Woman's Hour

After the Hamas attacks at the weekend and Israel’s order of a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip in response, we talk to two people from the different communities involved. A few years ago, Bassam Aramin lost his 10-year-old daughter, Abir, who was killed by an Israeli soldier, and Robi Damelin lost her 28 year old son, David, after he was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Neither were killed in this latest stage of the Israel-Gaza conflict but as members of a cross-community group called the Parents Circle-Families Forum, they’re uniquely placed to comment on the situation.Esther Abrami was handpicked by Julian Lloyd Webber as one of 30 under 30 to watch, and she is the first classical musician to win the ‘Social Media Superstar’ category at the Global Awards. With more than 400,000 followers on TikTok, Esther joins Emma Barnett to discuss her new album, Cinema, and to perform live in the studio.Women dominated headlines at the Conservative Party conference last week. But is the future of the Labour Party female? Rachel Cunliffe, Associate Political Editor at the New Statesman, and Alice Thomson, columnist and interview at The Times, bring us the latest news from Liverpool.The Government’s official independent rape advisor Emily Hunt has decided to walk away from her role. She advised the government in the run-up to the landmark 2021 End-to-End Rape Review - which has successfully increased the number of rape cases getting to court to pre-2016 levels. But she has said that her own experiences within the justice system as an abuse victim have left her feeling unsafe. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer and Gayl Gordon

Images of children, mothers and grandmothers are flooding media and social media two days after a coordinated attack by Hamas on Israel. Israel has since declared war. Emma Barnett speaks to the BBC's Anna Foster, who is in Israel, not far from Gaza, who talks about the impact on women on both sides of the conflict. Also Emma hears from the son of a 74-year-old Israeli former headmistress and Arabic teacher who is believed by her family to have been kidnapped from her home, and Alicia Kearns MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.A new test could cut the time it takes to diagnose endometriosis from an average of eight years to just eight days. Researchers at the University of Hull have developed a test that uses a urine sample instead of a laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure that is currently used to diagnose the condition. Emma is joined by Dr Barbara Guinn, Reader in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hull, to discuss.The new BBC drama series The Reckoning starts tonight on BBC One. It tells the story of Jimmy Savile, who for decades was one of the UK’s most influential celebrities forging friendships with politicians and royalty and raising millions for charity. But after his death in 2011, it transpired he was also one of the country’s most prolific sexual predators, abusing hundreds of people, many of them children. The series, which stars Steve Coogan as Jimmy Savile, explores how he was able to hide in plain sight and use his celebrity status, powerful connections and fundraising activity to gain uncontrolled access to vulnerable young people. Sam Brown was abused by Saville from the age of 11. Her story is depicted in episode 3 of the series, and she joins Emma.

Female teenage soldier Jaysley Beck is believed to have taken her own life after a period of relentless sexual harassment from one of her bosses, an Army investigation has found. Gunner Beck was serving in the Royal Artillery and was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021. Her mother, Leighann McCready, speaks to Emma Barnett.Nicknamed 'the Taylor Swift of classical music', Anna Lapwood is one of the world's most famous organists, and Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. To encourage more women to try the instrument, Anna initiated the social media hashtag #playlikeagirl. She joins Emma to talk about her music and her new album, Luna.We hear from Karen Farquharson who has been awarded £37,000 at an employment tribunal after her boss told her she used the menopause as an “excuse for everything”. She tells Emma how the process has impacted her and why she wants to help other women.This week marked the start of a Catholic synod that will take place throughout October in the Vatican to discuss the direction of the Catholic Church. Emma talks to former Irish president Mary McAleese about why she thinks women should play a bigger role. And the food writer Grace Dent joins Anita Rani to talk about her new book, Comfort Eating, inspired by her podcast of the same name. She'll explain why she's so fascinated by the foods that make us feel better behind closed doors.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

We hear from food writer Grace Dent about her new book, Comfort Eating, inspired by her podcast of the same name. She'll explain why she's so fascinated by the foods to make us feel better behind closed doors.The Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat’s latest work is called The Fury. It is a short film and series of photographs which explore the sexual exploitation of female political prisoners in Iran. Shirin left Iran as a teenager to study in the US and has lived in exile there since the 1990s. Her art is known for posing questions about how the female body is perceived within Islam and Iranian culture. She talks to Anita Rani about bringing The Fury to London and why she has chosen to deviate from her usual style and include the nude form.Gloria Daniel is the descendant of John Isaac Daniel, who was a slave. After finding out more about her family history and the lives of her ancestor, as well as other slaves, she has started the organisation TTEACH (Transatlantic Trafficked Enslaved African Corrective Historical) Plaques. She joins Anita to tell us about the exhibition they are currently holding, ’50 PLAQUES & PLACES’, which includes the testimonies and artwork of women.Mei Mac is an Olivier award nominee who has taken on the lead role of Kim in the ‘untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play' at the Young Vic. The play tackles over a century's worth of stereotypes about Asian women in drama, parodying Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon and South Pacific. Mei tells Anita about confronting prejudice in theatre, 'the bamboo ceiling' and why she has set up a mentorship scheme for British East Asian and South East Asian actors.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey

An Army investigation has found that 19-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck is believed to have taken her own life after a period of relentless sexual harassment from one of her bosses. The gunner was serving in the Royal Artillery, and was found dead at the Larkhill army camp in Wiltshire in December 2021. Her mother Leighann McCready joins Emma along with Emma Norton, Director and Solicitor for the Centre for Military Justice.Poet Donna Ashworth has released a new collection of her work, Wild Hope. It is a selection of poems and passages that she hopes will help people to find hope in an increasingly pressurised world. She joins Emma to talk about why she picked up poetry in her 40s, and how it has changed her life.Savanah Leaf is a Team GB volleyball player turned film director, whose feature film Earth Mama is playing at the London Film Festival this week. Having competed in the 2012 Olympics, Savanah turned to filmmaking as a hobby when recovering from an injury. She joins Emma to discuss the transferable skills between sports and directing and tackling the US foster care system in her directorial debut.Lakaydia Reynolds was walking through a park in south London on her way to a driving lesson when she was attacked by three dogs. The dog’s owner tried to intervene, but the dogs injured her arm, legs and face. A stranger saw the attack and filmed it happening, rather than moving to intervene. The footage was uploaded to social media, where it has been viewed tens of thousands of times. Emma talks to Lakaydia about what she experienced. Susie Kahlich founded Pretty Deadly Self Defense and offers listeners tips on how best to defend themselves in a dog attack.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Emma Harth

Starting today a Catholic synod will take place throughout October in the Vatican to discuss the direction of the Church. Delegates will consider the way in which all members participate and decide the future direction of key issues such as the role of women. Emma Barnett talks to the former Irish president Mary McAleese about the issues facing the Church. Rishi Sunak will today give his first Conservative Party conference as Prime Minister – but his moment in the spotlight is under threat from the women in his party. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been called the “front-runner” for next leader after her speech, while Liz Truss became the surprise breakout star of conference. So is the future of the Conservative Party now female? Kitty Donaldson, UK Political Editor at Bloomberg News, and Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor of The Spectator, join us from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. And what can ordinary women learn from Liz Truss about bouncing back from a public failure? Writer Viv Groskop and Psychotherapist and podcaster Emma Reed Turrell discuss the lessons women can learn from Liz Truss’s return to the spotlight. The UK’s first and biggest study into pre-eclampsia which can affect the kidneys, liver and brain can cause seizures in women has been launched. The study will monitor women before pregnancy, during and after birth to find out why some women develop the conditions and the long term health implications.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

It's day two of the 72-hour joint strike by junior doctors and consultants in the NHS. Dr Helen Neary, deputy chair of the BMA's consultant's committee and consultant anaesthetist in paediatrics and BBC’s Health Correspondent Nick Triggle joins Emma to discuss the strike and parts of the Health Secretary's speech today.Nicknamed the Taylor Swift of classical music, Anna Lapwood is one of the world's most famous organists, and Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. To encourage more women to try the instrument, Anna initiated the social media hashtag #playlikeagirl. She joins Emma to talk about her music and her new album Luna.Máiría Cahill grew up in a staunchly Republican family and community in west Belfast. At the age of 16 she says she was serially sexually assaulted and raped by a member of the IRA, and was later subjected to months of meetings about that trauma by the IRA, including being brought face to face with her alleged attacker. In 2014 Máiría waived her anonymity and has been relentless in her campaign to expose those who abused their power, and to get an apology for the way she was treated from senior Sinn Fein politicians. Máiría has written a memoir, Rough Beast, and joins Emma to talk about it.Glasgow Women’s Library is the UK’s only accredited woman’s history museum. For the last 32 years they’ve championed feminist stories from Scotland and beyond through their research, exhibitions and artefacts that have all been donated. However, for the first time they’re entering an auction to bring a piece of Scottish suffragette history back home. Emma Barnett speaks to operations director Sue John on the day of the auction.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

