Woman's Hour

The Paris 2024 Olympics start this evening with the opening ceremony. It's the first time an equal number of men and women will compete in a summer Games. To discuss the sportswomen you should keep an eye out for, Anita Rani is joined by Jeanette Kwakye, a former Olympian herself and now BBC pundit, and also BBC Sport reporter Laura Scott.A new film, The Commandant’s Shadow, follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, the camp commandant of Auschwitz who masterminded the murder of more than a million Jews. While Hans enjoyed a happy childhood playing with many toys in the family villa, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch played cello in the orchestra to survive the notorious concentration camp. Eight decades later, the two come face-to-face, together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch. Anita and Maya join Nuala to tell their story.Zara Sehar recently won the audience vote at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam competition, and joins Anita to talk about her work and perform from one of her poems, (Hon)our Killings. In it she mentions spoons in knickers, a tactic suggested to young girls being taken out of the country who are at airports and at risk of forced marriage. Natasha Rattu, Executive Director at Karma Nirvana explains why they give this advice to British-Asian girls.The sculptor Dominique White has a new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. It is four large sculptures made of iron, driftwood and detritus from the sea, lit in such a way to suggest that you are submerged, or looking at a shipwreck on the seabed. It was created during Dominique’s six-month residency in Italy, the time granted to her when she won the Max Mara art prize for women in 2023.Former refugee lawyer turned comedian Sashi Perera joins Nuala to discuss who we choose as our emergency contacts and her new stand-up show, Boundaries.When is it socially acceptable to bring your partner to hang out with your friends? According to academic and writer Kate Lister the answer is never. In her recent i Paper column, Kate explains that the presence of a partner alters the dynamic, and that friendships ought to be safe havens from romantic relationships. While some couples prefer to socialise together, Kate argues that time and effort should be invested into individual friendships. Kate joins Nuala for a frank discussion on the murky friendship politics of bringing your partner to lunch.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

The Paris 2024 Olympics start this evening with the opening ceremony. It's the first time an equal number of men and women will compete in a summer Games. To discuss the sportswomen you should keep an eye out for, Anita Rani is joined by Jeanette Kwakye, a former Olympian herself and now BBC pundit, and also BBC Sport reporter Laura Scott. Adoption England have described an ‘unprecedented’ decline in adoption rates. For the first time in recent years, there are now more children in need of adoption than those looking to adopt. To discuss why, Anita is joined by Sarah Johal, National Adoption Strategic Lead for Adoption England and Hollie Mortimer, who adopted her daughter two years ago. There are a record-breaking number of women on the shortlist of nominees for the Mercury Prize 2024. Eight out of the 12 nominations are women or female-fronted bands. To talk about the impact of this, Anita is joined by nominees Corinne Bailey Rae and Nia Archives, alongside music journalist Mary Mandefield.So much is known about the causes of disease and death in women all over the world – so why are so many women still dying? Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London, has written a new book: Sick Of It, that examines this question. She joins Anita to talk about how she thinks women’s health gets caught in the crossfire of global politics, and what the solutions could be.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Kamala Harris has spoken about making childcare and eldercare more affordable, securing universal paid maternity leave and signing into law a bill that would restore and protect the right to abortion. So could these policies win her female votes, and how does this fit in with her strategy to try and beat Trump in the US presidential election? Anita Rani speaks to Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, director of Chatham House's US and Americas programme.Zara Sehar recently won the audience vote at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam competition, and joins Anita to talk about her work and perform from one of her poems, (Hon)our Killings. In it she mentions spoons in knickers, a tactic suggested to young girls being taken out of the country who are at airports and at risk of forced marriage. Natasha Rattu, Executive Director at Karma Nirvana explains why they give this advice to British-Asian girls.Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell was the first black woman to swim for Great Britain. Born in the UK, her family moved to Kenya when she was four. She started swimming competitively from the age of six and was world number one in the 50 metres breaststroke, aged 15. But Rebecca walked away from the sport ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. She has written a memoir, These Heavy Black Bones, in which she delves into how she achieved success but also what it cost her, physically and mentally, and why she gave it all up.It's 50 years since the death of the American singer Cass Elliot. She died at just 32, and her musical legacy includes some of the best-known songs of the 60s and 70s, from both her time in The Mamas & the Papas and her solo career. Eddi Fiegel, author of Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Life of 'Mama' Cass Elliot, tells Anita who she was.

Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has been inspired by Charli XCX and her recent album release, brat. The link between the two is all over social media – but what does it all mean? Nuala McGovern is joined by former Editor-in-Chief of Vice and co-host of the Good Bad Billionaire podcast on BBC World Service to explain the trend, and columnist for The Times, Alice Thomson on Kamala Harris’ appeal to women.A new film, The Commandant’s Shadow, follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, the camp commandant of Auschwitz who masterminded the murder of more than a million Jews. While Hans enjoyed a happy childhood playing with many toys in the family villa, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch played cello in the orchestra to survive the notorious concentration camp. Eight decades later, the two come face-to-face, together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch. Anita and Maya join Nuala to tell their story.A new study has found that women in Scotland have reached a landmark moment in business - with the number of female entrepreneurs matching the number of men for the first time. Nuala is joined by primary school teacher turned tech entrepreneur Genna Masterton who runs a business in Glasgow.Former refugee lawyer turned comedian Sashi Perera joins Nuala to discuss who we choose as our emergency contacts and her new stand-up show, Boundaries. A new malaria vaccine, licenced for children five months and older, began its roll out in the Ivory Coast last week. Nuala is joined by Dr Mehreen Datoo, who played a pivotal role in the vaccine’s development, after her own experience of malaria almost took her life. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

What makes women become whistleblowers? And what happens after they’ve brought wrongdoing to light? Nuala McGovern talks to lawyer-turned-author Megan Davis about her experience blowing the whistle on financial crime, how it inspired writing her new thriller Bay of Thieves, and how a whistle-blower can make the perfect character for crime fiction.When is it socially acceptable to bring your partner to hang out with your friends? According to academic and writer Kate Lister the answer is never. In her recent i Paper column, Kate explains that the presence of a partner alters the dynamic, and that friendships ought to be safe havens from romantic relationships. While some couples prefer to socialise together, Kate argues that time and effort should be invested into individual friendships. Kate joins Nuala for a frank discussion on the murky friendship politics of bringing your partner to lunch.It’s been just over a year now since the University of Cambridge appointed its first American vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice. Before she moved to Cambridge, she was provost at Princeton, where she spent 34 years of her academic career as a psychologist specialising in the study of social norms that govern human behaviour, including gender stereotypes. She joins Nuala to reflect on what she has learnt since arriving in the post.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

President Biden has bowed to pressure and made the decision to drop out of the US presidential race. He’s endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the potential Democrat Party nominee to run against Donald Trump – but is America ready for another female presidential nominee? Nuala McGovern is joined by Kelly Dittmar, Director of Research at the non-partisan Center for American Women and Politics and Kimberly Peeler- Allen, co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation that works to mobilise black women voters, and which endorsed the Vice President yesterday.The Paris Olympics starts on Friday and it looks like they will be the first Games ever to have equal numbers of male and female athletes – but not of coaches. The figure for female coaches at the last Olympics in Tokyo, was just 13%. So what’s happening to try and shift that dial? Nuala speaks to Dr Elizabeth Pike from Hertfordshire University who leads the Women in Sport High Performance pathway, and Emily Handyside, Head Coach for Wales Netball, and Coaching Performance Pathway Manager at UK Coaching.Nine months since the current Israel-Gaza war began, we look at pregnancy and giving birth in a war zone. Nuala hears from a mum in Gaza who recently gave birth, and also from a midwife trying to deliver care under constant bombing. We also speak to Hiba Al Hejazi from CARE International UK about the humanitarian support available for women in Gaza. Plus, Nuala is joined by Washington Post Middle East correspondent Louisa Loveluck to talk about the wider situation, including the worries of some of the Israeli hostages' families about the passing of nine months since their loved ones were abducted.The sculptor Dominique White has a new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. It is four large sculptures made of iron, driftwood and detritus from the sea, lit in such a way to suggest that you are submerged, or looking at a shipwreck on the seabed. It was created during Dominique’s six-month residency in Italy, the time granted to her when she won the Max Mara art prize for women in 2023.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio manager: Sue Maillot

The Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and won awards including a Grammy. Her upbeat, genre-defying pop music dominated the charts in the 2000s, from her break out hit I’m Like A Bird to her 2006 album Loose and its stand out hit Maneater. After finding that her music had been rediscovered by a whole new generation of fans on social media, she’s back with 7, her first album since 2017.In February 2021, a coup returned Myanmar to military rule, overthrowing the democratically elected government. Under the regime, violence against civilians has escalated, with thousands jailed, tortured and killed – although the numbers are believed be much higher. At least three million people have been displaced. Just two weeks ago, a UN Report outlined the gendered impact of the coup: It found that military forces have committed widespread forms of sexual violence. However, despite the coup's devastating impact, women and girls are taking on key roles within the resistance movement. Also this month, there have been separate news reports that women are being conscripted into the military. Nuala discussed the situation with Tin Htar Swe, the former head of The BBC's Burmese Service.Woman's Hour broadcast from Lord's Cricket Ground as England faced New Zealand for the culmination of a five-match T20 International series and to mark 25 years since the Marylebone Cricket Club, that runs Lord’s, allowed women to become members. During the programme she spoke to World Cup winning cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Head of the Women’s professional game, Beth Barrett-Wild. She also spoke to girls about why they love playing cricket. Nuala was also given a tour of Lord’s – taking in the spots of most significance to women’s history at the ground. She heard about Baroness Rachel Heyhoe Flint and Martha Grace, the mother of a player who is considered one of the all time greats, W. G. Grace. Her tour guide Rachel Pagan met her just outside the ground. Taking children out of school during term time was in the news this week as the new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said there "will have to be consequences" for parents who fail to keep their children in school. It’s illegal to take children out without the school’s permission. Minimum fines, imposed by local authorities, for taking children out of class without permission for five school days will rise from £60 per child to £80 per child from August.. In her first interview since taking up the post, the education secretary spoke to the BBC's education correspondent Branwen Jeffries. We hear from parent, Laura Melling who recently went viral on TikTok for discussing a fine she'd received after taking her young daughters out of school for a holiday during term time and we spoke to journalist and parenting author Lorraine Candy.Annie Garthwaite’s second novel, The King’s Mother, tells the story of historical figure Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III. Annie believes Cecily’s role in the Wars of the Roses has been hugely underestimated by historians and her novel places her firmly at the heart of the action. Essie Fox has written five historical novels and her most recent, The Fascination, is set in the world of Victorian theatres and travelling fairs. They join Nuala to discuss the challenge of writing the stories of women who have been overlooked by the history books.Adele, one of the world's best-selling music artists, has revealed in an interview ahead of her concerts in Munich next month, that she will be stepping back from music temporarily after growing tired of the slog of fame and missing her old life. She talks about her "tank being empty" and the author and broadcaster Emma Gannon joined Anita to talk about when it all gets a bit much.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

Vula Malinga started out as one of the lead singers for the London Community Gospel Choir, before becoming a lead vocalist with Basement Jaxx and she has also collaborated with the likes of Adele, Dizzee Rascal and Beverley Knight. Tomorrow night Vula will don her flares and sequins as one of the soloists at the BBC Prom – Everybody Dance! The Sound of Disco, at the Royal Albert Hall. Along with the BBC Concert Orchestra will perform iconic disco classics from the late 1970s Studio 54 era. She joins Anita to reveal more and to perform live in the studio.Tomorrow marks 50 years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and an element of this story which often goes untold is the treatment of women during this time. Particularly, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. For many, what happened to them is still a taboo subject. During her time as an MP, Skevi Koukouma raised this issue in parliament in 2015. Skevi is now the General Secretary of The Progressive Women’s Movement of POGO, an NGO which focuses on gender equality and social justice. She joins Woman’s Hour, along with Natassa Frederickou, the Vice President of the ZOE Vs War Violence Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of gender based violence in times of war.And debut author Nilesha Chauvet’s novel The Revenge of Rita Marsh tells the story of a young woman who runs a care home for the elderly by day and a paedophile hunting group by night. Nilesha joins Anita along with Dr Kat Hadjimatheou, senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Essex University, to discuss the real paedophile hunters, why and how they do it and whether they help or hinder the criminal justice system.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Laura Northedge

The Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and won awards including a Grammy. Her upbeat, genre-defying pop music dominated the charts in the 2000s, from her break out hit I’m Like A Bird to her 2006 album Loose and its stand out hit Maneater. After finding that her music had been rediscovered by a whole new generation of fans on social media, she’s back with 7, her first album since 2017. North East Lincolnshire and Blackpool are the most challenging places in the UK for girls to grow up, according to a new report by girls’ rights charity Plan International UK. The results are based on a survey of almost 3,000 girls and young women across the four nations; and highlight how girls feel uncertain about their futures and let down by a lack of progress in gender equality. Nuala is joined by Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK.In 2010, the Swedish human rights activist Anna Ardin accused Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, of sexually assaulting her, allegations he has always denied. The allegations made headlines globally and set off a chain of events which saw Assange trying to avoid extradition to Sweden by seeking asylum in a London embassy for seven years. In 2019 the Swedish authorities ended their investigation. However, Assange spent the next five years in a British prison fighting extradition to the US, where he faced prosecution over massive leaks of confidential information. Assange was eventually freed last month, after a plea deal with the US. Anna says she’s glad he’s free and joins Anita in her first broadcast interview.Adele, one of the world's best-selling music artists, has revealed in an interview ahead of her concerts in Munich next month, that she will be stepping back from music temporarily after growing tired of the slog of fame and missing her old life. She talks about her "tank being empty" and the author and broadcaster Emma Gannon joins Anita to talk about when it all gets a bit much.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Emma Harth

Today, Woman's Hour comes live from Lord's Cricket Ground as England face New Zealand for the culmination of a five-match T20 International series. To talk us through the upcoming game we are joined by Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE. Ebony is a World Cup-winning cricketer, now turned presenter and pundit. We begin by looking at the grassroots game which is growing at a fast rate. We hear from girls at Carlton Cricket Club about why they love the sport, also from 16-year-old Honor Black who’s clothing company, Maiden, designs kit specifically for girls. We also hear again from Ebony Rainford-Brent. Ebony was the first black woman to play cricket for England and founded the African-Caribbean Engagement Programme, ACE, which creates opportunities for young cricketers to take up the game. Nuala gets a tour around the 'Home of Cricket', and the spots of most significance to women’s history at Lord's. Woman's Hour also looks at the situation for women’s cricket in 2024. How far has the sport come and what is left to do? Beth Barrett-Wild is Director of the Women’s Professional Game at the England and Wales Cricket Board and joins Nuala live. They will discuss the many successes in the women’s game but also a damning report which found that women were treated as ‘second class citizens’ in cricket and recommended that the ECB strive to ensure equal pay on average at domestic level by 2029 and at international level by 2030.Ahead of England's match against New Zealand in the culmination of the five-match T20 International series, New Zealand’s star player and former captain Suzie Bates joins Nuala to look ahead to the game and discuss women’s cricket in NZ. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce and Claire Fox

One of the most iconic musicals of all time, Hello, Dolly!, has returned to the London Palladium, with Jerry Herman’s unforgettable score including Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Before the Parade Passes By, It Only Takes a Moment and Hello, Dolly! It’s a huge, no-expense-spared production, with a cast of 40, and the legendary Imelda Staunton as the witty and charming matchmaker Dolly Levi. Jenna Russell plays the millineress Irene Molloy. Jenna is well known for her TV roles in Call The Midwife and Eastenders, and many theatre roles, including Guys and Dolls, Merrily We Roll Along, and her Olivier award-winning turn as Dot in Sunday In The Park With George. Nuala McGovern speaks to Jenna about the revival of Hello, Dolly! and the show’s message to new audiences. In February 2021, a coup returned Myanmar to military rule, overthrowing the democratically elected government. Under the regime, violence against civilians has escalated, with thousands jailed, tortured and killed – although the numbers are believed be much higher. At least three million people have been displaced. Just two weeks ago, a UN Report outlined the gendered impact of the coup: It found that military forces have committed widespread forms of sexual violence. However, despite the coup's devastating impact, women and girls are taking on key roles within the resistance movement. Also this month, there have been seperate news reports that women are being conscripted into the military. Nuala discusses the situation with Tin Htar Swe, the former head of The BBC's Burmese Service. Nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Deborah was the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death. She lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, South East London and died of a fatal asthma attack in 2013. Her mother, Rosamund, who has been campaigning since her daughters death, is now seeking is seeking an official apology from the government as her high court claim against them heads to trial. She explains why she wants an official apology from the government. Nuala also speaks to Sophie Howe who is the former First Generation Commissioner for Wales where she advised the government on policy around transport and climate change - she now does this for other countries. SAnnie Garthwaite’s second novel, The King’s Mother, tells the story of historical figure Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III. Annie believes Cecily’s role in the Wars of the Roses has been hugely underestimated by historians and her novel places her firmly at the heart of the action. Essie Fox has written five historical novels and her most recent, The Fascination, is set in the world of Victorian theatres and travelling fairs. They join Nuala to discuss the challenge of writing the stories of women who have been overlooked by the history books.Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

