Episodes
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Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh’s career has spanned four decades. Starting out as a martial arts actor, she became a key figure in the Hong Kong action scene. But it was her role in James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies that catapulted her into Hollywood. She's since starred in many hits including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the multi-Oscar winning movie - including for her own performance - Everything Everywhere all At Once. Now, she’s in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked. She joined Nuala McGovern live in the studio to discuss it.
BBC analysis suggests that the rate at which primary school pupils are being suspended from state schools in England has more than doubled in a decade. Permanent exclusion rates of primary-age pupils have also gone up, by almost 70% in the same period. Campaigners say children excluded from school at a young age experience long-term impacts. It's worth also stating that nearly 90% of those permanently excluded over the past five years also had special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government has acknowledged the situation is at "crisis point", and says it is determined to "drive up standards" in schools. Anita Rani spoke to Lydia, whose son Eddie has been suspended from school 14 times this year.
Twenty-four year old product design and technology graduate Olivia Humphreys is a Global Medical Winner of the James Dyson Award 2024. Her invention, Athena, is a portable hair-loss prevention device for chemotherapy patients. She talks to Nuala how the product works and how her mum inspired it.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is the double World and double Commonwealth Games heptathlon champion. This year she won the Olympic silver medal in Paris, her first ever Olympic medal. Katarina joined Anita to talk about her new book, Unbroken, in which she opens up about the pressures of representing Great Britain as a 19 year old at the London 2012 Olympics, her struggles with body image and the relentless resilience and determination she has shown in coming back from career-threatening injuries.
Bethany Hutchison is one of eight female nurses who are taking their NHS Trust to an employment tribunal for allowing a trans woman to use their changing facilities at work. Bethany spoke to Nuala about why she feels she needed to bring this case, and how she hopes it will be resolved.
The film Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius and Connie Nielsen returns to her role as Lucilla. The sequel also includes a female gladiator for the first time, Yuval Gonen plays the role of Arishat. Anita is joined by classicist and author Dr Daisy Dunn and the film critic Larushka Ivan-zadeh to discuss how accurate this portrayal is and the role women play in the film.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Rebecca Myatt
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Adopted children may be allowed much closer contact with their birth families in the future as part of “seismic” changes recommended in a new report published earlier this month. At the moment family courts set out the level of contact the child will have with their birth parents, usually letters sent via an intermediary. But that could change. Anita Rani hears from two women who were adopted, who share their thoughts on what these changes could mean for adopted children, and Prof Beth Neil who helped to write the report.
Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius and Connie Nielsen returns to her role as Lucilla. The sequel also includes a female gladiator for the first time, Yuval Gonen plays the role of Arishat. Anita is joined by classicist and author Dr Daisy Dunn and the film critic Larushka Ivan-zadeh to discuss how accurate this portrayal is and the role women play in the film.
'I Did Something Bad' is the debut novel by Pyae Moe Thet War. It tells the story of journalist Khin Haymar assigned by Vogue to get a scoop on Tyler Tun, Hollywood’s hottest movie star in exchange for a top job. But along the way a man ends up dead. Will the pair fall in love and can they get away with murder? Pyae joins Anita to talk about wanting to write a rom-com with murder set in her hometown of Yangon, Myanmar and why the novel features some serious social commentary on abortion, corrupt police and representation in film.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Laura Northedge
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Missing episodes?
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Katarina Johnson-Thompson is the double World and double Commonwealth Games heptathon champion. This year she won the Olympic silver medal in Paris, her first ever Olympic medal. Katarina joins Anita Rani to talk about her new book, Unbroken, in which she opens up about the pressures of representing Great Britain as a 19 year old at the London 2012 Olympics, her complex relationship with her mentor-turned-rival Jessica Ennis-Hill, and the relentless resilience and determination she has shown in coming back from career-threatening injuries.
BBC analysis suggests that the rate at which primary school pupils are being suspended from state schools in England has more than doubled in a decade. Permanent exclusion rates of primary-age pupils have also gone up, by almost 70% in the same period. Campaigners say children excluded from school at a young age experience long-term impacts. It's worth also stating that nearly 90% of those permanently excluded over the past five years also had special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government has acknowledged the situation is at "crisis point", and says it is determined to "drive up standards" in schools. Anita spoke to Lydia, whose son Eddie has been suspended from school 14 times this year, and Vanessa Longley, chief executive of the charity Chance UK, a charity which supports primary-aged children.
