Episodes
-
Three-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, known for roles in films such as Maestro, Promising Young Woman and Suffragette, returns to our cinema screens in the comedy drama The Ballad of Wallis Island. She talked to Anita Rani about playing ex-folk singer Nell, working on a film set with a young baby, and why she loves musicals.
Earlier this week, goalkeeper Mary Earps, one of England's most high profile footballers, announced her retirement from the international game. Her decision comes just five weeks before the Lionesses go to the European Championships to defend their title. Jessica Creighton was joined was joined by football writer for the Guardian Suzy Wrack, and sports lecturer at the University of Worcester and professional goalkeeping coach, Dr Julia West, to discuss why Mary took this decision.
Announcements of cuts to foreign aid this year from both the UK and US governments, amongst others, have left many organisations facing funding issues and putting their programmes at risk. As humanitarian crises continue across the world, including in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, with many vulnerable people suffering including women and girls, the need to provide aid remains as high as ever. Dr Helen Pankhurst, Senior Advisor on Gender Equality for Care International UK, and Sofia Calltrop, the UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Aid, discussed with Kylie Pentelow the effects of these cuts on women and girls globally and the importance of gender equality programming.
The American folk trio I’m With Her have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together. On their long-awaited second album Wild and Clear and Blue, they sing about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. They joined Kylie in the studio.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Sarah Jane Griffiths
-
Two deeply disturbing cases in France have reignited national debate about how the justice system handles sexual violence. In December last year, Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife while she was unconscious and inviting other men to do the same. This week, Joël Le Scouarnec, a retired surgeon, was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail for sexually abusing almost 300 people, mostly children. His victims have spoken out against this sentence and lawyers have called for a change in the law. Jessica Creighton is joined by Blandine Deverlanges, a feminist activist and the Founder of Les Amazones d’Avignon, and BBC correspondent Hugh Schofield to discuss the situation.
Three-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, known for roles in films such as Maestro, Promising Young Woman and Suffragette, returns to our cinema screens in the comedy drama The Ballad of Wallis Island. She talks about playing ex-folk singer Nell, working on a film set with a young baby, and how she feels about turning 40.
The Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, is about to appoint a new chief and it's looking very likely that it will be a woman for the first time in the organisation's 115-year history. Former BBC defence correspondent Gordon Corera and spy novelist Ava Glass tell Jessica who's in the running and how significant it is that this organisation could be run by a woman.
A new blood test which will help develop personalised cancer treatment is going to be rolled out across the NHS. The technique, known as a 'liquid biopsy' will be offered as a standard for lung cancer patients, and the NHS is now planning on expanding this testing to advanced breast cancer patients. Jessica is joined by Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, to discuss how this works and the impact it could have.
Earlier this week, goalkeeper Mary Earps, one of England's most high profile footballers, announced her retirement from the international game. Her decision comes just five weeks before the Lionesses go to the European Championships to defend their title. Joining Jessica to discuss her decision is football writer for the Guardian Suzy Wrack, and sports lecturer at the University of Worcester and professional goalkeeping coach, Dr Julia West.
Presenter: Jessica CreightonProducer: Andrea Kidd
-
Missing episodes?
-
On Friday, a one-year pilot, which gives victims of serious sexual assault access to transcripts of judge’s sentencing remarks, will end. The Ministry of Justice has said the scheme will be made permanent, although it will stay under review as more victims access the service. Anita Rani is joined by BBC London home affairs correspondent Sonja Jessup, along with forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes, to discuss the success of the pilot and how the experience of being a victim-witness might psychologically impact victims.
With housing costs rising and social care stretched, more families are choosing - or needing - to live under one roof. Anita speaks to two women navigating the ups and downs of multigenerational life: Alison Taylor, who moved her parents in with her children, and Katie Fforde, who welcomed her grown-up children and grandchildren back home.
A new report conducted in collaboration with the dating app, FEELD, has suggested that in reaction to the loneliness felt during and after the pandemic, more people have looked at exploring the different types of romantic relationships available – such as consensual non-monogamy and polyamory. How do those engaging in new relationship hierarchies navigate "relationship anarchy"? Anita talks to Ana Kirova, CEO of FEELD, Ana Kirova and to author, Chloe Seager, about her experiences with non-monogamy.