Former Old Bailey judge, Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC, lifts the lid on our legal system. Having worked in criminal courts for almost half a century, she is still asking: what is justice? She tells Nuala McGovern some of the ways women and children struggle through the legal system - and why she wanted to highlight these issues in her latest book, Rough Justice.Twisters – the sequel to 1996 disaster-tornado film Twister – has been accused of playing into sexist tropes about storm chasers and meteorologists. But what’s it actually like being a female storm chaser? Nuala speaks to meteorologist Karen Kosiba from the Centre for Severe Weather Research in Colorado and to founder of the Midlands Storm Chasers group Vicky Royce-Pagett about the new film and why they find storm chasing so fascinating.Over the weekend, the sex therapist Ruth Westheimer died at the age of 96. In the 1980s, her ability to talk with good-natured candour about intimate sexual matters made her a big hit on American radio and TV and she was known to audiences as Dr. Ruth. We were lucky enough to speak to her in 2019.Last month, Kat Torres, a former model and wellness influencer, was sentenced to eight years in prison in Brazil after being found guilty of human trafficking and slave labour. Nuala talks to BBC Journalist Hannah Price who’s made a documentary about Kat’s story: Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio manager: Donald McDonald

A record-breaking number of women MPs have been elected following Labour's win at the general election. It's also the first time in parliamentary history that the proportion of women elected is more than 40%. Harriet Harman, the now ex-Labour MP and former Mother of the House, gives her reaction.Three women who say they were the victims of a racial attack have had the charges of assault made against them by their assailant discontinued by the CPS. Selma Taha, the executive director for advocacy group Southall Black Sisters, and Danae Thomas, two of the women, join Anita Rani to talk about what impact the charges being dropped has had, and how they’re hoping this might impact further action against racist violence against women and girls.Cathy Rentzenbrink is known for her non-fiction books – but now she’s written a second fiction novel – Ordinary Time. It tells the story of Ann, a reluctant vicar’s wife, and her grappling with ideas of marriage, duty and temptation. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss.A recent article in the New York Times coined the phrase "medium friends" to describe “not our besties, but more than just acquaintances.” Anita talks to Dr Susan MacDougall, a social anthropologist at Oxford University, and to Shazia Mirza, a comedian and writer, about friendship levels.Women are turning to increasingly risky ways to get weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as online prescribers become more stringent about who they will give them to. Two young women tell Woman’s Hour’s Melanie Abbott about using drugs they buy on the black market, despite the potential dangers. Plus Professor Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal College of GPs talks to Nuala. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Three women who were the victims of a racial attack have had the charges of assault made against them by their assailant discontinued by the CPS. Selma Taha, the executive director for advocacy group Southall Black Sisters, and Danae Thomas, two of the women, join Anita Rani to talk about what impact the charges being dropped has had, and how they’re hoping this might impact further action against racist violence against women and girls. Saturday’s Wimbledon champion will be a first time winner in SW19. Czech player Barbora Krejcikova will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini after they each won their semi-final – one of the semi-finals was the longest on record! Anita is joined by BBC Sport’s Karthi Gnanasegaram from the commentary box at Wimbledon. The Australian vocalist, pianist and trumpeter Audrey Powne was drawn to jazz from a young age. Her style ranges from hook-laden synth pop songs to long form cinematic soundscapes, RnB ballads and free jazz improvisations. She has recently released her debut album, From The Fire, and she joins Anita to talk about her work, the inspiration behind the album and to perform live in the studio.Radio 4 and Woman’s Hour are remembering Dr Michael Mosley’s life and work. "Exercise snacking” is one of the approaches that Dr Mosley tried out on his Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing. Marie Murphy, Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh and Professor of Exercise and Health at Ulster University, explains how you can boost your fitness even if you don’t have much time for exercise. WOW (Women of the World) has published a new anthology, allowing young women from across the globe to pen a letter about issues most important to them. Anita speaks to two of its contributors, Mwinono Chumbu from Malawi and Olivia Mandle from Spain.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley

The Department for Work and Pensions has just published statistics on the number of people affected by the so-called two-child benefit cap, which restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Some campaigners have called the cap the biggest driver of the rise in child poverty in the UK and are demanding the new Labour government scrap it immediately. So what is the future of the policy? Anita Rani talks to BBC political correspondent Hannah Miller, to Sara Ogilvie, Director of Policy, Rights and Advocacy at the Child Poverty Action Group and to mother of three Olympia.Women of the Windrush is an opera which portrays the stories of women who travelled to the UK from the West Indies between the 1940’s and the 1960’s. It is being re-staged as part of the Re-discover Festival from StreetWise Opera which celebrates the impact of African and Caribbean heritage on contemporary British culture. Anita is joined by Festival’s director, the soprano Opera singer Abigail Kelly and Dr. Shirley Thompson OBE composer of Women of the Windrush.Will Kamala Harris step in as a the Democratic nominee in the US elections? Anita talks to Shannon Felton Spence, Communications and Political Strategist at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center in Boston..And a recent article in the New York Times coined the phrase "medium friends" to describe “not our besties, but more than just acquaintances.” What is the significance of the mid-table friendship? Anita talks to Dr Susan MacDougall, a social anthropologist at Oxford University and to Shazia Mirza, a comedian and writer.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Laura Northedge

Irish soldier Cathal Crotty was given a three-year suspended sentence after beating Natasha O'Brien unconscious in May 2022. Now, in the latest development, he is due to be formally discharged from the Defence Forces. Nuala hears Natasha's reaction and speaks to Diane Byrne, a spokeswoman for the Women of Honour group, to hear what impact this could have. Hannah Mills is the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, having won medals at the London, Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. Now she’s taking part in the Sail Grand Prix, an international sailing competition. Ahead of the finals this weekend, Hannah joins Nuala to talk about the work going into making the sport more gender equitable. Nusrit Mehtab spent 30 years serving in the Metropolitan Police before resigning, citing her own mental health and a toxic culture as reasons. Now she’s written a memoir looking back on her career. Nusrit joins Nuala to talk about the more shocking revelations as well as what it was that kept her going.Cathy Rentzenbrink is known for her non-fiction books – but now she’s written a second fiction novel – Ordinary Time. It tells the story of Ann, a reluctant vicar’s wife, and her grappling with ideas of marriage, duty and temptation. Cathy joins Nuala to tell us more.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie Garton

Former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal speaks to Nuala McGovern about his independent culture review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which is the independent regulator for nurses and midwifes in the UK. The report is highly critical, finding that a "dysfunctional culture" at the council has "threatened public safety and puts nurses at risk." Sir David Warren, Chair of the Council also joins them to respond to the findings of the report.Women are turning to increasingly risky ways to get weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as online prescribers become more stringent about who they will give them to. Two young women tell Woman’s Hour’s Melanie Abbott about using drugs they buy on the black market, despite the potential dangers. Plus Professor Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal College of GPs explains the dangers of taking unregulated drugs.A new Radio 3 documentary looks at the life and work of 20th Century American composer Undine Smith Moore. Presenter Dr Samantha Ege tells Nuala about the woman affectionally called “The Dean of Black Women Composers”. She explains how Moore’s radical, experimental composition ‘Soweto’ helped her find her anger and heal after trauma.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Olivia Skinner

There are a record number of women MPs in the new parliament. Nuala McGovern is joined by former Mother of the House and now chair of the charity the Fawcett Society, Harriet Harman, who wants to set up a Women’s Caucus made up of female MPs. We also have political reaction from journalists Rachel Cunliffe and Caroline Wheeler.Is sports day something that teaches children invaluable life lessons, or simply an annual event that demoralises? Nuala is joined by journalist Esther Walker and comedian Helen Thorn to discuss further. The French film industry has been under the spotlight in recent months after allegations of sexual assault and harassment by women against directors and actors. Last month, the French parliament agreed to create a commission to investigate sexual and gender based violence in the industry and other cultural sectors. Some of the allegations have been put forward by the actor and director Judith Godrèche who joins Nuala on the programme to discuss the issues.Yorkshire County Cricket Club has retrospectively awarded caps to women’s players who have represented their county to recognise their commitment and their importance to the Club – spanning nearly 90 years of history. Jane Powell, President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club who captained England and played for Yorkshire for 12 years from 1980 to 1991, and also received a cap herself joins Nuala to discuss. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

A new series was released this week on Netflix. It is called Man with 1,000 Kids, and Netflix is billing it as the true story of Jonathan Meijer, a man accused of travelling the world, deceiving women into having his babies - via sperm donation - on a mass scale. Nuala McGovern talks to Jonathan Meijer, the sperm donor, to mums Natalie and Suzanne, who had a baby conceived with Jonathan’s donor sperm, to Natalie Hill, the executive producer who pitched the original idea for these films to Netflix and to Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment.Gabby Logan joins Krupa Padhy to talk about her new book The Midpoint Plan. She’s challenging the stereotype of middle age. With fewer insecurities, children leaving home and perhaps a bit more money in the bank, she believes we should see it as the best point in our lives. Plus, if we look after ourselves in midlife, we’ll be happier in old age.Summer is here, which means it's wedding season, and brides-to-be across the country are asking themselves the eternal question: what do I wear for the occasion? Kathryn Wheeler, who married earlier this year, decided to do something that old superstitions advice against: make her own wedding dress. In the process, she learned much more than just sewing skills. She also learned a life lesson, to embrace imperfections.It’s 25 year since the New York Times’ best-selling author Lisa Jewell published her first novel, Ralph’s Party. Since then she’s written another twenty-one novels, and more recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and the award winning None of This is True. She joins Krupa Padhy to discuss her latest work – Breaking the Dark – which is a Jessica Jones Marvel crime novel, exploring the world of the private detective and former superhero. By the time she was 19, Michelle De Swarte had gone from a council estate in London to the catwalks of Manhattan. Her twenties were a swirl of parties and high end glamour but by her thirties she was broke and in need - as she once put it - of a “new personality”. Desperate to find a way out of fashion, she reinvented herself as a stand-up comedian. Michelle De Swarte joins Nuala to talk about putting some of her own experiences into a new BBC comedy, Spent.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