The Iraqi Parliament is currently considering an amendment to personal status law that in effect could remove protections for women and lower the legal age of marriage to nine. There could also be changes to a women's right to divorce, child custody and inheritance. Joining Anita to discuss these proposals are Caroline Hawley, the BBCs Diplomatic correspondent, and Sarah Sanbar, Iraqi researcher for Human Rights Watch.
A new Netflix film tells the story of the invention of IVF, and the woman whose contribution to this world-changing discovery has been largely forgotten, embryologist Jean Purdy. Award-winning actress Thomasin McKenzie talks to Anita about portraying Jean, and her two decades of acting, despite only being 24 years old.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Rebecca Myatt
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Yesterday, the closing arguments were made in the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot - a case that has not only shocked France but far beyond that country's borders. To understand what impact the trial has had on women in France, Nuala speaks to Blandine Deverlanges, a feminist activist in the region where the trial is taking place who has been attending the trial of Dominique Pelicot.
Bethany Hutchison is one of eight female nurses who are taking their NHS Trust to an employment tribunal for allowing a trans woman to use their changing facilities at work. Bethany speaks to Nuala about why she feels she needed to bring this case, and how she hopes it will be resolved.
The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actor Gillian Anderson has compiled a collection of women's sexual fantasies in her book Want. She tells Nuala why she wanted to work on this project, following her role as Dr Jean Milburn in Sex Education, and also responds to the recent Presidential election in the US.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey has long had an affinity with witches – both the fictional depictions we get in film and TV and the women themselves caught up in the Witch Trials of the Early Modern Period. But it was her experience of perinatal mental health issues following the birth of her son that really forged a connection for her between what she'd been experiencing and witches themselves. She's produced a new documentary to look at exactly that.
Presented by Nuala McGovernProducer: Louise Corley
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In Lucy Manning’s words, it started with a phone call... A call from a withheld number late at night in October 2022 where the unknown male caller appeared to be masturbating as he made lewd comments about her. And so began what she describes as a two-year ordeal to get police to arrest and charge the man responsible for making those calls. Lucy joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio.
As thousands of farmers gather to protest planned changes in inheritance tax rules for agricultural properties, Nuala asks BBC Farming Today presenter Anna Hill how this is affecting women farmers, who according to the National Farmers' Union make up a majority of the farming workforce in England and Wales.
Zainab Johnson, one of America’s freshest voices in stand-up comedy, is making her UK debut this week at London’s Soho Theatre. She joins Nuala to discuss mining her massive family for material, being a gun owner and her thoughts on the recent US election.
New Zealand actor Robyn Malcolm joins Nuala to talk about her morally complex and challenging new drama, After the Party. Robyn co-created the drama and plays the lead character, a woman who has accused her husband of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. She tells Nuala about representing real middle-aged women on screen.
24-year-old product design and technology graduate Olivia Humphreys is a Global Medical Winner of the James Dyson Award 2024. Her invention, Athena, is a portable hair-loss prevention device for chemotherapy patients. She explains how the product works and how her mum inspired it.
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Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh’s career has spanned four decades. Starting out as a martial arts actor, she became a key figure in the Hong Kong action scene. But it was her role in James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies that catapulted her into Hollywood. She's since starred in many hits including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the multi-Oscar winning movie - including for her own performance - Everything Everywhere all At Once. Now, she’s in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked. She joins Nuala McGovern live in the studio to discuss it.
The Women's Equality Party voted to dissolve the organisation at a special conference this weekend. The political party was launched in 2015 to campaign for gender equality. Citing financial challenges and a changed political landscape, the leadership chose to recommend members vote to close down the party. In an exclusive interview, the two party co-founders - Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig - join Nuala.
In a recent article, the author and writer Alice Vincent asks: Why does nobody speak about post-breastfeeding depression? This was something she experienced after she stopped breastfeeding her son. Alice joins Nuala to discuss her experience of stopping breastfeeding along with Hilda Beauchamp, perinatal and infant mental health lead at the Institute of Health Visiting, and a midwife and health visitor by background.