And Anita talks to Catherine Whitaker about the primetime night session slot on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open where, according to reports, a women's singles match has not taken place since 2023.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Laura Northedge
-
Despite opposition from clerics in Pakistan, a bill banning child marriage in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, has recently been passed by the National Assembly and awaits the signature of the President. Azadeh Moshiri, BBC Pakistan correspondent and Senator Sherry Rehman, who has spent more than 7 years campaigning to get it through, join Kylie Pentelow.
The American folk trio I’m With Her have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together. On their long-awaited second album Wild and Clear and Blue, they sing about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. They join Kylie in the studio.
From displays to collections, the lack of female specimens at natural history museums shows a clear gender bias -- that's according to Assistant Director of the Museum of Zoology at the University of Cambridge Jack Ashby. Jack has written about this as part of his new book, and he joins Kylie to tell us more.
Metro journalist Alice Giddings has been spat on, not once, but twice, as she was out jogging on the streets of west London. Keen to find out other women's experiences, she began an investigation, in partnership with the organisation Women's Running, to discover other women's experiences. She joins Kylie.
Madeline Potter grew up in a Roma family in post-communist Romania. She’s traced the history and stories of her community, as well as her own experiences and treatment across continental Europe and the UK in her book, The Roma: A Travelling History.
Presenter: Kylie PentelowProducer: Emma Pearce
-
Known to many as Kayleigh in Peter Kay’s Car Share, Sian Gibson joins Kylie Pentelow to discuss her hit BBC comedy The Power of Parker which returns for a second series this week. Sian co-wrote and stars in the series as Kath, a mobile hairdresser by trade and the devoted mistress of her sister’s husband. Set around the fortunes of the Parker family’s electrical shop in 1990s Stockport, the next instalment sees a shift of power between the trio of Kath, her sister Diane and the object of their affection, Martin Parker.
If you open the website for online retailer Shein, a pop-up immediately appears offering a ‘special deal’ just for you. But are these savings what they seem? Yesterday the EU told the Chinese fast-fashion website that these discounts, as well as other pressure-selling tactics on its website, infringe EU consumer law and they’ve given Shein one month to respond or face fines. Mitch Labiak, senior business journalist for the BBC, explains more.
Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica’s novel Tender is the Flesh became a worldwide sensation, with sales of over half a million copies in the English translation alone. She talks about her most recent novel, The Unworthy, which is set post-climate apocalypse in a walled sanctuary known as the Sacred Sisterhood. But is it a refuge from the disease and violence that exist outside its walls or a dangerous prison for the women who live there?
Announcements of cuts to foreign aid this year from both the UK government and US government, amongst others, have left many organisations facing funding issues and putting their programmes at risk. As humanitarian crises continue across the world, including in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, with many vulnerable people suffering including women and girls, the need to provide aid remains as high as ever. Dr Helen Pankhurst, Senior Advisor on Gender Equality for Care International UK, and Sofia Calltrop, the UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Aid, discuss the effects of these cuts on women and girls globally and the importance of gender equality programming.
Since Labour has come to power, there’s been a number of issues that have divided the party. From tax rises to whether it should be a two or three-child benefit cap, the tension has been tangible. And with accusations of briefings against female cabinet ministers, what impact is this Labour in-fighting having on women in the party? We spoke to chief political commentator for the I paper, Kitty Donaldson, and UK politics commentator for Bloomberg, Rosa Prince.
Presenter: Kylie PentelowProducer: Kirsty Starkey
-
In a special bank holiday programme, Anita Rani escapes from the studio and spends the day at a dairy farm in Devon to explore the reality of female farmers’ lives.
Farmer Lorna Burdge shows Anita what a day in her life as a dairy farmer involves, from milking at 6am to feeding calves, measuring grass, looking after her three children and tackling invoices in the office.
We hear about a groundbreaking three-year study into the health and wellbeing of female farmers announced by the University of Exeter and Farming Community Network. Dr Rebecca Wheeler, the project lead from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Rural Policy Research, and Linda Jones, from the charity Farming Community Network, explain why the study is needed, who they want to hear from and what they hope it will achieve.
Farming Today and Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith gives Anita some of the context and policy changes of the last few years in the industry which some say have impacted farmers’ wellbeing.