The world renowned Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic talks to Emma Barnett about a major exhibition of her work across five decades at the Royal Academy in London. Universities are said to be spending increasingly more of their time investigating complex sexual misconduct cases raised by students. But how equipped and effective are universities at investigating such cases? Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West of England, Eleanor Laws KC, leading criminal barrister and Geraldine Swanton, a lawyer working with the higher and further education sector discuss.The American performer Nicole Scherzinger came to our attention as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. She has since carved out a successful solo career as well as being a judge on television talent shows including The X Factor. Eight years after she was nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Grizabella in Cats, Nicole has now returned to the West End stage where she stars as Norma Desmond in a new production of the musical Sunset Boulevard.The cost of living has put a strain on people’s budgets and a recent report from Carnegie UK Trust suggests around a third of people are not even seeing their friends because they can’t afford to. Danielle Bayard Jackson, a female friendship coach and Otegha Uwagba, author of We Need to Talk about Money discuss navigating friendships and money.Author Ysenda Maxtone Graham talks about her new book Jobs for the Girls which gives a snapshot of British women's working lives from 1950s.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February 2022, Elena Kostyuchenco, one of Russia’s most fearless independent journalists, crossed into Ukraine to report on what was happening in the country. The paper she had worked at for 17 years, Novaya Gazeta, was shut down just months later in response to her reporting. Elena’s latest book, I Love Russia, gives a rare insight into her homeland, bringing us voices we have never heard. She speaks to Emma Barnett. We hear from Karen Farquharson who has been awarded £37,000 at an employment tribunal after her boss told her she used the menopause as an “excuse for everything”. In a separate case, a woman assisted by the Equality and Human Rights commission says her menopausal symptoms should be considered, in her case, as a disability. The economist Vicky Pryce comments on the potential implications of the case. We talk to BBC Wales political correspondent Teleri Glyn Jones about the victimisation of a whistle-blower and a complainant who made allegations of a serious nature about the Plaid Cymru MS Rhys ab Owen. Both say they were harassed by a family member of the MS who has been suspended from his party since last November pending an investigation by the Welsh Parliament’s standards watchdog. Emma Barnett also talks to former Plaid Cymru politician Nerys Evans who recently produced the damning report into Plaid’s sexual harassment complaints procedures earlier this year. Innes Fitzgerald is the current under 17s UK number one in the 3000 metres and she’s made the conscious decision to no longer fly to any championships or running events abroad. She’s been nominated for Young Athlete of the Year in the BBC Green Sports Awards. She joins Emma to tell us more. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

The American performer Nicole Scherzinger came to our attention as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. She has since carved out a successful solo career with albums, serving as a judge on television talent shows including The X Factor. Eight years after she was nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Grizabella in Cats, Nicole has now returned to the West End stage where she stars as the immortal Norma Desmond in a new production of the musical Sunset Boulevard. She joins Anita to discuss taking on this iconic role.The cost of living has put a strain on people’s budgets and a recent report from Carnegie UK Trust suggests around a third of people are not even seeing their friends because they can’t afford to. To discuss how to navigate the finances of friendship Anita talks to Danielle Bayard Jackson, a female friendship coach and Otegha Uwagba, author of We Need to Talk about Money. Singer-songwriter and producer Asha Puthli is regarded as one of the most successful vocalists to come out of India. Referred to as a cosmopolitan pioneer of jazz, funk, soul and electronic dance music who has recorded ten solo albums for labels like EMI and CBS/Sony she joins Anita Rani to discuss 50 years in music.India’s Supreme Court has issued a handbook of 40 words which judges should avoid when describing women in writing judgments or filing cases before courts. Ranjana Kumari is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Social Research, a women's rights organisation based in New Delhi. She joins Anita to talk about how sexist views have played a role in disadvantaging women in India’s courts. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Emma Pearce

Marina Abramović, the world renowned Serbian performance artist, refers to herself as the “godmother of performance art”. Her pioneering work explores the relationship between the performer and the audience; one of her works saw her sit across from each visitor, staring into their eyes. She has repeatedly subjected herself to physical and mental extremes, including exhaustion, pain and even the possibility of death. Now at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, she presents key moments from her career and talks them through with Emma.A comment made by the broadcaster and self-styled anti-woke campaigner, Laurence Fox, about political reporter, Ava Evans, on GB News on Tuesday has led to his suspension. Now the man he was speaking to, Dan Wootton, has also been suspended as a presenter on the channel. Ava called the comments "really nasty" and said she has since received threats online. Emma speaks to Rebecca Whittington, the committee lead on this issue for the organisation Women in Journalism and Online Safety Editor at Reach PLC.Dehenna Davison MP was part of the ground breaking group of Conservative MPs who in 2019, won dozens of seats in former Labour areas known as the Red Wall. She was elected by voters in Bishop Auckland in the North East as their first ever Conservative MP and was the first Conservative female MP to reveal she is bi-sexual. Last year she made it into the Government as a junior minister in Michael Gove’s Levelling Up Department, but despite this promotion and being see as one of the most energetic and active of the new MPs, in November 2022 she announced she wouldn’t be standing for election again. Last week she stood down as a minister, citing chronic migraine as the cause. Emma Barnett talks to Dehenna about her health, her life in politics and her plans for the future. A university in Melbourne is preparing to host the first ever Taylor Swift Symposium, or Swiftposium as it’s being called, with researchers gathering to discuss the singer through a variety of subjects. Dr Jennifer Beckett is one of the organisers behind the event and Emma to discuss the plans for early 2024.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Emma Harth

Dame Joan Collins has dominated the stage and screen for over seven decades, starting her career at just 17. Best known for her roles in the 1980s TV phenomenon Dynasty and Hollywood Golden Age films, she has written a new memoir Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends. She speaks to Emma about her glittering career, sexism in Hollywood and turning 90. Students are more likely than other groups of people to be subjected to sexual assault. A study soon to be published by researchers at Oxford University has found that one in four female students at the university had experienced some sort of sexual assault in the preceding year. Now, universities are said to be spending increasingly more of their time investigating complex sexual misconduct cases. But how equipped and effective are they in investigating such cases? And why are students putting their faith in university hearings rather than going to the police? Emma discusses with Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor of University of West of England, Eleanor Laws KC, leading criminal barrister and Geraldine Swanton, a lawyer working with the higher and further education sector.A new report from a commission at the medical journal The Lancet looks at how cancer disproportionately impacts women. “Women, Power and Cancer” puts the case forward for an intersectional feminist approach to cancer - with the goal of transforming the ways women interact with the cancer health system. The commission has been headed up by Dr Ophira Ginsburg from the National Cancer Institute in the US.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

The managing director of AFC Wimbledon has resigned after being secretly recorded making sexist and abusive comments about a female colleague, just two months after publicly committing to tackling sexism as part of the Her Game Too campaign. Emma Barnett gets reaction from Lewes FC Chief Executive Maggie Murphy and Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football.Minna Dubin is the author of Mum Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood. It's a book inspired by her own experiences and she then spent three years speaking to other mothers, to build up a picture that goes beyond her own domestic sphere.In 2021, prominent Chinese journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin was arrested and jailed. Unseen for the last two years, the Chinese Government announced that her closed-door trial began on Friday. Journalist Jessie Lau joins Emma to discuss the latest in this case.Emma talks to author Ysenda Maxtone Graham about her new book Jobs for the Girls which gives a snapshot of British women's working lives from 1950, through cardigans and pearls, via mini-skirts and bottom-pinching, to shoulder pads and the ping of the first emails in the early 1990s.