Es Devlin is the artist and stage designer responsible for some of the most iconic moments in recent popular culture. Her innovative staging is currently on display at the National Theatre's The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and her new work, Face to Face, is coming soon to Somerset House. She joins Nuala to discuss her career.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce
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A new Woman's Hour series, Forgotten Children, explores the impact on families when one or both parents are sent to prison. Reporter Jo Morris hears from Kerry Wright, who was just 17 and living in Spain with her parents when British police arrived at their door and arrested both of them, from Nan (not her real name), whose daughter received a prison sentence, leaving Nan to care for her five grandchildren and to Emily (not her real name), whose husband was sentenced to prison for domestic abuse. Nuala McGovern also spoke to Sarah Burrows, founder of Children Heard and Seen, a charity supporting children and families with parents or partners serving prison sentences, and Lucy Baldwin who is a research fellow at Durham University and a criminal justice consultant.
As a new musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, with lyrics contributed by the American musician Shaina Taub and music by Elton John, hits London's West End, Anita Rani was joined by the show’s leading ladies, Vanessa Williams, Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolomeo to discuss the enduring appeal of this story.
Nuala spoke to TV presenter and author Giovanna Fletcher from the Himalayas at the start of her trek to raise money and awareness for CoppaFeel! the breast cancer charity.
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in the UK. Today the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee have published a report calling on the government to do more to reduce the risks of babies being born prematurely and to improve the lives of those families who are affected. Anita discusses proposed changes with Nadia Leake, who gave birth to twins eleven years ago at just 22 weeks and is the author of 'Surviving Prematurity,'
Evelyn Forde was the first black female president of the Association of School and College Leaders, awarded an MBE for services to education, and named Times Educational Supplement Headteacher of the Year in 2020. In her book Herstory: A Leadership Manifesto, Evelyn shares her journey through the education system, her experiences of racism in her career, alongside the testimonies of other black leaders in the sector. With just 1% of headteachers in state schools in England from a black background, she joined Nuala to discuss why she thinks urgent action is needed to address the issue in education. A new musical – Mozart: Her Story - tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister Maria-Anna, who taught him how to play the piano. Nuala is joined by the lyricist, Tegan Summer, and actor, Gabrielle Brooks who gives a performance from the new show.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Rebecca Myatt
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This week Woman’s Hour has featured the Forgotten Children series about the impact on children when a parent is sent to prison. So what do the Government intend to do about the problem? Anita Rani speaks to Labour MP Jake Richards and Conservative MP Richard Holden about the possibility of cross party action on this issue.
A video has been going viral since yesterday: New Zealand MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke brought the country’s parliament to a halt by performing a haka in protest at a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country's founding treaty with Māori people. Maori journalist Jamie Tahana tells Anita what happened, and what it means for the country.
Actor Halle Berry attended a fashion show wearing the same dress she memorably wore while accepting the Oscar for best actress in 2002. Thanks to her role in “Monster’s Ball,” Berry was the first black woman in history to take home the accolade, making the gown — which features a burgundy skirt and sheer bodice adorned with floral appliqué — all the more special. Anita explores this with Rosana Lai fashion editor at Glamour UK.
COP29 - the UN's climate conference – has been taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan this week. The assembled delegates have been discussing ways to limit and prepare for future climate change with a particular focus on how to finance poorer countries adaptation to climate change. To coincide with this annual event LinkedIn has released some new data about green jobs and skills. Anita speaks to Sue Duke, VP of Global Public Policy for LinkedIn & their spokesperson for global gender parity.
The Oliver award-winning cabaret, comedy and circus sensation La Clique was born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004 and has since toured the globe. It is celebrating twenty years with a new show just opened at London’s Leicester Square. We meet two of its artists: Katharine Arnold, an aerialist and choreographer and Miranda Menzies, who specialises in the ancient art of hair suspension.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel
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Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in the UK. Today the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee have published a report calling on the government to do more to reduce the risks of babies being born prematurely and to improve the lives of those families who are affected. Anita Rani discusses proposed changes with Nadia Leake, who gave birth to twins eleven years ago at just 22 weeks and author of 'Surviving Prematurity,' Caroline Lee-Davey, CEO of the charity Bliss, which supports parents and families of premature or sick babies, and Baroness Laura Wyld, a member of the Preterm Birth Committee.