It’s 25 year since the New York Times’ best-selling author Lisa Jewell published her first novel, Ralph’s Party. Since then she’s written another twenty-one novels, and more recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and the award winning None of This is True. She joins Krupa Padhy to discuss her latest work – Breaking the Dark – which is a Jessica Jones Marvel crime novel, exploring the world of the private detective and former superhero. Over the summer Woman’s Hour is looking at ‘genre fiction’. Today we start the series with the ever-popular genre of romance and its new sub-genre, romantasy. Lindsey Kelk published her first romance novel I Heart New York in 2009. Her new novel Love Story is just that, as well as being an interrogation of the very concept of romantic fiction. Sarah A. Parker’s romantasy novel When the Moon Hatched went from an independently published TikTok sensation to Sunday Times bestseller. Both authors join Krupa to discuss the stigma and success of the romance genre.A video of a 19 month old baby babbling has gone viral after people noticed she had a Scouse accent. The video, which shows baby Orla chatting away to her Mum’s friend, has been viewed more than 20 million times. To explain what’s going on when babies and very young children are learning language, and how can they have an accent before they can properly speak, Krupa is joined by Professor Julian Pine, Professor of Psychology at the University of Liverpool.A recent advertising campaign for Bluebella the underwear brand, features three of the GB women's rugby team members in the brand’s lingerie, on a rugby pitch. The campaign has had a mixed response. Krupa discusses with rugby journalist, Victoria Rush, and Sarah Bellew, head of communications for Women in Sport a charity that tackles gender inequality in sport.More than 150 pages of court transcripts from a 2006 grand jury criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein were released to the public on Monday. A judge in Florida ordered the release of the documents which had been kept secret for nearly two decades. They included first hand testimony from teenage victims as young as 14. To discuss the significance of this Krupa speaks to Emma Long, Head of American Studies at the University of East Anglia Presented by Krupa Padhy Producer: Louise Corley

A new series has been released this morning (3 July) on Netflix. It is called Man with 1,000 Kids, and Netflix is billing it as the true story of Jonathan Meijer, a man accused of travelling the world, deceiving women into having his babies - via sperm donation - on a mass scale. Nuala talks to Jonathan Meijer, the sperm donor, to mums Natalie and Suzanne, who had a baby conceived with Jonathan’s donor sperm, to Natalie Hill, the executive producer who pitched the original idea for these films to Netflix and to Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment.A new report from AutoTrader has found that there's a stark gender divide when it comes to going green with your vehicle choice. Hyper-masculine marketing, highly technical jargon and anxieties around running out of charge are just some of the reasons they give on why women feel excluded from making the switch to electric vehicles. Nuala talks to Erin Baker, who is the editorial director at AutoTrader and author of the report. It’s 150 years since the first Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris in 1874. The artists involved included Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley and Cézanne, and just one female artist was included in that first exhibition, Berthe Morisot. But women artists were involved with Impressionism, and 150 years on, the National Gallery of Ireland is holding an exhibition to put their work front and centre. The director, Caroline Campbell, joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the exhibition, Women Impressionists, and the four female pioneers who were integral to the artistic movement.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

British scientist Dame Carol Robinson, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a trailblazer in the field of mass spectrometry, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during this year’s European Inventor Award 2024 ceremony. She will be first ever British winner. She is receiving the award not just for her outstanding work but also for championing women in STEM. She joins Nuala McGovern to explain why she’s passionate about women in science. Woman’s Hour has already spoken to five of the seven main political parties in the run up to the general election. Today, Nuala speaks to Maria Caulfield, Minister of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, representing the leader of the Conservative party, Rishi Sunak. Woman's Hour invited Labour's Sir Keir Starmer on to the programme as part of our series of party leader interviews ahead of the general election. Labour did not put forward a representative for this interview, so we hear from Ione Wells, BBC political correspondent, about Labour's manifesto pledges regarding women.By the time she was 19, Michelle De Swarte had gone from a council estate in London to the catwalks of Manhattan. Her twenties were a swirl of parties and high end glamour but by her thirties she was broke and in need - as she once put it - of a “new personality”. Desperate to find a way out of fashion, she reinvented herself as a stand-up comedian. Michelle De Swarte joins Nuala to talk about putting some of her own experiences into a new BBC comedy, Spent. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Olivia Skinner

Gabby Logan joins Krupa Padhy to talk about her new book The Midpoint Plan. She’s challenging the stereotype of middle age. With fewer insecurities, children leaving home and perhaps a bit more money in the bank, she believes we should see it as the best point in our lives. Plus, if we look after ourselves in midlife, we’ll be happier in old age.Monday 1st July marks the first day of this year’s Wimbledon. Players will be donning their whites to play at the All England Club. Molly McElwee, freelance sports journalist joins us live from Wimbledon to discuss the women we should be on the lookout for and who might rise to the top over the next two weeks.Woman’s Hour has invited the leaders of all the main political parties for an interview in the run-up to the General Election. Today, in place of the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Krupa is joined by Ann Widdecombe, the party’s Immigration and Justice spokesperson. France's Far Right National Rally made big wins in the first round of France's snap elections. The National Rally party came first with 33 percent of the vote, with the left wing Popular Front alliance on 28% and President's Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance suffering the largest losses and coming third with just over 20 percent of the vote. In the past, supporters for National Rally have predominately been men but now French women are said to be bucking the trend and supporting the National Rally. Marta Lorimer, lecturer in politics at Cardiff University explains what these results mean.Summer is here, which means it's wedding season, and brides-to-be across the country are asking themselves the eternal question: what do I wear for the occasion? Kathryn Wheeler, who married earlier this year, decided to do something that old superstitions advice against: make her own wedding dress. In the process, she learned much more than just sewing skills. She also learned a life lesson - to embrace imperfections. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights' has become a popular placard at women's rights events around the world. The singer behind the anthem that inspired it is none other than Cyndi Lauper. She joins Anita Rani to reflect on her 40-year career, becoming a feminist figure and performing on the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.Wimbledon starts next week and amongst the usual pre-match discussions about favourites and performances, there’s also been a serious conversation about how top-level tennis handles allegations of domestic abuse. Clare McDonnell is joined by the host of the Tennis podcast, Catherine Whitaker to discuss recent cases.Danish actress Sofie Gråbøl is best known to British viewers for her role as Sarah Lund in Scandi Noir crime drama The Killing. Now she’s returning to our cinema screens in a new film, Rose. Sophie plays Inger, a woman with serious mental health challenges, who takes a bus trip to Paris with her sister, Ellen. She discusses how she researched the character of Inger, by talking to the real woman that she is based on.Novelist Helen Heckety joins Nuala to talk about her debut work, Alter Ego. It’s about a young woman who decides to leave her old life behind and move to a new place where no one knows she is disabled. Helen, who has a physical disability that can sometimes be invisible, was compelled to write about a disabled character she had never seen represented in literature.The term ‘matrescence’ has been around since the 70s, but it’s only recently becoming more commonly known as a concept. It describes the process of becoming a new mother, and the emotional and physical changes you go through after the birth of your child. But then how should we talk about the experience of matrescence when your kids are teenagers, you’re in mid-life and you start the menopause? The parenting expert and childcare author Sarah Ockwell-Smith has a name for that – inspired by a Greek goddess, she calls it ‘demetrescence' and she explains all to Nuala McGovern.Corinne Bailey Rae's latest album is a complete departure from her previous work. Black Rainbows is inspired by a trip to Stony Island Arts Bank, a Chicago-based archive of black art and culture. The record spans punk, rock, experimental jazz, electronica and more. She joins Anita for a very special performance live from the Woman's Hour Glastonbury picnic table.Presenter: Claire McDonnell Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

'Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights' has become a popular placard at women's rights events around the world. The singer behind the anthem that inspired it is none other than Cyndi Lauper. She joins Anita Rani to reflect on her 40-year career, becoming a feminist figure and performing on the iconic Pyramid Stage. Corinne Bailey Rae's latest album is a complete departure from her previous work. Black Rainbows is inspired by a trip to Stony Island Arts Bank, a Chicago-based archive of black art and culture. The record spans punk, rock, experimental jazz, electronica and more. She joins Anita for a very special performance live from the Woman's Hour Glastonbury picnic table. Would you ever go to a festival on your own? Woman's Hour listeners give their tips for how to do a festival solo. Glastonbury is the biggest festival in the UK, hosting around 200,000 people over five days. It’s a massive operation that involves security, transport, food, water, and electricity-supply infrastructure and 11,000 people are there as staff and volunteers. So who are some of the women working hard behind the scenes to make it all possible? Two of them join Anita live: Jade Dunbar is the stage manager at Circus Big Top, and Martina Brown owns Jerk Village, a stall serving Jamaican food.This year Glastonbury hosts its first ever dedicated South Asian space, Arrivals. It’s been created, designed and built by a South Asian team and is a collaboration between South Asian collectives. Anita talks to revered icon of the 90s underground scene DJ Ritu and to up and coming star DJ Nadi who are both performing at Arrivals.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Emma Pearce

In the next of the Woman’s Hour interviews with the leaders of the main political parties in the run-up to the General Election, Clare McDonnell speaks to John Swinney, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party. What does it mean to be an adult orphan? Does the term still apply if you lose both parents when you’re no longer a child? Playwright Naomi Westerman was writing about death rituals when she lost her whole family, turning the academic into the deeply personal. Naomi talks to Clare about her experiences and is joined by Flora Baker, the author of The Adult Orphan Club.Wimbledon starts next week and amongst the usual pre-match discussions about favourites and performances, there’s also been a serious conversation about how top-level tennis handles allegations of domestic abuse. Clare is joined by the host of the Tennis podcast, Catherine Whitaker to discuss recent cases. Marine biologist Christine Figgener went viral after sharing a video of a turtle with a plastic straw lodged in its nose, bolstering the campaign to get rid of plastic straws altogether. She joins Clare to discuss her new book about her efforts to protect sea creatures, My Life With Turtles. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Olivia Skinner

Woman’s Hour has invited the leaders of all the main political parties for an interview in the run-up to the General Election. Today, in place of the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, Nuala McGovern is joined by Christine Jardine, the party’s Women and Equalities spokesperson.Danish actress Sofie Gråbøl is best known to British viewers for her role as Sarah Lund in Scandi Noir crime drama The Killing. Now she’s returning to our cinema screens in a new film, Rose. Sophie plays Inger, a woman with serious mental health challenges, who takes a bus trip to Paris with her sister, Ellen. She discusses how she researched the character of Inger, by talking to the real woman that she is based on. At the start of the month, comedian Grace Campbell wrote candidly about her mental health struggles after having an abortion and the response to her piece has been overwhelming. She speaks to Nuala about her experience, being pro-choice and how she’s sharing this as part of her stand-up. Last weekend protests were held in four cities in the Republic of Ireland calling for justice after a serving soldier was given a suspended sentence for an attack on a woman which left her unconscious and with a broken nose. The Irish Defence Forces have confirmed that a review has been launched. Yesterday the protests continued outside the Dail, the Irish Assembly and Natasha was given a standing ovation inside as she watched from the public gallery. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

With just over a week to go until the UK heads to the polls for the general election, what’s the situation for women voters in Northern Ireland? BBC Northern Ireland political correspondent Jayne McCormack joins Nuala McGovern to discuss what political candidates there are offering women.Days ahead of a UN summit on Afghanistan, which is set to exclude Afghan women, reports are surfacing from teenage girls and young women arrested by the Taliban for wearing 'bad hijab' that they have been subjected to sexual violence and assault in detention. Zarghuna Kargar joins Nuala.The term ‘matrescence’ has been around since the 70s, but it’s only recently becoming more commonly known as a concept. It describes the process of becoming a new mother, and the emotional and physical changes you go through after the birth of your child. But then how should we talk about the experience of matrescence when your kids are teenagers, you’re in mid-life and you start the menopause? The parenting expert and childcare author Sarah Ockwell-Smith has a name for that – inspired by a Greek goddess, she calls it ‘demetrescence' and she explains all to Nuala.Faith Omole is best known as an actress but now she’s well on the way to be know at least as well for her writing too. Last week her first performed play, My Father’s Fable, premiered at Bush Theatre in London. It tells a gripping story of grief, belonging, and a family on the edge. And in a BBC first, Radio 3’s Georgia Mann will be at Glastonbury this year. She is opening the Crow’s Nest stage on Friday, spinning classical tunes in a DJ set. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss how she has selected the music for her set and how prepared she is for camping.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

Rachel Stevens was one of the founding members of S Club 7, the pop band that took the world by storm in the early 2000s. She joins Anita to talk about her memoir Finding my Voice: A story of strength, belief and S Club, which covers her time in the hit-making band, her solo career and what it's been like being in the public eye.In a special extended 90 minute programme, Nuala McGovern hosted the Woman's Hour Election Debate. Senior women from the main political parties of Great Britain outlined their priorities for women and answered your questions.Taking part were: Scottish National Party spokesperson for Consular Affairs and International Engagement Hannah Bardell; Reform UK candidate Maria Bowtell; Green Party spokesperson for Housing and Communities Ellie Chowns; Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper; Conservative Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work Mims Davies; Labour's Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation Sarah Jones and Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts.Actor Jill Halfpenny has starred in popular TV series such as Byker Grove, Coronation Street, EastEnders and The Cuckoo. She won an Olivier Award for her role in the musical Legally Blonde and she won the second series of BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing. But, two tragic events have framed Jill’s life story; when she was four years old her dad died suddenly of a heart attack. Then in 2017, in similarly tragic circumstances, her partner Matt died. Jill talks to Clare about confronting her grief head-on, something she examines in her new book, A Life Reimagined.For over a century, many Americans believed that interracial marriage was illegitimate and until the late 1960s, the American legal system supported that belief. Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White is a play written in the 1960s that explores the impact of these laws. Anita is joined by Monique Touko, the director of a new production of the play, and American historian Dr Leni Sorensen who had a black father and white mother in 1940s California.Can you ever really be just best friends with the love of your life? Laura Dockrill talks to Nuala about the thrills and awful heartache of first love, the inspiration for her first adult novel, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’Presenter Clare McDonnell Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Louise Corley

Novelist Helen Heckety joins Nuala to talk about her debut work, Alter Ego. It’s about a young woman who decides to leave her old life behind and move to a new place where no one knows she is disabled. Helen, who has a physical disability that can sometimes be invisible, was compelled to write about a disabled character she had never seen represented in literature.According to The Times, Labour – if elected – would make it easier for people to legally transition by removing the need for them to prove they have lived as their preferred gender for two years. They will instead be given a two-year cooling off period after applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate. The Labour Party say there is nothing new in their policy on this. Nuala is joined by Geri Scott senior political correspondent at the Times to discuss. This weekend marked the final dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in the UK - until she returns again in August. The show has been described as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘seven shades of incredible.’ Journalists Polly Vernon and Anna Willis were lucky enough to attend, and they join Nuala to go over their highlights. Have you been enjoying Euro 2024? While many fans are cheering on their teams, there are some who dread these major sporting tournaments. Research by Lancaster University found that cases of abuse increased by 38% when England lost a football match and by 26% when they won or drew. The BBC’s Daniel Sandford, has been out with Sussex Police, who have been supporting potential victims. He joins Nuala along with Nik Peasgood, Chief Executive of Leeds Women’s AidToday marks the start of World Female Ranger Week, an initiative set up by adventurer and conservationist Holly Budge. It is estimated that only 11% of rangers across the world are female. These women do an important but dangerous job, protecting wildlife from poachers. Holly is also the founder of How Many Elephants, an anti-poaching conservation charity. She joins Nuala to talk on how her adventures led to becoming an advocate for female rangers and animal conservation.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio Manager: Donald McDonald

Paloma Faith is an award-winning singer, songwriter and actor. She has released six albums, including her most recent The Glorification of Sadness, received a BRIT Award, been a judge on The Voice UK as well as an actor in films such as St Trinian’s and TV’s series Pennyworth. She is also the mother of two daughters. She joins Clare to discuss her book – MILF - in which she delves into the issues that face women today from puberty and sexual awakenings, to battling through the expectations of patriarchy and the Supermum myth.Far-right parties across Europe made significant gains in the European elections, and women have been at the forefront of this right-wing shift in several countries. Right-wing groups which include those led by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, France’s Marine Le Pen and Germany’s Alice Weidel are set to gain further seats in European parliament. To hear about the female leaders of Europe’s far-right and what this shift could mean for women, Anita is joined by the host of EU Confidential Politico's Sarah Wheaton and Shona Murray, Europe correspondent for Euronews.Nearly 300 rapes and sexual assaults reported by sex workers during the Emma Caldwell murder investigation were not dealt with by police at the time, the BBC has learned. 276 reports of sex crimes made by sex workers working in Glasgow during the murder inquiry were filed away and not acted upon. Investigate journalist Sam Poling, whose work was pivotal in bringing Emma Caldwell’s killer, Iain Packer, to justice in February of this year, joins Clare McDonnell to discuss, along with former Detective Sergeant Willie Mason.The American singer-songwriter, Chaka Khan, known as the Queen of Funk, is celebrating her 50th anniversary in music this year. With hits such as Ain't Nobody, I Feel for You and the anthem I'm Every Woman her music has sold an estimated 70 million records, winning her 10 Grammy Awards. She is curating Meltdown 2024 at the Royal Festival Hall, and opens the festival tomorrow night. She shares her plans and discusses her favourite songs.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