Anita has a cup of tea in the farmhouse kitchen and hears from three women farmers about the challenges, stresses, achievements and joys of their jobs. Joining Anita and Lorna are Sinead Fenton, an edible flower and herb farmer in East Sussex, and Caroline Millar, who has an arable, lamb and beef farm near Dundee in Scotland.
What action is being taken to address some of the challenges for women in this industry? Anita hears from Rachel Hallos, the Vice-President of the National Farmers’ Union for England and Wales, an organisation which represents thousands of farmers and is looking at the experience of female farmers.
And finally, Katie Davies, who was awarded Farming Woman of the Year at the National Women in Agriculture Awards 2025, tells Anita why she’s trying to inspire more women to get into farming.
For more information on the three-year study on the wellbeing of female farmers, and how to take part in the research, head to: https://exe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5pqBN1BBqIxEns2
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Olivia BoltonAssistant Producer: Claire FoxEditor: Karen Dalziel
-
If you've ever had the bad luck of getting a UTI - or urinary tract infection - you'll know how painful they can be. It's a bacterial infection which can affect the bladder, urethra or kidneys and give a burning or stinging sensation when you urinate. Yesterday, in a powerful parliamentary session, the Labour MP Allison Gardner spoke through tears as she described her experiences of chronic UTIs. The MP for Stoke-on-Trent is now hoping to launch a cross-party parliamentary group to look at chronic UTIs. Allison joined Anita Rani, along with GP Ellie Cannon.
This week, the BBC launches the Women’s Summer of Sport, marking the start of a bumper summer of coverage including the Euros, the Rugby World Cup and Queen’s tennis tournament. The Welsh women’s football team have been called 'history makers' after qualifying for the European Championship for the first time. Three of the players, Josie Green, Lily Woodham and Elise Hughes, tell us what this means for them and how they are preparing for their debut tournament.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103, is a new BBC drama series. It's based on the true story of the bombing of a passenger flight over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, in which 270 people were killed. Kathryn Turman was an assistant to a federal senator at the time of the bombing. After the trial, she joined the FBI, where she founded the agency’s first-ever Victim Services Division. Her experience in the aftermath of the Pan Am bombing proved invaluable to the FBI’s response to the 9/11 attacks, and she has aided victims and families throughout major moments in history, including the Las Vegas shooting and the Boston marathon bombing. She discusses her mission to help victims, and what inspired her work in public service.
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, a new BBC documentary is reflecting on the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that followed, including in the UK. Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd tells the story through the eyes of some of those who found themselves on the frontline during the spring and summer of 2020, including Khady Gueye, who made headlines after a local protest she planned in the Forest of Dean was initially cancelled. She joined Nuala McGovern, along with author and producer Nova Reid, to reflect on the impact the events of that time have had on their lives, and what has changed since then.
Liane Child’s novel The Trad Wife’s Secret is inspired by influencers who believe in traditional gender roles in marriage. So is this a wholesome phenomenon or a dangerous and sexist regression? And what is the appeal to the millions of people who follow 'trad wives' online? Liane Child joined Nuala along with British 'traditional housewife' and influencer Charlie Gray.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Andrea Kidd
-
We hear a lot about the pressures boys and young men are under and how many of them are looking to the online world - or manosphere as it's sometimes called - to find answers. Prompted by the drama Adolescence on Netflix, the topic has been in the news regularly in recent weeks. This week the Women and Equalities Select Committee heard evidence on the manosphere. Anita Rani is joined by Will Adolphy, who was a dedicated follower of the manosphere until, in his mid 20s, he had a breakdown. He went offline for five years and rebuilt his life. He is now a psychotherapist, coach, and goes to schools to speak about healthy masculinity.
This week ITV has announced a shake up of the scheduling and production of its popular daytime shows including Lorraine, Loose Women and Good Morning Britain. Whilst Good Morning Britain will be extended, both Lorraine and Loose Women will see their number of shows cut. Entertainment journalist and expert on all-things TV Scott Bryan unpicks why this is happening.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 – is a new BBC factual drama series. Based on the true story of the bombing of a passenger flight over a small Scottish town of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, in which 270 people were killed. Kathryn Turman was Assistant to a federal Senator at the time of the bombing. After the trial she joined the FBI where she founded the agency’s first ever Victim Services Division. Her experience in the aftermath of the Pan Am bombing proved invaluable to the FBI’s response to the 9/11 attacks, and she has aided victims and families throughout major moments in history including the Las Vegas shooting and the Boston marathon bombing. She discusses her mission to help victims, and what inspired her work in public service.
