Woman's Hour

The new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has appointed his team of top ministers but out of 31 members there are only seven women in his team. The BBC’s Leila Nathoo joins Jessica alongside Dr Meryl Kenny. Film critic and journalist Hanna Flint has been covering film and culture for nearly a decade. She's now written a book, Strong Female Character: What Movies Teach Us in which she reflects on how cinema has been the key to understanding herself and the world we live in. She joins Jessica Creighton in the studio.The latest inflation figures show the cost of household items like shower gel, toothpaste and shampoo rose by up to 11% from the same time last year. It's led to 3.2 million people saying they are no longer able to afford hygiene products. Ruth Brock is Chief Executive of the charity The Hygiene Bank and joins Jessica alongside Bryony, a mum from the South of England, who explains how it's impacting her.Flo & Joan are the multi-award winning British musical comedy duo Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. They cover everything from women’s safety to dating apps to mental health through their witty and irreverent comedy songs. Their sell-out 140-date international tour, Sweet Release, has just been extended. They will be performing for us live in the studio.This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Women’s Timber Corps - or ‘The Lumberjills’ as they were affectionately called. During World War Two Britain was so desperate for wood it was forced to step-up home-grown timber production. But with a lack of men to saw, manage and count the trees, meant that women from all over the UK stepped into the roles. Joanna Foat, author of Lumberjills: Stronger Together joins Jessica.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Emma Pearce

Twenty-one year old university student Libby Squire disappeared after a night out with friends in Hull in January 2019. Last year 24 year old Pawel Relowicz was jailed for 27 years for her rape and murder. A new Sky documentary 'Libby, Are You Home Yet?'available to watch on Sky Crime from 27th September and streaming service Now explores the case. Libby's mother Lisa joins Jess to explain why she wants to meet her daughter's killer, and the need for earlier intervention in 'lower level' sexual offences. Photo credit Sky. As Rishi Sunak becomes the UK's first British Asian Prime Minister and the third leader in seven weeks, what will be his priorities and how will that impact issues that particularly affect women? Jess speaks to Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, the Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, and BBC political correspondent Ione Wells.A key theme of this years COP27 climate summit is expected to centre around who pays for damage already being seen in countries across the world. It's a major concern for the climate activist Vanessa Nakate. Vanessa is 25, she's from Uganda and, inspired by Greta Thunberg’s school strikes in Sweden, launched her own climate movement in 2019 protesting outside the gates of the Ugandan parliament. Now a UNICEF ambassador she joins Jessica to discuss her book, A Bigger Picture, and what she wants to hear from world leaders ahead of COP27. For an occasional series called Girl’s World Ena Miller went to talk to girls at their schools about their lives and how they express their opinions. Alice and India are 13 and they go to school in Stroud.Are you or have you ever been a Goth? Black clothes, eyeliner, big boots, lashings of lipstick' ...sound familiar? Fashion librarian Katie Godman's book 'Gothic Fashion - From Barbarian to Haute Couture' traces the roots of this long-lived, popular and adaptable look. She joins Jess and listeners share their stories of when and why they went Gothic.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Dianne McGregor