Stealthing is the crime of removing a condom during sex without consent and is a form of rape. Clare McDonnell discusses why this is an under-reported crime with Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Local Policing, Helen Millichap, who leads the Met’s focus on violence against women and girls, and Gemma Lindfield, Barrister at Five St Andrew's Hill Chambers.Actor Jill Halfpenny has starred in popular TV series such as Byker Grove, Coronation Street, EastEnders and The Cuckoo. She won an Olivier Award for her role in the musical Legally Blonde and she won the second series of BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing. But, two tragic events have framed Jill’s life story; when she was four years old her dad died suddenly of a heart attack. Then in 2017, in similarly tragic circumstances, her partner Matt died. Jill talks to Clare about confronting her grief head-on, something she examines in her new book, A Life Reimagined.Experts from across the world from a broad range of academic disciplines including psychology, medicine, policy studies, law and humanities are coming together with an aim to research an area which some say is underfunded and poorly understood. 4M Conference 2024 organiser, Professor Gemma Sharp, from the University of Exeter's School of Psychology, joins Clare to talk about her vision.The wives of Henry VIII are often reduced to the simplistic rhyme, ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived’. But a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens, seeks to focus on the stories and identities of these six individual women – rather than their infamous husband – and their transformation into popular icons. Clare is joined by curator Charlotte Bolland.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Bob Nettles

Rachel Stevens was one of the founding members of S Club 7, the pop band that took the world by storm in the early 2000s. She joins Anita to talk about her memoir Finding my voice: A story of strength, belief and S Club, which covers her time in the hit-making band, her solo career and what it's been like being in the public eye.Anita is joined by Ella Janneh who has won a civil case against her former therapist, over claims he raped her during a therapy session at his clinic in London. She has been awarded more than £200,000 in damages. A day after the incident in 2016, she went to the Metropolitan Police, but the case was dropped two years later. Ella explains why she decided to pursue a civil case and how she’s been affected. Two new studies from Scandinavia suggest that having children doesn’t harm women’s pay, at least not in the long run. Christian Odendahl, the European economics editor at The Economist, talks Anita through the findings of the new research into the “motherhood penalty.”For over a century, many Americans believed that interracial marriage was illegitimate and until the late 1960s, the American legal system supported that belief. Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White is a play written in the 1960s that explores the impact of these laws. Anita is joined by Monique Touko, the director of a new production of the play, and American historian Dr Leni Sorensen who had a black father and white mother in 1940s California.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Olivia Skinner

A survey published today by Women in Football shows that 88% of women working in the industry believe they have to work harder than men to achieve the same recognition and benefits - the research also found that 74% of men agree with them. It also found that 89% of women working in the game have experienced discrimination in the workplace. Nuala speaks to Yvonne Harrison, Chief Executive Officer Women in Football.Can you ever really be just best friends with the love of your life? Laura Dockrill talks to Nuala about the thrills and awful heartache of first love, the inspiration for her first adult novel, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’Having more women on surgical teams is associated with fewer complications for patients and a lower rate of morbidity after 90 days, a major study from Canada has found. The lead author of the study Dr Julie Hallet explains the findings and Nuala is joined by Ms Tamzin Cuming, consultant colorectal surgeon and Chair of the Royal College of Surgeons of England's Women in Surgery Forum. . On Friday a prominent activist in China’s #MeToo movement, Sophia Huang, was sentenced to five years in prison for "subversion against the state”. As a journalist, Sophia reported ground-breaking stories about sexual abuse victims and gender discrimination. Journalists Jessie Lau and Lijia Zhang join Nuala live in the studio to bring us up to date with the latest in her case and discuss the wider experience of women in China.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

In a special extended 90 minute programme, Nuala McGovern hosts the Woman's Hour Election Debate. Senior women from the main political parties of Great Britain outline their priorities for women and answer your questions. Taking part are: Scottish National Party spokesperson for Consular Affairs and International Engagement Hannah Bardell; Reform UK candidate Maria Bowtell; Green Party spokesperson for Housing and Communities Ellie Chowns; Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper; Conservative Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work Mims Davies; Labour's Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation Sarah Jones and Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts.

Last week, listener Charlotte got in touch with the programme to share her story. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April and was told she might only have months to live. She talks to Nuala about staying optimistic, juggling the admin of an illness with childcare, and the impact it’s having on her family. Adrienne Betteley, Strategic Advisor for End of Life Care at Macmillan Cancer Support, discusses dealing with a terminal diagnosis, how best to tell your children, and the support that's available.Tinessa Kaur has become the first Sikh woman to win the prestigious Young Pro-Bono Barrister of the Year award 2024 .She dedicates around 30 hours a week to her pro bono work in underrepresented communities. Her journey to the Bar hasn’t been easy, At just 17, while pursuing her A levels, she faced homelessness in Leicester where she lived. Now 32, the pupil barrister is hoping to inspire others from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue a career in the profession.Debbie Wileman is the British singing sensation who captured world-wide attention during the pandemic when her uncanny impersonations of Judy Garland went viral. She’s since performed at Carnegie Hall and now she'll be making her West End debut as Judy – while still doing day job at an optician’s.Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio Managers: Emma Harth and Duncan Hannant

Earlier this month, the British Olympic Association announced the 42 athletes selected to represent Team GB in rowing at 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Among them is the two-time Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover competing at this level for the 4th time as part of the Women’s four. In 2015 Helen was ranked the top female rower in the world and went on to become the first mother to row for Team GB in 2021. Now having had three children she has her sights set on the podium once more - joining the ranks of other athletes who've achieved sporting success after having a family - cyclist Dame Laura Kenny, sprinter Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, and tennis players Elina Svitolina and Serena Williams. Helen joins Anita Rani.In the next of the Woman’s Hour interviews with the leaders of the main political parties in the run-up to the General Election, Anita speaks to Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. Weight loss drugs are now easily available on line with dozens of pharmacies including Boots and Superdrug offering them. For women weight loss is a multi-million pound industry with so many of us concerned about the numbers on the scales. Ozempic and other drugs involving semaglutide are available on the NHS - only for patients who are severely obese or who have type 2 diabetes. But this morning there are newspaper reports stating that some healthy weight young women, who don't have these conditions, are buying Ozempic to get ‘beach body ready’ and ending up in A&E. Doctors report seeing increasing numbers of people of a healthy size using weight-loss injections — with life-threatening consequences. Dr Vicky Price is a consultant in acute medicine and president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine.Meltdown festival opens at the Southbank Centre in London on Friday. Anita Rani hears from one the acts selected by the legendary American singer/songwriter Chaka Khan. It's the pan-African, all female super group Les Amazones d'Afrique, who shot to global fame in 2017, when President Obama included one of their songs among his 20 favourite tracks of the year. They were formed in Mali in 2014, with the goal of campaigning for gender equality and eradicating ancestral violence. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey Editor: Karen Dalziel

Up until the 1980s, stillborn babies were swiftly taken from their mothers who weren’t always told what had happened to them. Now one of those mothers is calling for an apology after finding the grave of her stillborn son more than five decades after he was born. Gina Jacobs talks to Anita about how she found where her son Robert had been buried and how she’s working to help other women do the same. In April the European Court of Human Rights passed a landmark ruling saying that Switzerland was violating the human rights of its citizens by inadequate action on climate change. The case was launched by a group of Swiss women over 65 called "climate seniors", calling for better protection of women's health from the effects of climate change. But yesterday, the Swiss parliament voted to reject the ruling, saying that it already has an effective climate change strategy. Elisabeth Stern, one of the climate seniors, joins Anita to share her reactions to the news. The American singer-songwriter, Chaka Khan, known as the Queen of Funk, is celebrating her 50th anniversary in music this year. With hits such as Ain't Nobody, I Feel for You and the anthem I'm Every Woman her music has sold an estimated 70 million records, winning her 10 Grammy Awards. She is curating Meltdown 2024 at the Royal Festival Hall, and opens the festival tomorrow night. She shares her plans and discusses her favourite songs.Far-right parties across Europe made significant gains in the European elections, and women have been at the forefront of this right-wing shift in several countries. Right-wing groups which include those led by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, France’s Marine Le Pen and Germany’s Alice Weidel are set to gain further seats in European parliament. To hear about the female leaders of Europe’s far-right and what this shift could mean for women, Anita is joined by the host of EU Confidential Politico's Sarah Wheaton and Shona Murray, Europe correspondent for Euronews.A new report has found that women artists made up just 2% of the most-played songs on Irish radio in the past year. To find out why women aren’t getting more airplay in Ireland, Anita is joined by Linda Coogan Byrne, the founder of Why Not Her? which champions gender diversity in the Irish culture sector. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Olivia Skinner