Next month marks three years since the journalist and host of BBC's You, Me and the Big C podcast Deborah James - known to many as Bowel Babe - died, aged 40, five years after her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer type and cause of cancer death for women. Since the early 1990s, the incidence rate in women aged 25-49 has increased by almost 60%. Bowel cancer is treatable if diagnosed early. Heather James, Deborah’s mother, is fulfilling a promise to her daughter and continuing with Deborah’s awareness-raising work - she and Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, are in the Woman's Hour studio.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Kirsty Starkey
-
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was known as the ‘godmother of rock and roll’ and influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. Now Olivier Award-winning performer Beverley Knight is playing Sister Rosetta in a new production, Marie and Rosetta, which has just opened at the Rose Theatre in London. It tells the story of Rosetta and her singing partner, Marie Knight, described as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history. Beverley joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio to discuss how the show hopes to restore these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight.
The Government has announced that care workers will no longer be recruited from overseas as part of a crackdown on visas for lower-skilled workers. The care sector has criticised the plans as "cruel" and "short-sighted". To discuss this and what good care looks like, Nuala is joined by Gavin Edwards, Head of Social Care at Unison, and care worker Kathryn Faulke, author of the memoir Every Kind of People: A Journey into the Heart of Care Work.
It’s thought that around 3 to 4% of people in the UK, that’s one in 20, have ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However many women still remain undiagnosed for decades of their lives, with those in their 40s, 50s and 60s only now discovering they have it for the first time. Jo Beazley was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago at the age of 49, after her symptoms worsened during the menopause. She joins Nuala along with Amanda Kirby, the former chair of the ADHD Foundation and a professor in the field of neurodiversity.
This week we'll be hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued interim guidance that, in places open to the public, trans women shouldn't use women's facilities such as toilets. Today Nuala speaks to Robin Moira White, a barrister who specialises in taking discrimination cases, and who is also a trans woman. Robin transitioned in 2011 and is co-author of A Practical Guide to Transgender Law.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
-
A world-record breaking swimmer has told the BBC she was left 'broken' by the training regime of one of the UK’s most successful swimming coaches. Rūta Meilutytė - who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics at the age of 15 – said coach Jon Rudd’s focus on her weight and diet contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder. Mr Rudd, who has faced multiple allegations of bullying and verbal abuse of teenage swimmers, has not responded to the BBC. Panorama's Rebecca Woods joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her investigation, The Dark Side of Swimming Clubs, which raises wider questions about an alleged toxic culture for young swimmers in the UK.
Woman's Hour is hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today Nuala speaks to Kate Barker, CEO of LGB Alliance. They were part of a coalition along with Scottish Lesbians and the Lesbian Project, that intervened in the case.
Today the BBC launches the Women’s Summer of Sport, marking the start of a bumper summer of coverage including the Euros, the Rugby World Cup and Queen’s tennis tournament. The Welsh women’s football team have been called 'history makers' after qualifying for the European Championship for the first time. Three of the players, Josie Green, Lily Woodham and Elise Hughes, tell us what this means for them and how they are preparing for their debut tournament.
The author Emma Stonex joins Nuala to talk about her new suspense novel The Sunshine Man. Set it 1989, it tells the story of Birdie, set on taking revenge on the man who she believes murdered her sister. Emma tells us how she approached writing the book, and touches on some of its themes, including the bonds between sisters and parental abandonment.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
-
Tonight sees the 70th Ivor Novello awards taking place at Grosvenor House in London. They are coveted in the UK music industry because they specifically celebrate songwriting. Singer-songwriter Lola Young leads the nominations this year including one for 'best song musically and lyrically' for her breakthrough hit Messy, which spent a month at number one in the UK earlier this year. Does this spell good news for women in the music industry? Anita Rani is joined by Linda Coogan-Byrne to discuss.