Claiming to tell unknown stories about the iconic singer, alongside songs some of his much-loved songs, this world premiere musical hopes to reflect his enduring legacy. His youngest daughter Tina, one of the producers, and the director and choreographer of the show, Kathleen Marshall join Emma Barnett.We discuss the possible decision to cancel another part of the high speed rail link - HS2 - and the impact it could have on women with Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, co-director of the Women's Budget Group, a Feminist Economic Think Tank and Zoe Billingham, Director of the IPPR North - based in Manchester.Between 1975 and 1980, Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women and attempted to murder at least seven more across the North of England. A new ITV drama series, The Long Shadow, portrays the women who were killed, and their families, as well as the hardworking but flawed and misogynist police investigation. Joining Emma are Willow Grylls, executive producer of the show and Meg Winterburn, who worked on the investigation as a police sergeant.Exclusive research shared with Woman’s Hour claims that £60m is ‘wasted’ in England every year on Tribunals for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Local authorities ‘fight’ thousands of parents of disabled children about what support the child gets and where they go to school – but 'lose' 96% of those cases. This comes on the day that one of the country’s leading experts delivers a valedictory lecture after a 40 year career advocating for disabled children. Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council of Disabled Children, part of the National Children’s Bureau, Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant

Emma Barnett hears from one of the women alleging she was assaulted by Russell Brand. Speaking for the first time since accusations became public, 'Alice', who has accused Russell Brand of sexual assault when she was a teenager, says Brand's emphatic denial of the allegations of rape and sexual abuse against him is "insulting". 'Alice', who had a relationship with Brand when she was 16 and he was 30, says she wants to start a conversation about changing the age of consent. On her first day back at the Woman's Hour helm after maternity leave, Emma gets some advice and reflection from someone who returned to work after a similar break, the global literary force that is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Author of bestselling books including Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, plus essays and short stories, she has just released her first children’s book, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf. You’ll no doubt be familiar with the book Frankenstein - but how much do you know about its author Mary Shelley? That’s a question that led director, Lucy Speed, and producer, Deborah Clair, to write, direct and produce their new play that’s about to start touring in the UK. Conception - Mary Shelley: The Making of a Monster tells the story of a journey of self-discovery, as the Frankenstein author returns, years later, to Lake Geneva where she wrote her famous novel. The play is hitting the stage around the 200th anniversary of the first publication of the novel under Mary Shelley’s name - having originally been published anonymously. Artist and author Fleur Pierets embarked on a performance art project with her wife, Julian, in 2017, aiming to get married in all the countries where same-sex marriage was legal at the time. But their dream was cut short when Julian was diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer in early 2018 and died six weeks later. It’s a story Fleur has put down on paper in her book, Julian, which has just been translated into English and released in the UK. Since the 1980s, the comedian and actor Doon Mackichan has been a TV regular, starring in programmes like Two Doors Down, Smack the Pony and Brass Eye. She has also played plenty of roles on stage. She dissects how today’s culture still expects women to adhere to stereotypes, some of which she refuses to act out, as described in her memoir, My Lady Parts.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Sarah Crawley

Have you heard of the term 'sharenting'? That’s when a parent, caregiver or relative shares content about their child’s life, such as news, videos, images, online. Some have even turned it into a lucrative business. The psychologist Dr Elaine Kasket was an habitual 'sharent', chronicling her young daughter’s life on social media. But then four years ago at the age of nine, her daughter told her she didn’t like her doing it, so she stopped. Elaine’s written about 'sharenting' and her experiences in a chapter in her new book Reboot: Reclaiming Your Life in a Tech-Obsessed World. She joins Jessica Creighton along with her daughter Zoe. British Gymnastics has published a list of 62 banned coaches and members, as part of its response to the damning Whyte Review published in 2022, which detailed 'systemic' issues of physical and emotional abuse in the sport. The campaign group Gymnasts for Change has accused the governing body of "serious institutional betrayal" for not including more people on the list, who they believe meet the criteria. We heard from the co-founder of Gymnasts for Change, Claire Heafford and BBC Sports correspondent Natalie Pirks.In the 70s and 80s, nearly 5,000 people with haemophilia contracted HIV or Hepatitis C after being infected by tainted blood clotting products. Over 2,800 people died including women and children in what was described as 'the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS’. With an ongoing public inquiry, we spoke to Sunday Times Political Editor Caroline Wheeler, who has interviewed countless victims and has been following the story for 20 years.You’ll no doubt be familiar with the book Frankenstein - but how much do you know about its author Mary Shelley? That’s a question that led director, Lucy Speed, and producer, Deborah Clair, to write, direct and produce their new play that’s about to start touring in the UK. Conception - Mary Shelley: The Making of a Monster tells the story of a journey of self-discovery, as the Frankenstein author returns, years later, to Lake Geneva where she wrote her famous novel. The play is hitting the stage around the 200th anniversary of the first publication of the novel under Mary Shelley’s name - having originally been published anonymously. Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Iran’s parliament has approved the Hijab and Chastity Bill, under which women will face up to 10 years in prison if they defy the country’s mandatory hijab rules. This comes a year after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating rules requiring women to cover their hair. Emma Barnett speaks to Samaneh Savadi, an Iranian feminist activist who specialises in international law.A new independent standards body, the Creative Industry Independent Standards Authority, is being set up in the UK so that concerns over behaviour can be raised and investigated confidentially. Emma talks to its CEO, Jen Smith.Sarah-Jane Nichols, former BMX racing world champion, talks to Emma about qualifying for the world championships 36 years after she first retired from the sport.Since the 1980s, the comedian and actor Doon Mackichan has been a TV regular, starring in programmes like Two Doors Down, Smack the Pony and Brass Eye. She has also played plenty of roles on stage. Doon talks to Emma about her recollections of those parts and dissects how today’s culture still expects women to adhere to stereotypes, some of which she refuses to act out, as described in her memoir, My Lady Parts.Isata Dumbuya is a midwife who is striving to reduce maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone, a country where 717 in 100,000 women die in childbirth every year. She has dedicated her career to helping mothers-to-be and joins Emma to talk about the new maternal centre she is setting up.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Steve Greenwood

The BBC has revealed that the Prime Minister is considering a major shift on key climate action policies. These changes include pushing back a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 and delaying the 2026 ban on off-grid oil boilers to 2035. The economist Kate Raworth joins Emma to discuss her reaction to this news. If you’re on TikTok, “girl”-based trends are everywhere you look these days. From girl dinner to girl math, lazy girl job to hot girl walk, the list goes on. Girl math is the latest trend, with a hashtag with over 360 million views. Is it about reclaiming girlhood - or is it sexist and infantilizing? Behavioural scientist and author Professor Pragya Argawal and host of the “Adulting” podcast Oenone Forbat join Emma to discussThe Met Police have announced that they aim to change the demographic of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit – where both Wayne Couzens and David Carrick worked - to have 20% women in the next two years. But why should it fall to women to improve workplace behaviours? To discuss, Emma is joined by Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and workplace commentator Julia Hobsbawm.Artist and author Fleur Pierets embarked on a performance art project with her wife, Julian, in 2017, aiming to get married in all the countries where same sex marriage was legal at the time. But their dream was cut short when Julian was diagnosed with late stage brain cancer in early 2018 and died six weeks later. It’s a story Fleur has put down on paper in her book “Julian”, which has just been translated into English and released in the UK.TikTok clips uses: samcity and VIDA GLOWPresenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Yesterday on Woman's Hour, one of Russell Brand's alleged victims, 'Alice', called for a conversation around changing the age of consent in the UK, to what she called 'a staggered age of consent'. It would mean individuals between the ages of 16 and 18 could legally have sex with one another, but there would be legislation in place to prevent adults having relations with 16 to 18-year-olds, as there is the potential for a power imbalance in this dynamic. Emma Barnett speaks to Baroness Helena Kennedy and Gudrun Young QC. Lucy Letby was recently convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others while working within the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016. We talk to Dr Susan Gilby who joined the hospital trust as medical director and then chief executive a few weeks after Letby was arrested. Two weeks ago, Birmingham City Council issued a 114 notice which means they can’t balance the books to meet their spending commitments this year. The tipping point appears to have been a £750 million equal pay settlement and it’s feared many more councils could be in a similar position. Emma talks to Heather Jameson, Editor of the Municipal Journal and to Peter Marland from the Local Government Association which represents councils in England about the problems they’re facing.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Emma Barnett hears from one of the women alleging she was assaulted by Russell Brand. Speaking for the first time since accusations became public, 'Alice', who has accused Russell Brand of sexual assault when she was a teenager, says Brand's emphatic denial of the allegations of rape and sexual abuse against him is "insulting". 'Alice', who had a relationship with Brand when she was 16 and he was 30, says she wants to start a conversation about changing the age of consent.One woman who spoke out earlier this year is the TV producer turned novelist and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin. She accused Daniel Korski, a former special advisor who was in the running at the time to be Conservative candidate for London Mayor, of groping her at an event in 10 Downing Street in 2013. Daniel Korski vehemently denies this and subsequent allegations of sexual misconduct. Daisy joins Emma in studio.On her first day back at the Woman's Hour helm after maternity leave, Emma gets some advice and reflection from someone who returned to work after a similar break, the global literary force that is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Author of bestselling books including Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, plus essays and short stories, she has just released her first children’s book, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf.Fearless is the title of the new book from make-up business owner and makeover specialist Trinny Woodall. You'll probably know Trinny best for her show What Not To Wear, alongside best friend Susannah Constantine in the early 2000s. Trinny has more recently launched a multi-million pound make-up business and skincare company, Trinny London. She speaks to Emma about reinventing herself in her 50s.