Paloma Faith is an award-winning singer, songwriter and actor. She has released six albums, including her most recent The Glorification of Sadness, received a BRIT Award, been a judge on The Voice UK as well as an actor in films such as St Trinian’s and TV’s series Pennyworth. She is also the mother of two daughters. She joins Clare to discuss her book – MILF - in which she delves into the issues that face women today from puberty and sexual awakenings, to battling through the expectations of patriarchy and the Supermum myth.In the first of our Woman’s Hour interviews with the leaders of the main political parties in the run-up to the General Election, Clare McDonnell is joined by Rhun ap Iorwerth, who leads Plaid Cymru, or the Party of Wales.A new study in England says that a third of cases where newborns are at risk of being taken into care involve parents who have learning disabilities or learning difficulties. The research – which was commissioned by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory – also finds that in over 80% of these cases, the parents’ learning disabilities or difficulties had not been identified until their cases reached court. Clare is joined by the report author Katy Burch, child protection lawyer Reagan Persaud and she also hears from a parent whose children were recently taken into care. And following golfer Rory McIlroy's announcement that he and his wife Erica have "resolved their differences" and dismissed the divorce petition he filed for last month, we ask what keeps some couples returning time and again to particular relationships. Clare talks to behavourial psychologist & relationship coach Jo Hemmings.Presented by Clare McDonnell Producer: Laura Northedge

Thornaby Football Club’s committee is facing criticism after they announced that the Teeside-based club would be dropping all of its women’s section. First team manager Abbey Lyle tells Clare McDonnell what this means for the women and girls in the club, the support they’ve received since, and what it says about grassroots women’s sport. Clare also discusses the issues with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, former Paralympian and Chair of Sport Wales and the CEO of Women in Sport, Stephanie Hilborne.Clare talks to the Canadian writer and social activist Naomi Klein about her book Doppelganger, now out in the UK in paperback. The book is a result of her being mistaken for another Naomi – Wolf, for years. Naomi Klein uses her doppelganger as a metaphor to explain many of the issues facing the modern world, from climate change and politics, to obsession with wellness and the ways we parent our children. British writer Lucy Foley began her career writing historical fiction before making an extremely successful switch to crime and thrillers, and with New York Times bestsellers The Paris Apartment and The Guest List under her belt, Lucy has sold more than five and half million books. She joins Clare to discuss her latest novel, The Midnight Feast, which takes place during the opening of a luxury wellness retreat and explores the clash between the insta-ready super-rich and some very disgruntled locals.Grammy-award winning American folk singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan has released three critically-acclaimed solo albums, is co-founder and front woman of the string band, Crooked Still, and is also one third of the all-female group I’m With Her. Her latest album, All My Friends, is inspired by the passage of the 19th amendment and the evolving landscape of women’s rights in America over the past century. She joins Clare to discuss the themes and to perform live in the studio.Presented by Clare McDonnell Producer: Louise Corley

Nearly 300 rapes and sexual assaults reported by sex workers during the Emma Caldwell murder investigation were not dealt with by police at the time, the BBC has learned. 276 reports of sex crimes made by sex workers working in Glasgow during the murder inquiry were filed away and not acted upon. Investigate journalist Sam Poling, whose work was pivotal in bringing Emma Caldwell’s killer, Iain Packer, to justice in February of this year, joins Clare McDonnell to discuss, along with former Detective Sergeant Willie Mason. Baroness Delyth Morgan, the chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, the largest breast cancer charity, is stepping down after 23 years. She joined Breakthrough Breast Cancer in 1995, where she led fundraising efforts that resulted in the opening of the UK's first dedicated breast cancer research facility in 1999. The crossbench peer, who sits in the House of Lords, joins Clare McDonnell to reflect on her tenure as well as the treatment and outlook for breast cancer. Conservationist Isabella Tree tells Clare about turning her failing farmland estate into one of Europe's most significant rewilding experiments. Her bestselling book about the Knepp Estate project has now been made into a film. Later this week, Wilding is released in cinemas. Virginie Viard, the creative director at Chanel, has announced her resignation from the fashion house. Only three people have held this prestigious position in the brand’s 114-year history: Viard, Karl Lagerfeld, and Coco Chanel. Who is in the frame for this esteemed role? And what will be the impact of a change in creative vision at Chanel on the fashion industry at large? Clare talks to Justine Picardie, writer and biographer of Coco Chanel, and Victoria Moss, fashion director at the Evening Standard. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Dianne McGregor

Scotland's most senior law officer has asked nine of the country's judges to overturn an 87-year-old rule on evidence in cases involving rape and other sexual offences. Since she became Lord Advocate in 2021, Dorothy Bain KC has often spoken of her desire to improve the criminal justice system for victims, particularly women and girls. She is now seeking radical changes which would allow more rape cases to reach court. Anita Rani talks to David Cowan, BBC Scotland's home affairs correspondent.A group of state secondary schools in Southwark, south London, has decided to act as a collective and shift their pupils away from smartphones. Children's use of smartphones, particularly in schools, continues to be a hot topic issue, and many schools have decided to create new policies to try and tackle what they call the damaging effects of smartphone use. One of those schools is Ark Walworth Academy in Southwark, and their headteacher, Jessica West, joins Anita to talk about the plans.This evening, Taylor Swift will take to the stage at Murrayfield in Edinburgh for the first part of her UK tour. It is the first of 17 UK dates, which will finish in a record-breaking eight-night run at London's Wembley Stadium. By then, she will have played to almost 1.2 million UK fans. Her international Eras tour is expected to make more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion) by the time she performs her final show in Canada this December. Jolene Campbell, reporter at The Daily Record, talks to Anita about the Swifties who have descended on the city.As a newborn baby in 1968, Helen Ward had been wrapped up warmly in a tartan bag and abandoned in a phone box in Ireland. She would spend years searching for her biological mother, but what she found instead were two full siblings who had also been abandoned as babies. Helen talks to Anita about the story she's spent a lifetime unravelling.As we enter wedding season, some listeners will be spending every weekend for the rest of summer at either a hen do or a wedding. But what is the etiquette when it comes to plus ones? Anita talks to Liz Wyse, Etiquette Adviser for Debrett's and journalist Rebecca Reid.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Tim Heffer

The singer-songwriter Natasha Khan, known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, joins Anita to talk about her new album, The Dream of Delphi. Named after her daughter Delphi, her new music explores motherhood through lush orchestral sounds. She discusses having a baby during the Covid lockdown and how the experience informed her song-writing. Vengeance is award-winning journalist and writer Saima Mir’s second novel, and the sequel to her crime thriller debut The Khan. The book continues the story of Jia Khan as she’s fighting to keep her position at the head of a crime syndicate her father created, and as the mysterious corpses of men begin to appear around the city. Saima joins Anita in the studio to discuss writing a British Asian crime family, creating the characters she wants to read, and why sisterhood is at the heart of her new novel.The mother of a 16 year-old-boy who ended his life after becoming the victim of a sextortion gang says the tech giant Meta has taken too long to hand over data which might help the investigation into his death. Joe Tidy, the BBC’s first Cyber Correspondent, explains how he’s been investigating Sextortion – a type of online blackmail which involves threatening to share intimate pictures of the victim. Today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when thousands of Allied troops landed on beaches across Normandy, marking the start of the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied northern Europe. What’s often forgotten is the important role that women played in organising this huge military project and making the D-Day happen. Anita Rani speaks to historian, teacher and writer Shalina Patel, who has told some of these women’s stories in her book The History Lessons, which celebrates stories and people beyond the usual narratives.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Olivia Skinner

Tina Fey, a colossus of the comedy world for more than two decades, is also the creative force behind Mean Girls. The original movie in 2004, starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, spawned a Broadway musical in 2018, and many of the songs were featured in this year’s modern movie remake. Tina is now bringing an updated stage version of Mean Girls The Musical to London, opening at the Savoy Theatre this week. She joins Nuala. The youth organisation Young Farmers has been accused of having a problem with how they treat women in the farming community. Young Farmers has more than 23,000 members aged 10-28 and aims to support young people in agriculture and the countryside as well as offering a range of social events for young people. And its at some of these events where journalist Abi Kay has found that incidents of sexual assault and harassment are ‘commonplace’. Abi joins Nuala to discuss.Alice Kyteler was born in 1263 and achieved enormous commercial success and wealth before becoming the first woman to be tried as a witch in Ireland. She is also the protagonist of the novel Bright I Burn which tells the story of an extraordinary woman who courted controversy and paid the price for her vast wealth and frequent marriages. Nuala is joined by the author Molly Aitken.On Monday, candidate registration for Iran’s upcoming snap elections closed and 80 people have signed up for the chance to become the country’s next President. Four of them are women. In the 45 year history of the Islamic Republic, no woman has been allowed to stand for the top office – even though plenty have tried. So why do women keep putting their name forward? BBC World Service Women's Affairs reporter Feranak Amidi explains.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant

A newborn baby found earlier this year in East London is the third child abandoned by the same parents. That’s the story being reported by the BBC’s Sanchia Berg, who has been given permission to share the details by a judge at East London Family Court. Sanchia joins Nuala McGovern to tell us more about the story, alongside freelance journalist Louise Tickle, who has previously reported from family courts.Following on from our special phone-in on boys last month, author Ruth Whippman speaks to Woman’s Hour about her new book, BoyMum, which looks at what it means both to be a boy, and to raise a boy. Ruth joins Nuala to discuss what she’s learned from investigating masculinity and boyhood, the impact on girls and boys, and how it’s changed the way she is raising her three sons.The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a significant shift in the local job market, with more women now doing roles traditionally dominated by men, such as mining. After more than a thousand male workers left their jobs in a coal mine to fight Russia’s invasion, the energy company DTEK allowed women to work underground for the first time in its history. Nuala is joined by Ukrainian journalist and BBC World Service Europe editor, Kateryna Khinkulova to discuss this transformation and what it means for women in Ukraine.Arabian Adventures: The Secrets of the Nabateans is a new two-part documentary on BBC iPlayer that looks into a culture who had women in leadership roles in the 4th century BC. Alice Morrison, adventurer and author, joins Nuala to talk more about what she has discovered about Nabatean women, and what modern-day Saudi Arabian women make of them.

Claudia Sheinbaum will become Mexico's first woman president after an historic election win. BBC Journalist Laura Garcia joins Nuala McGovern to discuss what this moment means for the women and girls of Mexico. A new immersive exhibition, Connecting Hearts, by Swansea University, the Human Milk Foundation and artist Leanne Pearce, shows the impact of donating and receiving human milk. One of the paintings is of Claire-Michelle Pearson - a 'snowdrop' donor. She donated over 300 litres of milk after her son, Rupert, died during labour. She tells Nuala how it helped her grieve.Candice Carty-Williams’ debut novel, Queenie, has been adapted into a series for Channel 4. It tells the story of a 25-year-old woman as she straddles two different cultures at the same time as navigating romantic relationships, family stresses and work pressure. Dionne Brown plays Queenie in the series – she joins Nuala to tell us more about the series.A 20-year-old man who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl in Spain has been acquitted because the court deemed their relationship ‘common’ as members of the Roma community. So what does this mean for the protection of Roma women and girls against violence across Europe? Nuala is joined by Judit Ignácz, from The European Roma Rights Centre, an international organisation working to combat discrimination against the Roma population, to discuss.A new type of blood test can predict the recurrence of breast cancer months or even years before it shows up on scans, which could potentailly pave the way for treatment to start before it becomes incurable. Nuala is joined by Simon Vincent, director of research, support and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, who part-funded this study. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Ruth Jones joins Nuala McGovern to talk about playing the Mother Superior in a West End production of Sister Act. She discusses getting out of her comfort zone by appearing on stage for the first time since 2018 and working on her fourth novel. Plus what can fans of Gavin and Stacey expect from the Christmas special?This week, the Netball Super League, the UK's elite level domestic competition, relaunched and embarked on what it calls a "new era of transformational change". Anita Rani speaks to Claire Nelson, Managing Director of the Netball Super League, and London Pulse CEO Sam Bird.Politicians in The Gambia are debating whether to overturn the ban on female genital mutilation. Activist Fatou Baldeh MBE explains the impact this discussion is having on the ground and in other countries around the world.From the Pre-Raphaelites to Picasso, Vermeer to Freud, some of the most famous Western artwork involves an artist’s muse. So who are the muses who have inspired great art? How do they embody an artist’s vision? And why has the muse artist relationship led to abuse of power? Nuala was joined by guests including Penelope Tree was one of the most famous models of the 1960s and the muse of her then boyfriend, the photographer David Bailey. Grammy and Tony award-winning songwriter Anaïs Mitchell is the creator of the musical Hadestown – a genre-defying retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth blending folk music and New Orleans jazz. With productions on Broadway and now at the Lyric Theatre in London, Anaïs performed live in the Woman’s Hour studio and talked about the origins and impact of Hadestown.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Louise Corley

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his criminal trial in New York. It is the first time a former or serving US president has been convicted of a crime. Anita Rani is joined by New York Times journalist Amanda Taub and political commentator Julie Norman to talk about the woman at the centre of the case, the prosecution's star witness Stormy Daniels.Amanda Ross is one of the most powerful women in publishing who doesn't even work in publishing. She's created and produced many major book-based campaigns on TV over the last 20 years, including Richard & Judy's Book Club and Between The Covers on BBC Two. She personally selects the books featured and has been responsible for launching the careers of many bestselling authors, including Kate Mosse, David Nicholls and Victoria Hislop. Amanda is hosting the Between the Covers Live! UK Tour 2024 and joins Anita to discuss. Politicians in The Gambia are debating whether to overturn the ban on female genital mutilation. Activist Fatou Baldeh MBE describes the impact this discussion is having on the ground and her own experiences of surviving FGM.Singer Abi Sampa has become the first British woman to perform qawwali – a form of Sufi devotional music typically performed by men – at the Royal Albert Hall. Abi, who is also a trained dentist, talks to Anita about her genre-defying Orchestral Qawwali Project which mixes South Asian traditions with western choral music and balancing her careers in music and dentistry. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Maryam Maruf

On 28 July last year the British cyclist Lizzy Banks received an email from UK Anti Doping to say she had return two Adverse Analytical Findings. The letter stated she faced the prospect of a two-year ban unless she could establish the source. Thus began a ten-month journey investigating, researching and writing submissions to establish how the contamination event occurred. Absolved of any blame, having proved on the balance of probabilities that her test was contaminated, Lizzy speaks to Nuala McGovern about how the process destroyed her mentally, emotionally and professionally.Olivier award-winning theatre maker Marisa Carnesky is taking over an entire street at this years’ Brighton Festival with her show, Carnesky's Showwomxn Sideshow Spectacular, honouring the forgotten women of the circus. Marisa shares with Anita Rani the lost history of ground-breaking women magicians, aerial artists and sword climbers and how their stories are being explored through a new generation of performers.Do you know what love bombing is? One of our Woman’s Hour listeners Lynn got in touch to say it’s something we should be discussing. She joins Nuala McGovern alongside relationship therapist Simone Bose to explain more about what love bombing is, and how we can all look out for the warning signs.The long awaited final report of the public inquiry into the infected blood scandal was published this week, The inquiry was announced in 2017 after years of campaigning by victims. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, approximately 30,000 people were infected with blood contaminated with HIV and Hepatitis C. Over 3,000 have since died, with one person estimated to die every four days in the UK. The affected groups include those who received infected blood via blood transfusions, such as women following childbirth, and individuals with haemophilia—predominantly males—and others with similar bleeding disorders who received contaminated blood products. Around 1,250 people with bleeding disorders, including 380 children were infected with HIV. Fewer than 250 are still alive today. Some transmitted HIV to their partners. Nuala McGovern speaks to Clair Walton, who gave evidence to the inquiry. She has been campaigning for years for the wives and partners who became infected to be heard and acknowledged.Clara Schumann was one of the greatest female musicians of the 19th Century – a virtuoso performer who gave over 1,500 concerts in a 60 year career, all while raising eight children and financially supporting her household. Concert pianist Lucy Parham and actress Dame Harriet Walter join Anita Rani to discuss their concert I, Clara which celebrates the ground-breaking life and work of Clara Schumann in her own right.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Louise Corley

As prescriptions for weight loss drugs in the UK increase, Woman’s Hour explores how safe online prescriptions for things like Ozempic and Wegovy are. Fashion stylist Jeannie Annan Lewin tells us how she buys the drugs and how they have helped her. Anita Rani is joined by Alima Batchelor, from the Pharmacists Defence Association, and Professor James Kingsland, Chair of Digital Clinical Excellence. Cassidy Janson won an Olivier Award for her performance as Anne Hathaway in the musical & Juliet. She’s also appeared in Wicked, Chess and in the role of Carole King in the West End production of Beautiful. Cassidy is now performing in Jerry’s Girls at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, which celebrates the life and legacy of the legendary award-winning Broadway composer Jerry Herman. Cassidy joins Anita and performs live.Yvette Fielding is best known for hosting the TV show Most Haunted, and for being the youngest ever presenter of Blue Peter. She was just 18 when she joined the iconic BBC children’s show in 1987. Yvette joins Anita to talk about her memoir Scream Queen, which charts her journey from child actor to 'ghost hunter'. Today is a big day in the world of women's sport. The Netball Super League, the UK's elite level domestic competition, has relaunched and embarks on what it calls a "new era of transformational change". Anita is joined by Claire Nelson, Managing Director of the Netball Super League, and London Pulse CEO Sam Bird. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Emma Pearce