A Georgian heiress and her husband are suing a property developer for over £36 million after buying a mansion and discovering a “moth infestation”… “of extreme proportions”. The couple describe killing up to 100 moths a day, watching them land on their children’s toothbrushes, plates of food and cutlery. And they are now seeking damages including £50,000 for moth-shredded clothes. The property developer denies all claims. Well, it's that time of year where you may be getting your winter woollies out and we wondered what's the best way to deal with such an occurrence? Anita is joined by Harriet Walker, Fashion Editor at The Times, who has been having her own nightmare experience with moths.
In the next instalment of Woman's Hour's week-long series Forgotten Children, which looks at the impact on families when one or both parents serve time in prison, reporter Jo Morris speaks to Emily (not her real name), whose husband was sentenced to prison for crimes he committed against her. Emily discovered that, not only did she have to face the stigma of her children’s father being in prison, but as a single-parent she also struggled to access services to help her children cope with their father’s imprisonment.
As a new musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, with lyrics contributed by the American musician Shaina Taub and music by Elton John, hits London's West End, Anita is joined by the show’s leading ladies, Vanessa Williams, Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolomeo to discuss the enduring appeal of this story.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Rebecca Myatt
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned, following pressure to stand down over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth. What's the reaction from female leaders in the Church of England? Nuala McGovern speaks to Bishop of Gloucester Rachel Treweek, and Reverend Canon Lucy Davis, Chair of the National Association of Diocesan Advisers in Women’s Ministry.
We hear the third part of our week-long series Forgotten Children, which looks at the impact on families when one or both parents serve time in prison. Reporter Jo Morris spoke to Nan (not her real name), whose daughter was sentenced to prison. This left Nan to care for her five grandchildren for two years in her two bedroom house.
COP29 - the UN's annual climate conference - is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. To discuss the issues for women Nuala is joined by Fiona Harvey, the Guardian’s Environment Editor, and Adelaide Lusambili, an associate professor at Africa International University in Kenya, who looks at how climate extremes are affecting maternal outcomes.
A new musical – Mozart: Her Story - tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister Maria-Anna, who taught him how to play the piano. Nuala is joined by the lyricist, Tegan Summer, and actor, Gabrielle Brooks who gives a performance from the new show.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Lottie Garton
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Following our reporter Jo Morris' interview yesterday with Kerry as part of our Forgotten Children series, Nuala McGovern investigates the impact on families when one or both parents are sent to prison. She is joined by Sarah Burrows, founder of Children Heard and Seen, a charity supporting children and families with parents or partners serving prison sentences, and Lucy Baldwin who is a research fellow at Durham University and a criminal justice consultant.
Laura Bates is best known for her work founding the Everyday Sexism Project and she has written several non-fiction books including Misogynation and Men Who Hate Women. Now she is writing a series of Young Adult novels about an alternative Arthurian legend. The latest is Sisters of Fire and Fury and it asks what if the knight destined to unite Britain was not King Arthur, but a woman? Laura joins Nuala in the Woman’s Hour studio.
Back in September, in a BBC documentary and podcast, we heard testimony from more than 20 former Harrods employees who accused the billionaire and former Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed of sexually assaulting them. Since the documentary first aired, many more women have come forward with allegations of assault, harassment and rape over a period of more than 30 years before his death. Nuala is joined by BBC correspondent Ellie Price, as well as two victims, Jen and Lindsay, who say they have found a bond since sharing their experiences.
Nuala speaks to TV presenter and author Giovanna Fletcher from the Himalayas at the start of her trek to raise money and awareness for CoppaFeel! - the breast cancer charity.
Presenter: Nuala McGovernProducer: Emma Pearce
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A new Woman's Hour series, Forgotten Children, explores the impact on families when one or both parents are sent to prison. Reporter Jo Morris hears from Kerry Wright, who was just 17 and living in Spain with her parents when British police arrived at their door and arrested both of them. Kerry’s parents were sentenced to prison in the UK, forcing her to leave her studies at an international school in Spain and return to England, uncertain of how to support herself.
COP29, the UN's annual climate conference, kicks off today in Baku, Azerbaijan, where leaders from around 200 nations will gather to discuss strategies for limiting climate change. Emiliya Mychasuk, climate editor at the Financial Times, joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the new women’s leadership coalition.