Since winning the Great British Bake Off in 2015, Nadiya Hussain has published seven cookery books, presented numerous TV shows and been awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. Nadiya joins Anita Rani to talk about her latest book and BBC Two series, Nadiya’s Simple Spices. She also celebrates the women in her family. A survey launched last week by the Government is calling on women in England aged 16 to 55 to share their experiences of reproductive health - from periods, contraception to pregnancy and the menopause. But the decision to only speak to women up to the age of 55 has provoked a backlash. Dr Shazia Malik, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and a sub-specialist in reproductive medicine, gives her reaction. In a new series called The Knock, we’ve heard the stories of two women whose lives were changed when they were told that a loved one had been arrested for sexual offences against children. Deborah Denis, Chief Executive of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and Rachel Armitage, Professor of Criminology the University of Huddersfield spoke about the impact of 'the knock' on the families and friends of men arrested for these crimes. Some British women are now being offered IVF treatment using artificial intelligence. How might AI improve the chances of a successful pregnancy? Suzanne Cawood, Director of Embryology at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, explains. Mercury Prize-winning musician Arlo Parks has turned her hand to poetry with her debut book, The Magic Border. It combines original poetry, song lyrics and images.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

It’s been one year since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked protests and outrage across the world. Anita Rani is joined by author Arash Azizi and human rights researcher Azade Pourzand to take a look at where women in Iran stand now, and the long-term impact that’s still being felt.Dr Elsie Inglis was a Scottish woman known as the ‘Serbian Mother from Scotland’, who founded four Scottish Women’s Hospitals in Serbia during World War One. Together with more than 1,000 woman from Britain and the Commonwealth, she helped to save the lives of allied and enemy soldiers alike. To find out more about her and why she isn’t better known in the UK, Anita speaks to three women who are in Serbia to honour her memory at a special ceremony: Carole Powell, Dr Iram Kamran Qureshi and Caroline Ferguson.This week, in a new series called The Knock, we’ve heard the stories of two women whose lives were changed when they were told that a loved one had been arrested for sexual offences against children. Anita talks to Deborah Denis, Chief Executive of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and Rachel Armitage, Professor of Criminology the University of Huddersfield about the impact of 'the knock' on the families and friends of men arrested for these crimes. They’ll discuss what support families need, and what they are calling for.The comedian London Hughes has written a memoir, Living My Best Life, Hun. In it, she details her decision to leave the UK, where she experienced bullying and rejection, and go to live in LA, where she quickly became a star. She joins Anita to talk about writing her memoir, turning rejection into opportunity and romanticising her life.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Last week, Birmingham City Council effectively declared bankruptcy, issuing a section 114 notice, after it admitted an equal pay liability of £760m. Now the GMB, the UK's third largest Trade Union, says female care workers in Sunderland have been underpaid for years compared with the mostly male litter-pickers, and are making a similar claim against their council. Anita hears the latest from Rhea Wolfson, head of the GMB's National Equal Pay Department.Since winning the Great British Bake Off in 2015, Nadiya Hussain has published seven cookery books, presented numerous TV shows and been awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. Nadiya joins Anita to talk about her latest book and BBC Two series, Nadiya’s Simple Spices, in which she concentrates exclusively on recipes from her Bangladeshi heritage, and creates recipes with eight spices. The death toll from last Friday’s earthquake in Morocco has reached nearly 3,000 people. Three hundred thousand people are said to have been affected, including 100,000 children. The aftermath of earthquakes poses numerous challenges to women and children who are said to suffer the most during humanitarian emergencies. Anita speaks to Ridwana Wallace-Laher, CEO of the Penny Appeal, who has been working in Morocco, and the actor Laila Rouass, a British-Moroccan representative for Education for All, a charity which provides schooling for girls in Morocco.Wilderness is a new Prime Video psychological thriller series which stars Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. It's the story of a young British couple, Liv and Will, who seemingly have it all. But their glamorous new life in New York changes dramatically when Liv learns Will has been seeing another woman. Liv's heartbreak turns into fury and revenge. Anita is joined by Marnie Dickens, the writer and creator of the series. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Bob Nettles

Crime author Jane Casey joins Nuala McGovern to talk about a new six part TV adaptation of her best selling book The Killing Kind. The legal thriller starring Emma Appleton has themes such as stalking and coercion as she plays a lawyer who tries to rebuild her life after getting too close to a former client. Emma also joins Nuala in the studio.In the second part of our series The Knock, Jo Morris talks to a woman we are calling Evie who chose to stand by and support her brother after he pleaded guilty to sex offences against children. Why did she make that decision and what has it cost her?Some British women are now being offered IVF treatment using artificial intelligence. The software is used to help select the best embryo for implantation. So how might AI improve the chances of a successful pregnancy? Nuala is joined by Suzanne Cawood, Director of Embryology at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, a private clinic in London, which has been using AI and offering it as an 'add-on' to patients. We also hear the regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's position on such practices.In a historic ruling, the Mexican Supreme Court has decriminalised abortion at the federal level. The two leading candidates in next year’s elections in will both be women, meaning that Mexico expects to have its first ever female leader. So, is the country having a feminist revolution? Nuala speaks to Daniela Philipson-Garcia, a PhD scholar and specialist on Mexico's gender policies.

They say current disparities in women’s health across England mean there are far too many cases where women’s voices are not being heard. But the decision to only speak to women up to the age of 55 has provoked a backlash. Nuala McGovern is joined by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Shazia Malik, a sub-specialist in reproductive medicine.The film Scrapper follows 12-year-old Georgie living happily alone in a council house in London following the death of her mum. But when her absent father Jason turns up out of the blue, her world is disrupted. We talk to director Charlotte Regan about her debut feature film who says she wanted to show British working class life as something that can be joyful and fun.A new survey shows that nearly a third of female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted by a colleague over the past five years. Nuala speak to Tamzin Cuming, a consultant surgeon and chair of the Women in Surgery forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, who says it’s a #MeToo moment for surgery.Before the age of social media, there was still plenty of trolling in written form. Emily Cockayne, author of the new book Penning Poison, joins Nuala to discuss her research into the history of poison pen letters; that is, messages sent anonymously, seemingly with the intention to unsettle the recipient. Emily has traced the stories of such missives to all corners of English society from 1760 to 1939.We start our new series 'The Knock' which details the stories of two women whose lives were changed when they were told that a loved one had been arrested for sexual offences against children.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Reporter Jo Morris

Millie Bobby Brown is a 19-year-old actress best known for her award-nominated performance as Eleven in Stranger Things, and for producing and starring in Enola Holmes. Now she has written a debut novel, Nineteen Steps, based on her grandmother’s life in the East End of London during the Second World War. She joins Nuala to talk about why she wanted to write the novel and why it’s so personal for her.In recent months there’s been increasing momentum for what has been called Martha’s rule which would give patients the power to get an automatic second medical opinion from other experts. This comes after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills who died in hospital. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable. So what difference could Martha’s Rule make to how much say patients have to question the decisions made by doctors? Paediatrician and health campaigner Dr Guddi Singh wants to empower people so that medical care works in their best interests and joins Nuala. Three quarters of police officers and staff accused of violence against women are not suspended by their force. That’s according to a joint investigation by the Independent newspaper and Refuge Charity. Nuala is joined by Ellie Butt, Head of Policy at Refuge. Mercury Prize Winning Musician Arlo Parks has turned her hand to poetry with her debut book, The Magic Border. It combines original poetry, song lyrics and images and she joins Nuala for an interview and live reading of one of the poems.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma PearceOpener 00:00 Martha’s Rule 01:23 Police accused of violence against women 12:50 Millie Bobby Brown 23:49 Arlo Parks 42:48

Economic abuse was officially recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021, yet a new study from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse suggests victims are still being let down by the police and the courts. Their CEO Nicola Sharp-Jeffs joins to tell us more about their findings, alongside ITV broadcaster Ruth Dodsworth who shares her own personal experience.On Tuesday’s programme, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, Nick Fletcher, championed the idea of a Minister for Men. He says statistics show that 75% of people taking their lives are men, that the life expectancy of men is 3.7 years lower than it is for women, that 83% of rough sleepers are men. On Wednesday we heard your views - could a Minister help tackle some of the issues many young men seem to be struggling with, such as masculinity, pornography, consent and their role in society? Could a Minister for Men also make life better for women? And could it be a way to tackle the rise of influencers such as Andrew Tate – a self-declared misogynist?Have you ever been in a 'situationship'? It's sort of a relationship but you're not exclusive. It's the subject of the debut novel of Taylor-Dior Rumble. The Situationship is published by Merky Books and it's been termed the label's first Rom-Com. Rebuilding My Life series: When Martine Wright was rescued from the wreckage of a bombed Tube train on what became known as 7/7, her injuries were so severe that she could not be identified. Both her legs were amputated above the knee. 18 years on, Martine speaks about her road to recovery, physically and emotionally.Is Belfast the new city of love? Well, it’s the backdrop to new Sky Atlantic romcom The Lovers, which follows local supermarket worker Janet and her love affair with English TV presenter, Seamus O’Hannigan who has a whole other life, and a girlfriend, back in London. Roisin Gallagher, who plays Janet, talks about filming in her hometown and the changing perceptions of Northern Ireland’s capital.Presenter; Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Sarah Crawley