If you've ever had the bad luck of getting a UTI - or Urinary Tract Infection - you'll know how painful they can be. It's a bacterial infection which can affect the bladder, urethra or kidneys and give a burning or stinging sensation when you urinate. Yesterday, in a powerful parliamentary session, the Labour MP Allison Gardner spoke through tears as she described her experiences of chronic UTIs. The MP for Stoke on Trent is now hoping to launch a cross-party parliamentary group to look at chronic UTIs - Allison joins Anita, as does the GP Ellie Cannon.
A major new exhibition opens this week at The Imperial War Museum in London. Called Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, it looks at the atrocities inflicted during war and conflict from the First World War until the present day. Helen Upcraft is the exhibition’s lead curator and Sara Bowcutt is the Managing Director of Women for Women International, one of the NGOs working in the field of sexual violence in conflict, who’ve also contributed to this exhibition. They join Anita in the studio.
Women and listening... how do women listen? How good a listener are you? Two books out this month focus on listening, from listening to sounds to listening more deeply to other people. Anita speaks to writers Alice Vincent, and Emily Kasriel.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Corinna Jones
-
In the last of our interviews about the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, Nuala McGovern speaks to Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. As the body responsible for enforcing the Act, the EHRC gave evidence in the Supreme Court case. In the first BBC interview since launching a consultation on updating their Code of Practice in light of the judgment, Baroness Falkner explains who they want to hear from and why.
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, a new BBC documentary is reflecting on the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that followed, including in the UK. Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd tells the story through the eyes of some of those who found themselves on the frontline during the spring and summer of 2020, including Khady Gueye, who made headlines after a local protest she planned in the Forest of Dean was initially cancelled. She joins Nuala, along with author, producer and speaker Nova Reid, to reflect on the impact the events of that time have had on their lives, and what has changed since then.
Nuala is also joined by Sarah Pochin, the first female MP for the Reform UK Party. The Runcorn and Helsby by-election was won by just six votes - the closest result in modern history. A former Conservative Councillor and mayor for Cheshire East, Sarah was a magistrate for 20 years. During her maiden speech she focussed on immigration, the cost of living and sexual violence against women.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Andrea Kidd
-
Mental health nurse Rachel Luby has been discussing her shopping addiction with a UK newspaper. She says it led to her ordering thousands of pounds worth of presents for staff and patients on her ward and was receiving parcels every day. She feels her shopping addiction was trivialised - rather than being seen as a red flag. So how common is this? And why is it a problem to think that shopping is just something women do and enjoy? Nuala McGovern hears from financial psychotherapist and author of Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, Vicky Reynal.
Why are survivors of sexual assault being cross-examined at trial about the fact that they made a previous disclosure of another sexual offence by a different perpetrator? The Centre for Women’s Justice, Rape Crisis and other women’s groups have launched a campaign to clarify the law around this. Nuala is joined by Katrin Hohl, independent advisor to the government on sexual violence and professor of criminology at City St Georges University in London, who has spent months investigating how and why this is happening.
Liane Child’s novel The Trad Wife’s Secret is inspired by influencers who believe in traditional gender roles in marriage. So is this a wholesome phenomenon or a dangerous and sexist regression? And what is the appeal to the millions of people who follow 'trad wives' online? Liane Child joins Nuala along with British “traditional housewife” and influencer Charlie Gray.
Israel has announced a reprieve in its 11-week blockade of aid into Gaza. Nuala speaks to the BBC’s Paul Adams and Humanitarian Director at Save the Children, Rachael Cummings, to find out more about the impact of this block of aid on women and children.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Kirsty Starkey
-
Police have said they are searching for the parents of three new-born babies, all abandoned in East London between 2017 to 2024. The search is focusing on about 400 nearby houses. Anita Rani spoke to Met Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford and clinical psychologist Professor Lorraine Sherr, head of the Health Psychology Unit at UCL.
Nuala McGovern was joined by the best-selling author Isabel Allende about her latest book My Name is Emilia Del Valle. It follows a young female journalist intent on covering the civil war in Chile in 1891 despite having to write under a man’s name.
It’s thought that around 3 to 4% of people in the UK have ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But many women remain undiagnosed for decades, with those in their 40s, 50s and 60s only now discovering they have it for the first time. Jo Beazley was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago at the age of 49, after her symptoms worsened during the menopause. She joined Nuala along with Amanda Kirby, former chair of the ADHD Foundation and a professor in the field of neurodiversity.