Evelyn Forde was the first black female President of the Association of School and College Leaders, awarded an MBE for services to education, and named Times Educational Supplement Headteacher of the Year in 2020. In her book Herstory: A Leadership Manifesto, she shares her journey through the education system, her experiences of racism in her career, alongside the testimonies of other black leaders in the sector. With just 1% of headteachers in state schools in England from a black background, she joins Nuala to discuss why she thinks urgent action is needed to address the issue in education.
June Spencer, who played matriarch Peggy Woolley in The Archers for nearly 70 years—from 1951 until her retirement in 2022—has died at the age of 105. As one of the show’s original cast members, she was described by current editor Jeremy Howe as "a legend." Pat Gallimore, who plays Pat Archer and was Peggy's daughter-in-law in the series, joins Nuala to pay tribute.
A hundred years on we celebrate the Electrical Association for Women. It became pivotal in emancipating women from the drudgery of everyday manual household tasks through the use of electricity, enabling women more time and opportunity to enter the labour market. It also pioneered electrical safety, standardising the three pin plug. Nuala hears from 91-year-old Adrienne Peters, who was an early member and, Henrietta Heald, historian and author of Magnificent women and their revolutionary machines.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor
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In one of his first moves since his victory in the US election, President-elect Donald Trump has named his 2024 campaign manager, Susie Wiles, as his chief of staff in the White House. She will make history as the first woman to hold the title. But what do we know about the woman Trump referred to as the "ice maiden"? Kylie Pentelow was joined by Anne McElvoy, Executive Editor at Politico and host of the Power Play podcast to discuss.
The Women's 100 metre Olympic champion Julien Alfred joined Clare McDonnell in the studio. Her gold medal in Paris was the first time St Lucia had won an Olympic medal. She discusses what it took to become a champion and also having a national day named after her.
A Woman's Hour listener is fed up with the phrase 'Dear Sirs'. Ellie Rees is the co-founder of Brickworks Estate Agency and despite her team being all female, they are often addressed in this way. Clare was joined by Ellie and by Susie Dent, the author and lexicographer to discuss this.
Do you have a first date red-flag question? What would be an absolute sure-fire, definite no-no answer which would tell you there is definitely going to be no second date? Olivia Rodrigo, the American singer-songwriter and actor, is quoted as saying that if her date wants to go to space, that is a red flag for her. Krupa Padhy spoke to Helen Coffey, senior journalist at the Independent who's written her take on questions she would ask, and Poppy Jay, director and podcaster most famously on Brown Girls Do It Too and now the spin-off Big Boy Energy.
Irina Janakievska is a food writer and recipe developer. Born in what is now North Macedonia, she left her career in corporate law to follow her passion for sharing her love of Balkan cuisine. In her new cookery book, The Balkan Kitchen, she takes us on a culinary and cultural journey across the former Yugoslavia with recipes that speak for the vast and varied cuisine of a region overshadowed by conflict in recent years – from North Macedonia to Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo.
Presenter: Kylie PentelowProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Rebecca Myatt
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Former England and Manchester City captain Steph Houghton was one of the first big names in women's football. In her new book, Leading From The Back, she details her experience of fighting to take the women's game from niche to mainstream. She also talks to Kylie Pentelow about her husband, former footballer Stephen Darby, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2018.
In one of his first moves since his victory in the US election, President-elect Donald Trump has named his 2024 campaign manager, Susie Wiles, as his chief of staff in the White House. She will make history as the first woman to hold the title. But what do we know about the woman Trump referred to as the "ice maiden"? Kylie is joined by Anne McElvoy, Executive Editor at POLITICO and host of the Power Play podcast to discuss.
Award-winning Turkish writer and political thinker Ece Temelkuran speaks to Anita Rani about a new play based on her novel, Women Who Blow on Knots. It's set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring in 2012, and four women embark on a road trip starting from Tunisia through Libya and Egypt to Lebanon, and is currently at the Arcola Theatre in East London.
This Sunday, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light starts on BBC One. The much anticipated second series of the TV adaption of Hilary Mantel’s novels starts when Anne Boleyn is executed, and Henry VIII marries his third queen, Jane Seymour. Jane is played by Peaky Blinders actress Kate Phillips – she joins Kylie to talk more about the iconic role.