Economic abuse was officially recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021, yet a new study from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse suggests victims are still being let down by the police and the courts. Their CEO Nicola Sharp-Jeffs joins to tell us more about their findings, alongside ITV broadcaster Ruth Dodsworth who shares her own personal experience.What would you do if you weren’t afraid? That is the question Michal Oshman is asking in her latest book. As the former Head of Company Culture at TikTok and International Leadership Development Executive at Facebook, she is no stranger to success. But Michal says that she has spent most of her life hiding anxiety and fear under this success - and uses her book to explore how we can all replace uncertainty with purpose for a better life. She joins Anita Rani to discuss.You might have seen in the papers and online that the actress Sophie Turner and the singer Joe Jonas are getting divorced. The couple met back in 2016 on Instagram, and were married a year later. They have two daughters together, but earlier this week released a joint statement saying they have 'mutually decided to amicably end' their marriage. However, TMZ reported that a source claimed that they had very different lifestyles. Sophie Likes to party, while Jo stays at home, they reported. Olivia-Anne Cleary is a senior editor and writer who felt compelled to write an article about it for Glamour magazine, Can We Please Stop Mum Shaming. She joins Anita to discuss.When you think of traditional barbershop singers you probably think of men. But there are just as many female acapella singing groups as male. The Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers has around 60 clubs as members. And Mountain Harmony Chorus, the only one in Wales, wrote to Woman's Hour during Listener Week, inviting us to one of their rehearsals. We hear from our reporter Melanie Abbott who went along.Is Belfast the new city of love? Well it’s the backdrop to new Sky Atlantic romcom, The Lovers, which follows local supermarket worker Janet and her love affair with English TV presenter, Seamus O’Hannigan who has a whole other life, and a girlfriend, back in London. Roisin Gallagher, who plays Janet, joins Anita to talk about filming in her hometown and changing perceptions of Northern Ireland’s capital.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

Today MPs from all parties are holding a debate on a controversial pregnancy testing drug used widely in the 1960s and 1970s. It's expected that MPs from all parties will speak, including former Prime Minister Theresa May. In May, the High Court rejected a claim for compensation saying it could not proceed because there was no new evidence linking the tests with foetal harm. Marie Lyon, Chairwoman of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests and Hannah Bardell MP, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group On Hormone Pregnancy Testing, join Nuala McGovern. In the last in our series Rebuilding My Life, Nuala speaks to Wiz Wharton, author of Ghost Girl, Banana. Wiz was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 24 years ago, which led to a diagnosis of bipolar. She was forced to confront her demons and work out what needed to change, including owning her identity as a British-Chinese woman and learning how to stand up to the racism she had experienced all her life. Exclusive reporting from The Guardian this week shows that cricket umpires were paid three times more to officiate the men’s Hundred this summer than the women’s. It comes just days after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced that the women’s teams will get the same match fees as the men’s. Nuala speaks to journalist Raf Nicholson.One of the last surviving Bletchley Park codebreakers has died aged 99. Margaret Betts was just 19 when she was headhunted to work on the project. Nuala speaks to Tessa Dunlop, author of The Bletchley Girls, to find out a bit more about her.Dame Shirley Bassey will become the first female solo artist in British history to be honoured with a stamp series. Welsh music journalist Jude Rogers joins Nuala.

On yesterday's programme, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, Nick Fletcher, championed the idea of a Minister for Men. He says statistics show that 75% of people taking their lives are men, that the life expectancy of men is 3.7 years lower than it is for women, that 83% of rough sleepers are men and that 96% of the prison population is men. Do you agree with Nick? Could a Minister help tackle some of the issues many young men seem to be struggling with, such as masculinity, pornography, consent and their role in society? Could a minister for men also make life better for women? And could it be a way to tackle the rise of influencers such as Andrew Tate – a self-declared misogynist?Today Nuala McGovern talks to Michael Conroy, the founder of Men at Work, which focuses on unpicking some of the social influences on the values and beliefs of boys and young men – and how some of those influences can manifest in a range of problematic behaviours. Hear him and have your say live on air by calling Nuala. The phone lines open at 0800 on Wednesday 6 September. Call us on 03700 100 444 or you can text the programme - the number is 84844. Texts will be charged at your standard message rate. On social media we're @BBCWomansHour. And you can email us through our website.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Donald McDonald and Emma Harth

Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has given a very personal interview to the BBC 18 months after the Russian invasion and subsequent war in her country. In it, she speaks about having to live in a different location to her husband, President Zelensky, and her fears for her children's future. The BBC's Yalda Hakim joins Nuala McGovern.A male politician is calling for a Minister for Men. Nick Fletcher, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, believes that men face such serious difficulties in today’s society that they need a specific champion. The second in our Rebuilding My Life series. When Martine Wright was rescued from the wreckage of a bombed Tube train on what became known as 7/7, her injuries were so severe that she could not be identified. Both her legs were amputated above the knee. Eighteen years on, Martine speaks to Nuala about her road to recovery, physically and emotionally.Past Lives is the directorial debut from the New York playwright turned filmmaker Celine Song. She tells the story of Nora and her childhood sweetheart, Hae Sung, who she left behind in Seoul when her family immigrated to Canada. But they reconnect years later in New York, when Nora is happily married - and grapple with what they are to each other now… and whether they missed their chance.Do you wish you cooked more but don't know where to start? Yotam Ottolenghi called Bee Wilson 'the ultimate food scholar'. She's the author of six books on food-related subjects. Now she's written her first cookbook, The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda MontefioreOpener 00:00 Olena Zelenska 01:40 Nick Fletcher 09:10 Rebuilding My Life - Martine Wright 24:29 Past Lives 37:35 Bee Wilson 45:51

In 1969, migration to the UK was increasing with Britain becoming home for thousands of foreign settlers. In Coventry, 21 women of Indian origin booked what were supposed to be routine appointments with their local GP. Little did they know that these appointments would result in them becoming subjects of a controversial medical experiment, in which they were given chapatis laced with radioactive components. Over the next 50 years, memories of the experiment have continued to resurface as campaigners, such as Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi, try to track down participants and their families whilst calling on Parliament to open an inquiry into the findings. Nicky Perfect knows what it’s like to live much of her life on high alert. From joining the police at the age of 18, working in the Met Police Firearms unit to eventually joining the elite New Scotland Yard Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Unit. She’s brought people safely down from rooftop stand-offs, worked to resolve gang kidnappings and terrorist incidents. Now she’s written about her experiences in Crisis: True stories of my life as a hostage negotiator.Listener Carla Mercer contacted Woman’s Hour asking for a discussion on parenting from the perspective of a non-birth mother in a single-sex relationship. She is the non-birth mother to her seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old twin boys. She is separated from her ex-partner who is the children’s birth mother. Author and journalist, Lotte Jeffs is the “other mother” to a four-year-old girl with her wife, who gave birth to their daughter. She is co-author of The Queer Parent: Everything You Need to Know From Gay to Ze. Political parties in Japan are boosting their support to get more women into office. The country’s ruling party and opposition party are both offering financial incentives- pledging a million Japanese Yen, about £5400, in aid for each new female candidate. And many would say the country sorely needs more women in politics- with the World Economic Forum showing only 10% of the country’s parliamentary positions are held by women. Rei Murakami is the President of the Murakami Foundation, and has set up a politics training school with this goal in mind. Hanako Montgomery is a Tokyo-based journalist. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty StarkeyOpener 00:00 Radioactive Chapatis 02:12 Nicky Perfect 12:16 Women on Wheels 30:20 Non-Birth Mothers 35:44 Japanese Women in Politics 46:45