Imagine you’re preparing to host a party at your house when a lost elderly woman shows up at your door. What would you do? This actually happened to writer and director Nadia Conners. Nadia explained to Nuala why the interaction stuck with her for years and has now inspired her debut feature film, The Uninvited.
How do we teach children to have grit? That's what the Government is suggesting needs to be a new focus in schools, to bolster children's mental health. To discuss how parents can help their children develop resilience, Anita was joined by Sue Atkins, parenting coach and author of Parenting Made Easy and child psychologist Laverne Antrobus.
Anna Lapwood is one of the world’s most famous organists and an internet sensation, with over two million social media followers. Hailed as ‘classical music’s Taylor Swift', she told Anita about co-curating a special BBC Prom, the music she has included in her album Firedove which is out later this month, and what it meant to her to be appointed the first ever official ‘Organist of the Royal Albert Hall.’
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Rebecca Myatt
-
How do we teach children to have grit? That's what the Government is suggesting needs to be a new focus in schools, to bolster children's mental health. To discuss how parents can help their children develop resilience, Anita Rani is joined by Sue Atkins, parenting coach and author of Parenting Made Easy and child psychologist Laverne Antrobus.
We are currently hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today Anita speaks to Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK.
At age 20, actor Sam Ipema was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Her highly successful play, Dear Annie, I Hate You details this experience and is currently on at Riverside Studios in London. She joins Anita Rani and neurologist Dr Faye Begeti to discuss.
Founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Laura Bates, has been looking into artificial intelligence. Laura argues that existing forms of discrimination are being enforced by AI through historic coding, prioritising profitability at the expense of women’s safety and rights. But also worrying is how simple it is for AI to enable users to create deepfake or AI girlfriends, that can perpetuate the abuse of women.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Rebecca Myatt
-
Police have said they are searching for the parents of three new-born babies, all abandoned in East London between 2017 to 2024. The search is focusing on about 400 nearby houses. Anita Rani speaks to Met Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford and clinical psychologist Professor Lorraine Sherr - head of the Health Psychology Unit at UCL.
Actor Rose Ayling-Ellis also joins Anita to discuss her lead role in ground breaking new ITVX drama Code of Silence, along with the show’s writer Catherine Moulton. Rose plays Alison, a deaf caterer who gets drawn into a covert police operation thanks to her exceptional lip-reading skills. It was inspired by writer Catherine’s own experience with lip-reading and sees Rose take on an executive producer role too.
In August 2022 the then Conservative MP for Stafford, Theo Clarke, gave birth to a daughter. She had a 40-hour labour, and a third-degree tear. She needed a two-hour operation and was in hospital for a week. Her experiences led her to set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma in the House of Commons, she also co-chaired the Birth Trauma Inquiry in Parliament. She joins Anita to discuss her experience, campaigning and new book Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need To Talk About Birth Trauma.
Anna Lapwood is one of the world’s most famous organists and an internet sensation, with over two million social media followers. Hailed as ‘classical music’s Taylor Swift', she’ll be telling Anita about co-curating a special BBC Prom, the music she’s included in her album Firedove which is out later this month, and what it mean to her to be appointed as the first ever official ‘Organist of the Royal Albert Hall.’
-
Nuala McGovern is joined by the best-selling author Isabel Allende about her latest book My Name is Emilia Del Valle. It follows a young female journalist intent on covering the civil war in Chile in 1891 despite having to write under a man’s name.
This week we'll be hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today we hear from Helen Joyce, Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters and author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality
Broadcaster Yinka Bokinni discusses the latest in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial. He’s been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied all charges.
Today the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership is launching the Gender Equality Index UK (GEIUK). It measures gender equality across 372 local authorities and says no area has achieved full parity between women and men. Exploring the complex links between gender equality, regional disparities and economic productivity we discuss how it can lead to a better future for women and men? Dr Caitlin Schmid who has lead the project and ex- Australian Prime Minister and Chair of GIWL -Julia Gillard are in the Woman's Hour studio.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Kirsty Starkey
-
Kate, not her real name, has spoken to BBC Radio 4's File on Four Investigates and has revealed that her husband was secretly drugging and raping her for years - in a story that has echoes of the Gisele Pelicot case which rocked France, and the world, at the end of last year. Nuala McGovern speaks to BBC reporter Jane Deith who explains that Kate had to fight for justice and also to Dr Amy Burrell, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham.