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As Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the 2024 US Presidential Election and the election coverage dominates front pages around the world, we discuss what a second Trump presidency may mean for women. Krupa Padhy speaks to Woman's Hour presenter Nuala McGovern, who is in Washington DC, about what’s happened overnight, the latest news from the Harris campaign and any further information that has been revealed about women voters. Krupa is also joined by US Deputy Editor for the Telegraph, Rozina Sabur, and Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House.
Iqra Ismail, a football coach and refugee advocate, was prevented from playing in a match last month because she wears tracksuit bottoms rather than shorts, which she says compromises her religious beliefs. Iqra, who captained Somalia in 2019, was expected to play her first game against an east London team, but was told by the referee that club shorts were a requirement. Iqra joins Krupa to discuss why she has chosen to speak out.
Do you have a first date red-flag question? What would be an absolute sure-fire, definite no-no answer which would tell you there is definitely going to be no second date? Olivia Rodrigo, the American singer-songwriter and actor, is quoted as saying that if her date wants to go to space, that is a red flag for her. Krupa talks to Helen Coffey, senior journalist at the Independent who's written her take on questions she would ask, and Poppy Jay, director and podcaster most famously on Brown Girls Do It Too and now the spin-off Big Boy Energy.
From Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus to Gustav Klimt’s Mother and Child, women’s bodies have been a major theme throughout art history. But can we ‘reinvent’ the classic nude? Artist Sophie Tea is famed for doing just that, with paintings celebrating the female form and women of all shapes and sizes. Sophie joins Krupa in the studio to discuss finding fame on social media, pushing back against the ‘ideal’ body type and trying to make women feel a little bit nicer about themselves.
Presenter: Krupa PadhyProducer: Rebecca Myatt
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As results come in from the 2024 US Presidential Election, Krupa Padhy speaks to Woman’s Hour presenter Nuala McGovern from Washington DC about what we know so far, and the big ticket issues for women in this election. Krupa gets reaction from Sarah Elliott, spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK and Sharon Manitta, spokesperson for Democrats Abroad UK. And, as further results come in from the battleground states, she speaks to Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.
Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby is in London for four nights only with their new show: Woof!. They join Krupa to talk about their diagnosis of Autism and ADHD and how that influences their work, and what they want people to get from their performance.
Irina Janakievska is a food writer and recipe developer. Born in what is now North Macedonia, she left her career in corporate law to follow her passion for sharing her love of Balkan cuisine. In her new cookery book, The Balkan Kitchen, she takes us on a culinary and cultural journey across the former Yugoslavia with recipes that speak for the vast and varied cuisine of a region overshadowed by conflict in recent years – from North Macedonia to Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo.
Presented by Krupa PadhyProducer: Louise Corley
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This week sees the culmination of the women's tennis season as the WTA finals are held, somewhat controversially, in Saudi Arabia. So far, top seed Aryna Sabalenka is through to the first semi-final, the second semi-final will be decided tomorrow. However, the decision to hold the tournament in a country which has been criticised for it's treatment of women has been in the spotlight and under scrutiny. To discuss this more, Clare McDonnell is joined by sports reporter Catherine Whitaker and Felix Jakens who is head of campaigns at Amnesty International.
A Woman's Hour listener is fed up with the phrase 'Dear Sirs' - Ellie Rees is the co-founder of Brickworks Estate Agency and despite her team being all female, they are often addressed in this way. Clare is joined by Ellie to discuss this, and also by Susie Dent, the author and lexicographer.
ADWOMEN: 100 Years of Women in Advertising opens this week at the Museum of Brands in London. It features iconic adverts from the 1920s to the present day looking at the creative women within advertising and the portrayal of women within the adverts themselves. It also examines the impact of advertising on women’s lives through defining periods of social history. Clare speaks to Alice Kain, the curator, and Sabina Usher, Head of Strategy and Partner at OMD.
Playwright Caitriona Cunningham has drawn on her own experience of being in a mother and baby home in 1979 for The Marian Hotel, a production that’s currently touring Northern Ireland. In it, a group of young pregnant unmarried women hold each other up with sharp, dark humour against the backdrop of the Troubles. Caitriona joins Clare to explain why she decided to tell this story now.
Presenter: Clare McDonnellProducer: Emma Pearce
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Kemi Badenoch is the first woman of colour to lead a major political party in the UK, after being elected as leader of the Conservative Party at the weekend. What do we know about her as a woman, and as a politician? What does this mean for women in the Tory party? Clare McDonnell speaks to Katy Balls, political editor of the Spectator, Ella Robertson McKay, former head of Conservative Young Women, and Tory peer Baroness Kate Fall.