A BBC investigation has found that at least five women have died after family courts allowed fathers accused of abuse to apply for contact with their children. Some took their own lives, and one had a heart attack outside a court. Nuala McGovern is joined by Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno who led the research in to this. We often talk to women about the immediate impact of traumatic life-changing events. But what happens after the dust has settled? This week on Woman’s Hour, we are inviting you to listen to three women’s experiences of picking up the pieces. Claire Russell lost her partner Mark to suicide in 2018, and miscarried their baby a few weeks later. Claire tells Nuala about how she began to recover. Since the conflict in Sudan erupted again in April, there have been reports of the increased use of sexual violence against women and girls. More than four million women and girls are at risk of sexual violence across Sudan, according to the World Health Organization. Nuala speaks to CNN’s Nima Elbagir and to Duaa Tariq who is in Khartoum.How reliable is DIY fertility testing in helping you plan for a baby? A recent report in the British Medical Journal has found that some DIY tests that were sold in the UK to measure oestrogen levels may have given misleading results. The report's author, Emma Wilkinson, joins Nuala alongside Dr Ippokratis Sarris, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and Director of King’s Fertility. Have you ever been in a 'situationship'? It's sort of a relationship but you're not exclusive. It's the subject of the debut novel of Taylor-Dior Rumble. The Situationship is published by Merky Books and it's been termed the label's first Rom-Com. Taylor-Dior joins Nuala in the studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Nicky Perfect has spent most of her life in highly fraught and dangerous situations, working as a hostage negotiator. Now she’s written about her experience in a new book: Crisis: True Stories of my Life as a Hostage Negotiator. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about some of the things she learnt along the way.The TV presenter Sarah Beeny has spent much of her life in the unpredictable world of property renovation. Her latest book, The Simple Life - How I found Home, is about the many homes she's lived in. While she was writing it, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sarah speaks to Nuala about her perspective on language around cancer, and why she loves having a chaotic home.Emma Hayes is the manager of Chelsea Women Football Club. In her time, they have won six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups. Emma joins Hayley Hassall to discuss football, motherhood, women's health, and leadership – which is the subject of her new audiobook, Kill the Unicorn.The Pulitzer prize-winning production Next to Normal is currently on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in London. It features a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar and haunted by her past. Actor Caissie Levy, who plays Diana, and birder and environmentalist, Mya-Rose Craig, share their experiences with Nuala. Did you hear our special Bank Holiday programme about lists? They pop up everywhere in life – and can be good, or bad. Nuala discusses some historically bad lists with authors Helen Lewis and Anne Sebba.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie GartonOpener 00:00 Nicky Perfect 01:23 Sarah Beeny 10:41 Emma Hayes 23:10 Bipolar Mothers 35:49 Bad Lists 44:09

Emma Hayes has been manager of Chelsea Women football team for more than a decade, a reign made remarkable by six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups. Emma joins Hayley Hassall to discuss leadership in football and beyond, motherhood and women's health. Emma Hayes’ new audiobook, Kill the Unicorn, explores how her experience coaching elite female athletes has lessons for all of us. On 24 May, the iconic singer Tina Turner died at the age of 83. For the last five years her life and music have been portrayed on stage in London’s West End to endless audiences keen to continue to enjoy her songs and watch the highs and lows, particularly of her early life, marriage to Ike Turner and then the revival of her career as a solo artist. Karis Anderson has recently taken on the role of Tina and joins Hayley in the Woman’s Hour studio. Women in Afghanistan are turning to nursing as one of the few remaining professions they are permitted to do under the Taliban. But nursing itself is facing a crisis in the country. Former BBC Persia journalist Bahaar Joya is now a nurse in London. She describes the training she wants to provide for nurses in Afghanistan, and what the women there are telling her.The hit BBC Three and HBO rom-com series Starstruck is back on our screens with its third season - following the main character Jessie and her best friend Kate through their late 20s and early 30s in London. Rose Matafeo has co-written the show and plays Jessie and Emma Sidi plays Kate. They join Hayley to discuss their characters and their friendship.Presented by Hayley Hassall Producer: Louise Corley Studio Engineers: Andrew Garratt & Sue Maillot00:00 OPENER 02:38 EMMA HAYES 23:52 TINA TURNER 36:45 AFGHAN NURSE 47:19 ROSE MATAFEO AND EMMA SIDI

A group of women who were raped by the same man are now coming together to campaign for better treatment for survivors of rape in the Scottish justice system. After his sentencing, the women were photographed arm-in-arm outside the high court in Glasgow, having forged a close bond. Catriona Renton, reporter and presenter for BBC Scotland, joins Nuala. Writer and activist Natasha Walter joins Nuala to discuss her new, very personal book, Before the Light Fades: a memoir of grief and resistance. One day in December 2017 Natasha's mother Ruth took her own life. Natasha overwhelmed, by grief and guilt starts to look back through Ruth's history, trying to understand how her life led to this death. Last week scientists in America announced that they have taken an important step in understanding the human genome- our genetic blueprint- by decoding the Y chromosome which is passed from male parent to male offspring and determines biological sex and fertility. Professor Chris Barratt, head of Reproductive Medicine at Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee Medical School explains the implications of this research in relation to male infertility. Next to Normal is a Pulitzer prize-winning production currently on stage at the Donmar Theatre in London. At its heart Diana Goodman is a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar and haunted by her past. We speak to actor Caissie Levy playing Diana and birder and environmentalist, Mya-Rose Craig whose recent book Birdgirl talked about the impact on her and her family of having a mother with the same diagnosis. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda MontefioreOpener 00:00 Rape 01:20 Natasha Walter 10:32 Y Chromosome Breakthrough 22:23 Bipolar Mothers 30:19

The TV presenter Sarah Beeny has spent much of her life in the unpredictable world of property renovation. You'll find her in programmes such as Help! My House is Falling Down and Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country. Her latest book, The Simple Life - How I found Home, is about the many homes she's lived in and her latest move to a former dairy farm in Somerset. While she was writing it she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sarah joins Nuala McGovern.Nuala speaks to actor Rebekah Staton, who stars in the new BBC drama The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies. It follows two women who have nothing in common - except conman and celebrated so-called ecopreneur Rob. Staton plays Alice Newman, who had been trying to move on from Rob’s schemes that left her family penniless and his subsequent disappearance - until she sees him one day by chance.The Spanish Football Federation's regional leaders have called on their president, Luis Rubiales, to resign. He faces widespread criticism for kissing footballer Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup ceremony in Sydney just over a week ago. Hermoso has said the kiss was not consensual. Now his mother has gone on hunger strike in protest against the treatment of her son. Nuala speaks to Semra Hunter, Spanish football journalist.VICE Journalist Deborah Bonello has written about the hidden power women wield in Latin American drug cartels for her first book, Narcas. It is the first in-depth exploration of these women. She joins Nuala to discuss.And the next in our series Women on Wheels - where we hear women speak about the cars that mean or meant a lot to them. Today, we hear from listener Rachel. Her choice of a Morris Minor bemused her friends and family but the adventures she had in it still make her smile.00:00 OPENER 01:54 JENNI HERMOSO 13:57 SARAH BEENY 29:14 LAS NARCAS 41:58 WOMEN ON WHEELS 46:41 REBEKAH STATON

To discuss the how and why of lists, Nuala is joined by Joanna Nolan, author of the book, Listful, and Lucy Ireland Gray, who put together a collection of about 200 shopping lists that she found discarded over the course of nearly 20 years in and around Hertfordshire, where she lives.We consider the psychology of lists - in particular why and whether lists are good or bad for our mental health and creativity. Artist Alice Instone, Joanna Nolan, author of Listful, and Madeleine Dore, the author of, I didn’t do the thing today: On letting go of productivity guilt, join Nuala.Lists in the public domain - with Nuala to discuss the good and bad of lists historically and in contemporary times, are journalist and writer Helen Lewis, author of Difficult women: A history of feminism in eleven fights, and writer Anne Sebba, author of 10 non-fiction books. Her most recent book is Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy.The place of lists in music - songs with lists, the charts, playlists and more. Nuala is joined by Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, whose album, Black Rainbows, is out in September, and music journalist Jude Rogers, the author of The sound of being human: How music shapes our lives.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

A Listener Week Weekend Woman’s Hour Special, where you – our listeners – decide what you want to hear on the programme.Our listener Rachel asked us to explore the potential of using psychedelic drugs in medicine, and whether these drugs might affect women differently to men. Anita Rani is joined by Professor David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London; and Catherine Bird, Senior Clinical Trials Manager at the Centre for Affective Disorders at Kings College London.Eric, a listener, suggested we find out more about Vulcana, the Victorian strongwoman known for her 'jaw-dropping feats of strength and her breath-taking beauty'. Author Rebecca F John and Sam Taylor, Britain’s Strongest Woman 2020, join Nuala McGovern to talk about strongwomen past and present. A listener who we’re calling Jane tells Nuala about her addiction to shoplifting. She wanted to highlight her experience and her struggle to cope with her compulsion - and explains her anxiety about regularly breaking the law. Listener Nelly has asked us to talk about living funerals. She was inspired by Kris Hallenga, the founder of the CoppaFeel breast cancer awareness charity, who has stage 4 breast cancer and who held a living funeral for herself. Nuala hears from Jenna, whose sister had a living funeral.Franceska Murati is a 27-year-old businesswoman and this year’s Miss Central London. At four years old, she arrived in the UK having escaped war-torn Kosovo, smuggled in the back of a lorry. She shares her story.And our listener Laura wanted us to look at heavy metal and the role women play in the scene. Nuala speaks to Lindsay Bishop, who conducted 10 years of field work for her PhD on the subject and Becky Baldwin, a bassist from the band Fury.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