Imagine you’re preparing to host a party at your house when a lost elderly woman shows up at your door. What would you do? This actually happened to writer and director Nadia Conners. Nadia explains to Nuala why the interaction stuck with her for years and has now inspired her debut feature film, The Uninvited.
Kirsty Wark, a familiar face on our screens thanks to her long-standing and impressive journalism career, has just been awarded the BAFTA Fellowship - the Academy's highest honour. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about what it means to have been given this recognition after nearly 50 years as a journalist and broadcaster.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Laura Northedge
-
Rising to fame at the age of 20, Kate Nash soon became a staple of the British music scene in the late 2000s. Her first album, Made of Bricks, reached number one in the UK and stayed in the UK charts for more than forty consecutive weeks and she’s won a Brit Award. But she’s spoken openly about not being able to afford to tour and choosing to subsidise her income by selling images of her body on OnlyFans. Kate’s currently in the middle of a UK tour for her latest album, 9 Sad Symphonies, and is playing the O2 Kentish Town Forum on 9 April. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her career and the music industry.
Sarah Brown and her husband Gordon, the former prime minister set up the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory in 2004, following the death of their daughter Jennifer who was born seven weeks early. For the past decade, the laboratory has been leading vital research into premature birth – including a world-first study following 400 babies, both premature and full-term, from birth to adulthood. Sarah tells Nuala about the research and what they've found about preterm birth.
Once the Deed is Done is the fifth novel from the German-British author Rachel Seiffert. It covers the immediate aftermath of the end of WW2 and the fall of Nazi Germany. The book focuses on a group of displaced people – it’s estimated that globally there were between 40-60 million people displaced by the war. Rachel describes why she wanted to write about this often forgotten time in history, reflecting on the cruelty inflicted from above and the choices her characters make.
BBC2’s Saving Lives in Cardiff is back on our screens from tonight. Based in the largest hospital in Wales, University Hospital in Cardiff, the series highlights the weight of difficult, sometimes life and death decisions surgeons make about who to prioritise next. The first episode follows Dr Indu Deglurkar, a cardiac surgeon, one of only 19 women in this role in the UK. She joins Nuala to discuss the pressures and joys of her job.
Presented by Nuala McGovernProducer: Louise Corley
-
Four years ago the broadcaster Naga Munchetty spoke out on air about her own awful experience of getting a coil fitted, and received a huge response from listeners. It led to her talking about her debilitating periods and an eventual diagnosis with adenomyosis aged 47. She’s written about this and included the experiences of other women. Naga spoke to Anita Rani to discuss her book ‘It’s Probably Nothing’.
A wave of female designers have been appointed to some leading high street brands - including Jacqui Markham at Whistles, Maddy Evans at M&S, and Clare Waight Keller, the former Givenchy designer, to Uniqlo. So how much of a difference does it make for consumers that women are at the helm? Nuala McGovern spoke to Jacqui Markham, creative director at Whistles and Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO and founder of Savvy Marketing.
A BBC documentary The Sex Detectives: Keeping Kids Safe follows a ground-breaking project in Bristol which engages the help of street sex workers to protect children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation. Avon & Somerset Police have teamed up with charity Barnardo’s and partnered with Bristol’s street sex workers to gather intelligence about dangerous offenders and paedophiles. Nuala was joined by social worker Jo Ritchie, at Barnardo’s, and sex work liaison officer Rose Brown.
In a special programme exploring 'mistakes' and our relationship with the word, Nuala McGovern speaks to journalist Nicole Mowbray who tells about the mistake she made at The Observer newspaper which caused an 'international incident'.
A new report by HSBC looks at the obstacles and opportunities facing midlife women entrepreneurs. With more midlife women starting businesses than any other demographic, what is it like to be a female founder at 50+? Author of the report, Eleanor Mills, owner of her own company Noon and Helen Lord, co-founder of Rehome, a UK-based business specialising in the resale of used and ex-display kitchens, join Kylie Pentelow to discuss.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Emma Pearce
- Show more