The Women's 100 metre Olympic champion Julien Alfred joins Clare in the studio. Her gold medal in Paris was the first time St Lucia had won an Olympic medal. She discusses what it took to become a champion and also having a national day named after her.
The author Eliza Clark is publishing a new collection of short stories: She’s Always Hungry. She joins Clare to talk about why she wanted to cover topics from matriarchal societies to body image, and how she thinks female authors deserve more respect.
Natalie Hewit spent two months in Antarctica directing and producing on the documentary film Endurance, about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition. It was a labour of love, and features restored footage and AI-recreated voices of the original crew in 1914, as well as chronicling the discovery in 2022 of Shackleton’s ship, 3000 metres down in the icy waters of the Weddell Sea.
Presenter: Clare McDonnellProducer: Lottie Garton
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British-Egyptian activist and Maths professor Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike for the past month to protest her son Alaa’s incarceration in Egypt. He is the country’s most high profile political prisoner. Laila and her daughter Sanaa – who has faced arrest and imprisonment herself – joined Anita Rani to talk about why they won’t stop fighting for Alaa’s release.
The BAFTA-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin stars as Delia in the new ITV series Until I Kill You. It tells the true story of Delia Balmer, who was the girlfriend of serial killer John Sweeney. Anna joined Nuala McGovern to talk about why she wanted to tell Delia’s story, as well as her personal experiences of grief and struggles with the special educational needs system.
The United States goes to the polls next week and presidential candidates are campaigning furiously, with the two frontrunners being the Democratic nominee and current Vice President, Kamala Harris and the Republican nominee and former President, Donald Trump. As a programme, we’re taking a look at whether there’s such a thing as the ‘the woman’s vote'. How are different groups of women likely to vote and why? Nuala spoke to Kathy Frankovic, Consultant to YouGov America and former director of surveys for CBS News and Debbie Walsh, Director of the Centre for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University.
Sacked from her job by voicemail the day after she informed her employer she was pregnant Joeli Brearley set up Pregnant Then Screwed to end pregnancy and maternity discrimination. The charity has helped to influence new flexible working and redundancy protection laws, providing advice to hundreds of thousands of women when they face discrimination and challenging employers and government in high profile cases. After ten years Joeli is stepping down as CEO. She joined Nuala in the Woman's Hour studio.
Film historian Jennifer Smyth talked to Nuala about the life and legacy of the pioneering American screenwriter, Mary McCall Jr. The first woman president of the Screen Writers Guild in 1942, Mary was a key negotiator ensuring better rights and wages for all screenwriters in the film industry. But after years of standing up to male studio heads, she would be blacklisted and go from being one of the biggest earners in Hollywood to living on nickels and dimes.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Annette WellsEditor: Emma Pearce
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Saoirse Ronan’s comments on the Graham Norton Show last week when she interjected in a conversation about self-defence and highlighted the issue of women’s safety are continuing to make headlines. She was applauded by the audience, but how much courage does it take to call something out like this? Joining Anita Rani to discuss are the journalist Ash Sarkar and counselling psychologist Dr Elaine Kasket.
British-Egyptian activist and maths professor Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike for the past month to protest her son Alaa’s incarceration in Egypt. He is the country’s most high profile political prisoner. Laila and her daughter Sanaa – who has faced arrest and imprisonment herself – join Anita to talk about why they won’t stop fighting for Alaa’s release.
Donna Ockenden, the midwife best known for leading independent investigations into shocking maternity scandals says she's 'disgusted' at the experience her disabled daughter, Phoebe, had in A&E recently. Phoebe and Donna join Anita for their first broadcast interview to explain what went wrong and what they want to change.
It’s not uncommon to see young children using a tablet or a video game, but how much time on these devices is too much? A new UK study has explored how children under three engage with digital technology at home. The research reveals the significant extent of toddlers’ access to various devices, and highlights how these devices can support their early language and literacy development. Anita is joined by Professor Rosie Flewitt who led the study.
Presenter: Anita RaniProducer: Maryam MarufEditor: Sarah CrawleyStudio Manager: Sue Maillot
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