For Listener Week, you, our listeners, decide what we cover on the programme.Listener Liane has tasked the programme with a deep dive into the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence on the workforce. She’s concerned that AI risks making humans “obsolete” and “has the capacity to replace millions of people's creative ideas, artwork, writing, music, their skills in language, invention and interpretation in seconds.” We speak to Dame Diane Coyle, the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at Cambridge University, and Christina Colclough, founder of the Why Not Lab specialising in the futures of work.Listener Deb emailed in to shine a light on the work of her daughter Daisy and her partner Anna, thatchers who have worked on rooves all over Devon. Our reporter Sarah Swadling caught up with them at work on a cottage near Okehampton.How do you feel about your nose? Once considered a symbol of beauty and power in ancient Rome, having a slightly larger facial feature nowadays can have a different meaning for some. Do you embrace it in its natural form or have you ever thought about changing it? We speak to Radhika Sanghani, who started the #sideprofileselfie campaign; and Karolina who decided to have a rhinoplasty.Listener Annette has often thought about living with her female friends in old age but she doesn’t know how to go about it. To answer her questions, we speak to architect Anne Thorne, who has recently built Cannock Mill CoHousing with 25 other households. And Mim Skinner, author of Living Together, a book about intentional communities in the UK and beyond. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Studio Manager: Gayl Gordan00:00 OPENER 02:17 AI AND AUTOMATION 17.45 TRAIL 18:57 FEMALE THATCHERS 32:00 BIG NOSES 45:51 COMMUNAL LIVING

For Listener Week, you, our listeners, decide what we cover on the programme.Listener Rachel asked Woman's Hour to explore the potential of using psychedelic drugs in medicine and whether these drugs might affect women differently to men. Academics have been researching psilocybin as a possible new treatment for depression, PTSD and anorexia, when used in conjunction with therapy. Anita Rani is joined by Professor David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London; and Catherine Bird, Senior Clinical Trials Manager at the Centre for Affective Disorders at Kings College London.Helen, a listener, wanted Woman's Hour to highlight the importance of peripheral friendships. These are casual acquaintance relationships; the people in your life that you don’t see often, or your co-workers who give you joy, or kindness, but aren’t your close family. Anita meets Helen and they talk to Dr Gillian Sandstrom, a senior lecturer in the Psychology of Kindness at Sussex University, who has studied these relationshipsPosthumous conception is when assisted reproductive technology is used to establish a pregnancy and produce genetic offspring following the death of a parent. Listener, Lauren McGregor, wrote to Woman's Hour wanting to discuss the importance of having the legal paperwork properly completed and signed should you ever find yourself in a situation when you have to consider this. Anita is joined by Lauren and a family lawyer, who has experience of working with fertility law, Louisa Gheveart.Earlier this year, research from the University of Portsmouth showed there are 100 times more microplastics in the coast around the UK than there were six years ago. Anita talks to the marine biologist and PhD student Emily Stevenson who is on a mission to clean up the patch of Cornwall’s north coast where she grew up. Emily founded Beach Guardian in 2017 with her dad to try to empower local communities to combat plastic waste along the coastline.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Giles Aspen00:00 Opener 02:28 Psychedlics 17:12 Peripheral Friendship 30:45 Posthumous Conception 46:18 Beach Conservation

For Woman's Hour's Listener Week, you, our listeners, decide what we cover on the programme.Nuala McGovern is joined by Monica and chartered psychologist Catherine Hallissey to discuss when it might be the right decision to give up on your dream. We'd like to hear your views on the issue. Have you decided to change course or realised a goal isn’t meant to be?Earlier this month, we heard the experiences of young people who are opting to live at home while they study at university because of the cost of living. That prompted a listener, Dr Pam Woolner from Newcastle University, to get in touch to tell us about the latest research by her colleague Dr Sam Shields. It looks into the experiences of working class women going to university and the challenges they face. Sam is senior lecturer in Education at Newcastle University and joins Nuala along with the writer Jessica Andrews who was the first in her family to go to university, leaving her home in the north-east of England to study in London. One of our listeners got in touch to tell us that his daughter had discovered a previously unseen poem by Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire, who you may know about from the Keira Knightley film, The Duchess. We’ll be bringing you that poem and discussing why the duchess was such an influential political figure in her day.And Nelly has asked us to talk about living funerals. She was inspired by Kris Hallenga, the founder of the CoppaFeel breast cancer awareness charity, who has stage 4 breast cancer and who held a living funeral for herself.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Andrew Garratt00:00 OPENER 01:43 LIVING FUNERALS 22.46 WORKING CLASS ACADEMICS 35.45 DUCHESS POEM 46.57 GIVING UP ON DREAMS 5439 CLOSE

For listener week, you, our listeners, decide what we cover on the programme.Listener Liz got in touch to say she wanted to know more about the women fighting on the front line in Ukraine. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC journalist and reporter Olga Malchevska, whose home in Kyiv was bombed at the start of the war. She’s been back to Ukraine to meet three women who are fighting for their country – we’ll hear from one of them who was severely injured when the car she was in drove over a landmine. As a child Julie De’Ath always wished she had an older brother, ‘an easy pass to get a boyfriend’, she said. Two years ago at the age of 67, she finally got one when she received a message on Facebook from a man claiming to be that brother. Her mother had given birth to a baby boy in the 1940s but being unmarried at the time, gave him up for adoption. It was a secret her mother took to her grave. Julie contacted Woman’s Hour as part of Listener week to share her story for the first time. We also speak to her long-lost half-brother, Tom, and to Miriam Silver, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, who specialises in parenting and children who have been adopted. Victorian strongwoman Vulcana was known for her jaw-dropping feats of strength and her breathtaking beauty. Listener Eric suggested her story to us. He asked that we talk to author Rebecca F John, whose historical novel, Vulcana, fictionalises her life. She tells Nuala about the remarkable, and trailblazing, performer. Plus, Sam Taylor, Britain’s Strongest Woman 2020, tells us what it’s like being a modern-day strongwoman. Franceska Murati is a 27-year-old businesswoman and this year’s Miss London. But there’s more to this beauty queen that meets the eye. At 4 years old, she arrived in the UK alongside her parents and older sister. They had escaped war-torn Kosovo, smuggling themselves on the back of a lorry. She shares her story.It’s something we’ve all probably done at one point or another - eating alone. Whether that’s taking yourself out to a restaurant you’ve always wanted to go to, grabbing a meal while you’re on a solo trip, or cooking for just yourself at home. But despite how common eating alone is - given that in 2022 the Office of National Statistics showed almost one in three households in the UK were people living alone - some might say there’s still a stigma around it. So how do we get around it? Nuala talks to Woman’s Hour listener Julia Georgallis and food writer Clare Finney.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey00:00 Opener 01:34 Ukraine Female Soldiers 16:08 Long Lost Family 30:05 Strong Women 39:19 Franceska Murati 49:42 Eating Alone

For listener week you, our listeners, decide what we cover on the programme. It might not have been World Cup glory for England's Lionesses but they still made history and have inspired many along the way. To take a look back at that history, Nuala is joined by two listeners: Sue Whyatt, who played for England in 1972, and successfully got her international cap following an email to us at Woman’s Hour, and Jo Clark, co-founder of Baller FC. A listener speaks to Nuala about her addiction to shoplifting - fully aware that it's a criminal offence and not something that should be condoned, she wanted to highlight her story on the programme. Listener Laura wanted us to look at heavy metal and the role women play in the scene. Nuala speaks to Lindsay Bishop, who conducted 10 years of field work for her PhD on the subject and Becky Baldwin, a bassist from the band Fury. Sue Stewart explains why she got in touch with Woman’s Hour to tell us about the impact on her of the book Matrescence by Lucy Jones. Matrescence is the time during pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood when women undergo far-reaching changes which Lucy Jones argues are more profound, wild and long lasting than we have ever been led to believe. We speak to Lucy and to Sue. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce00:00 Opener 02:35 Football 16:53 Kleptomania 34:43 Mid trail 35:53 Heavy Metal 47:06 Mastresence

