of the Woman's Hour drama. Jenni spoke to Alison and Louis. She also heard from Edel Harris, chief executive of Mencap about life during lockdown for adults with learning disabilities and their carers. Rachel Winterflood, a critical care nurse; “Mary” who works as a nurse in ICU and Jessica Sainsbury, a student nurse who has opted to finish her training with clinical practice discuss their experiences and concerns working on the frontline.The psychologist Caspar Addyman on his new book The Laughing Baby, which is all about the science of why babies laugh.The Netflix series Unorthodox tells the story of a teenager who flees her ultra Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community and an arranged marriage in New York, for a new life in Berlin. The four part drama series is inspired by Deborah Feldman’s 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.British Indian cook Asma K

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has now passed 26,000, with some 15,000 in hospital. More than 100 NHS workers have died, a third of them nurses. What are the experiences and concerns of nurses working on the front line? Jane Garvey talks to Rachel Winterflood, a critical care nurse; “Mary” who works as a nurse in ICU and Jessica Sainsbury, a student nurse who has opted to finish her training with clinical practice.We talk to the two women who set up Glasgow City FC in 1988 at a time when sexism was a real problem in achieving equality in women's football (and still is!). Denied the access to the football they wanted to play when they were growing up Laura Montgomery and Cas Stewart decided to create the best team in Scotland and did! Glasgow City FC went on to win 13 consecutive League titles and reach the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter finals twice.The psychologist Caspar Addyman’s new book The Laughing Baby is all about the science of why babies laugh. He tells us w