Former Lioness and England's top female goal scorer, Ellen White, on England reaching the Fifa Women's World Cup final. VJ day was on Tuesday, marking the anniversary of Japan's surrender, and the end of World War Two. Olga Henderson was 13 in 1945, starving in a camp in Singapore alongside other young internees. Now 91, Olga talks about her time in the camps recalled in her new – and first - book, In the Shadow of the Rising Sun. A survey of 10,000 university students found that only 14% of pupils who had been in the care system progressed to higher education by age 19, compared to 47% of all other pupils. Kim Emenike, who was in care as a child, and Katharine Sacks-Jones, Chief Executive of the charity Become, which supports young care leavers, discuss the challenges they face. Many baby boomers are experiencing the death of their parents much later than previous generations. The journalist Helen Bullough and clinical psychologist Dr Linda Blair discuss the impact of being parentless in older age. Imagine being the first woman to travel to the Moon. The Nasa astronaut Christina Koch has been chosen as one of the four crew members who will orbit the Moon in the spacecraft Orion, as part of Nasa’s Artemis II mission in November next year. TV presenter Sarah Greene, most well-known for her work on Blue Peter and Going Live is back on our screens with a brand-new BBC 1 quiz show, The Finish Line. She reflects on her career and tells us all about her new role. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Sunday sees the Women's World Cup final between England and Spain and to mark it we are joined by England's top female goal scorer, Ellen White. By the time of Ellen's retirement after last year’s Euros, she'd scored 52 goals in 113 international appearances. She joins Anita from Sydney to discuss the magic of Sarina Wiegman and her advice for the Lionesses ahead of Sunday's match.Has anyone asked for a pay rise yet? With everything costing more and wages not quite keeping up, maybe it's time we did. Historically women are less likely to ask for a pay rise with a recent survey suggesting half of men have asked for a rise but only 37% of women have. Anita is joined by businesswoman and entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid to discuss.Imagine being the first woman to travel to the Moon. The Nasa astronaut Christina Koch is edging closer to that entry in the history books. She has been chosen as one of the four crew members who will orbit the Moon in the spacecraft Orion, as part of Nasa’s Artermis II mission in November next year. All going well, the Artemis programme will continue in 2025 as Nasa and its partners attempt to land the first woman and first person of colour on the surface of the Moon. Anita speaks to Christina all about it.A new study has found that the morning-after pill is made more effective when taken with an anti-inflammatory painkiller. The study found taking the morning-after pill combined with piroxicam - a drug used for arthritis pain - prevented 95% of pregnancies, whereas taking the morning-after pill alone prevented 63%. Anita is joined by the President of The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health at The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Janet Barter, to discuss the significance of these findings. Ligwina Hananto is an Indonesian stand-up comedian journeying to Europe for the first time to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe. She joins Anita to talk about what it’s like to be a hijab-wearing comedian in a conservative Muslim society, and why she feels like she lives a double life.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Manager: Bob Nettles00:00 Opener 01:30 Ellen White 15:34 How to Ask For a Pay Rise 28:58 Christina Koch 43:00 Contraception 48:04 Mrs Hananto

England are through to the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in history. But while the Lionesses are excelling in Australia and New Zealand, what’s it like for girls playing football back in the UK? Are they feeling the impact of England’s success? Samerah, Charlotte, and Isabelle, teenagers involved in the Football Beyond Borders programme, share their experiences, and Anita speaks to Ceylon Andi Hickman, the charity’s director of external relations, about how to ensure the legacy of the World Cup reaches girls from all backgrounds.A 22 year old woman has denied carrying out an illegal abortion during lockdown. Bethany Cox was accused of two charges on Tuesday in relation to using drugs and poison to end a pregnancy in July 2020. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in court and has been released on bail. Anita Rani speaks to Hannah Al-Othman, a reporter for the Sunday Times who was in court.It's A level results today across the UK for hundreds and thousands of students. The proportion of A or A* grades is 27.2% down from a peak of nearly 45% in the pandemic. That means it is more or less back to where it was in 2019, the last year of exams before COVID. Grainne Hallahan, senior analyst from TES Magazine, looks into how girls performed. In 2023, a survey of 10,000 university students found that only 14 percent of pupils who had been in the care system progressed to higher education by age 19, compared to 47 percent of all other pupils. Anita is joined by Kim Emenike, who was in care as a child and Katharine Sacks-Jones, Chief Executive of the charity, Become, which supports young care leavers to discuss the challenges they face.TV presenter Sarah Greene, most well-known for her work on Blue Peter and Going Live is back on our screens with a brand new BBC 1 quiz show, The Finish Line. She joins Anita Rani to reflect on her career and to tell us all about her new role. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Steve Greenwood00:00 Opener 01:21 Football 20:19 Abortion 27.49 Exam results 36:42 Care leavers Uni 45:58 Sarah Greene

Martine McCutcheon describes her rising anxiety levels to do with the perimenopause. Who is Fani Willis? On Monday 14 August a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia voted to charge Mr Trump and 18 others with attempting to overturn the 2020 election result in the state. The woman taking on his case is District Attorney Fani Willis. Kimberley Peeler Allen the co-founder of HHFA, a national organization building the political power and leadership of Black women from the voting booth to elected office, joins Nuala. Should parents of disabled children and those with long term health conditions be kept in the loop, even when the young person turns 18 and is an adult? We hear from parents devastated to be excluded, who say they are not listened to, sometimes until it’s too late. And the Royal College of Psychiatrists tells Woman’s Hour they want to see the period of transition to be extended past 18 and up to the age of 25. In Nepal there have been reports of a 16-year old girl who has died as a result of the illegal practice of chhaupadi. This is where menstruating women are forced to stay in huts outside their home due to the centuries-old belief that they are unclean and untouchable during menstruation. Journalist Shristi Kafle joins us from Nepal. The Invincibles is the untold story of one of the most successful women’s football team of World War One. And as the spirit of the Sterling Ladies lives on in the Lionesses epic Women’s World Cup adventure this summer a play about them opens at the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch Essex early next month. Playwright Amanda Whittington and actor Yanexi Enriquez join Nuala. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore00:00 Opener 02:10 Martine Mccutcheon 13:53 Fani Willis 26:24 Post - 18 40:03 Period Huts 46:40 The Invincibles

Today marks two years since the re-taking of Afghanistan by the Taliban. We speak to Afghanistan's youngest female mayor, Zarifa Ghafari, who was elected mayor of the conservative central city of Maidan Shahr in 2018, aged 23, and survived three assassination attempts while still living in the country. During one of these attempts, her father was killed. Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, she fled Afghanistan along with her husband, mother and siblings. But she still receives daily death threats from the Taliban despite fleeing to Germany two years ago.Across social media, everyday activities such as making dinner for yourself, going for a walk or buying yourself flowers have been transformed into acts of feminist empowerment. The hashtag for the trend - ‘Romanticise your life’ - has over 1.5 billion views. Should we all be romanticising our lives more? Journalists Ellie Muir and Chanté Joseph look at the pros and cons of the trend.Women with poor mental health have an almost 50% higher risk of having a pre-term birth, that's according to a study of 2 million pregnancies in England. The research found that one in 10 women who had used mental health services before their pregnancy had a pre-term birth, compared with one in 15 who did not. We hear from one of the reports authors, Louise Howard, who is professor emerita in women’s mental health at King’s College London. Today is VJ day which marks the surrender of Japan and therefore the end of World War Two. Olga Henderson was 13 in 1945, starving in a camp in Singapore alongside other young internees. Now 91, Olga will join us in the studio to talk about her time in the camps recalled in her new – and first - book, In the Shadow of the Rising Sun.Journalist Ellie House is bisexual. But before she had even realised that, it felt like Big Tech had already worked it out, with some sites regularly recommending her LGBTQ content. Ellie joins Nuala to speak about her quest to understand how recommendations systems really work, and the risks and rewards of being queer online. She’ll also tell us about speaking to people for whom these kind of recommendations could become potentially life-threatening. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey00:00 Opener 02:00 Afghanistan 11:38 Romanticise Your Life 21:04 Pregnancy 30:54 Olga Henderson 45:47 Big Tech

The Lionesses are through to the Women's World Cup semi-final on Wednesday against co-hosts Australia. Reaching semi-finals of major tournaments is what England "are known for", says defender Lucy Bronze. Lucy's mum, Diane Bronze and former Lioness and football comemntator Anita Asante discuss. Many baby boomers are experiencing the death of their parents much later than previous generations. The journalist Helen Bullough and clinical psychologist Dr Linda Blair discuss the impact of being parentless in older age. Gill Castle will be the first person to attempt to swim the channel with a stoma. She's documenting her journey to crossing the channel in The Stoma Swimmer - a new audio series for BBC Sounds.What would happen if the apocalypse happened in the middle of a hen party? Caroline Moran, known for writing Raised by Wolves, has written a brand new comedy for BBC Two looking at just that. She joins Nuala to talk about why she wanted to create the series, Henpocalypse, and what to expect. How much can you tell a woman's life story through her feet? Emma McConnachie, who is a podiatrist and a spokesperson for the Royal College of Podiatry, explains how our feet change as we age. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregorOpener 00:00 Football 01:55 Older Orphans 13:36 Henpocalypse 30:09 Swim 39:36 Women and feet 48:21