In China, the leader Xi Jinping has moved into a historic third term in power. He has just revealed his senior leadership team at the 20th Communist party congress in Beijing, and for the first time in 25 years, no women were included. We discuss what this means for women in China.A new BBC documentary looks at how deepfake technology is being used to create hardcore pornography of women without their consent. Presenter of the documentary Jess Davies and leading deepfake and synthetic media expert Henry Ajder join Krupa, alongside campaigner Kate Issacs who has been impacted by this form of image-based sexual abuse.In the next episode of Friends Forever? Dan and Nat have been best friends for 20 years but romantic relationships have put a strain on their friendship. How do you cope if you think your mate's boyfriend is bad for her? Jo Morris explores the tricky business of having a best mate and a partner. British Gymnastics have just published ‘Reform 25’, their 40 point response to the Whyte Review. The report was highly critical of the organisation saying it was enabling a toxic culture that prioritised profit over the wellbeing of young athletes, and encouraged an era in which they were subjected to shocking levels of emotional and physical abuse. Sarah Powell the new CEO of British Gymnastics joins Krupa Padhy, along with Claire Heafford, co-founder and campaign director of Gymnasts 4 Change.Sophie Green is an artist and conservationist. In her paintings she highlights some of the planet's most endangered animals and next month her work will be showcased in a new exhibition called Impermanence at the Oxo Tower Gallery in London.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Geena Davis is a two-time Academy award-winning actress, known for her role as Thelma in Thelma & Louise, among countless other parts she has played. She joins Jessica Creighton to talk about her impressive career as an actress, athlete and model – as well as why she’s such a champion of female representation in media, and why she chose the title of her new memoir, ‘Dying of Politeness’.Anne Sacoolas on Thursday admitted causing the death of 19 year old motorcyclist Harry Dunn in August 2019. Harry’s mother Charlotte spoke to Anita Rani about how she’s feeling after the trial, and how her and Harry’s family have kept up the fight for justice over the last three years. Choreographer Jasmin Vardimon talks to Jessica Creighton about her new production, ALiCE, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and looks at how current cultural themes that we wouldn’t expect, including how women change through puberty and the menopause, are central to the classic story.Domestic abuse figures in England and Wales are going up. Woman’s Hour has been hearing about sides of the issue we don’t really talk about. Winifred Robinson, presenter of the Radio 4 series, ‘Boy in the Woods’ talks to Krupa Pahdy about what it is that makes women want to stay with their abusers – and filmmaker Deeyah Khan tells Jessica Creighton about her new documentary, ‘Behind the Rage’, which focuses on the men who are violent towards their partners.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Anne Sacoolas - a US citizen - has admitted causing the death of 19 year old Harry Dunn, outside an airbase in Northamptonshire in 2019. Yesterday, she appeared at the Old Bailey via video link and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. She'd been charged with causing death by dangerous driving -- but her guilty plea to the lesser charge was accepted. She will be sentenced next month. Her family and campaigners have worked tirelessly to get justice for Harry. In a radio exclusive, we hear reaction from his mother Charlotte Charles. After weeks of political turmoil Liz Truss resigned yesterday after just 45 days as Prime Minister. Her resignation has triggered a second Tory leadership election in just four months. But why did her leadership fail? Was there something inherently wrong with her leadership style or was this about gender? We hear from Ella Robertson McKay National Chair of Conservative Young Women, and from Rainbow Murray, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University.Cerys Hafana is one of the few people in the world who plays the Welsh triple harp. At the age of just 21, she has made her mark on the Welsh folk music scene, with a second album which ‘mangles, mutates, and transforms’ the canon. She'll be playing one of the tracks from the new album live in the studio.And Anita Rani will be speaking to Sejal Majithia and Sejal Sachdev the women behind a new exhibition Ugandan Asians A Living History which reflects on fifty years since the expulsion of Asians by Idi Amin. They’ll be giving us an insight into what women and their families went through during and after expulsion and how it’s shaped communities today.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Tim Heffer & Bob Nettles

Comedian Jayde Adams and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Karen Hauer speak to Woman’s Hour about their performance on Saturday’s show which was dedicated to Jayde’s late sister Jenna Adams. They’ll be talking about how their journey dancing as a female sex couple has been, reflecting on the public support and reaction, as well as giving us an insight into what’s in store for their next dance. A recent poll by YouGov found that half of Conservative members now think Liz Truss should resign. Krupa is joined by two of them: Sally-Ann Marks who is chairman of Maidstone and the Weald Conservative Association and Seena Shah is formerly the National Chairman of Conservative Young Women, and now a board member for Conservatives in the City.We hear from a woman we're calling Sarah who is living on the estate where Rikki Neave, the six year old boy was killed in 1994, lived. Presenter Winifred Robinson met Sarah by chance when she was investigating why it took twenty years for Rikki’s killer to be brought to justice which resulted in the recent series “The Boy in the Woods” which has just been aired on Radio 4. She was living in a situation comparable with the Neave family. Krupa Padhy speaks to Winifred and you can hear her exclusive interview with Sarah and we’ll also be talking to child protection expert Sarah Humphreys.Women are twice as likely to suffer from phobias than men. Kate Summerscale joins Krupa to discuss her new book, The Book of Phobias and Manias: a history of the world in 99 obsessions.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Emma Pearce

An independent review launched after up to 15 babies died at a hospital trust will be published later this morning. The report into maternity services at East Kent Hospitals, which is expected to be "harrowing", examined up to 200 cases involving mothers and babies. The medical experts reviewed an 11-year period from 2009 at two hospitals in Margate and Ashford. Two mothers who lost their babies at a hospital trust at the centre of a maternity scandal say they felt they were blamed for the deaths. Earlier our presenter Krupa Padhi spoke to one of those mothers Helen Gittos as she and her husband Alan, and other families, waited to be allowed to read the report. They lost their daughter Harriet in 2014.The cartoonist Kate Beaton has written a memoir about her time working in the oil fields of Canada aged 21 to pay off her student debt. Her memoir 'Ducks' tells of her loneliness and vulnerability in the male-dominated space and the kindness she found there too. The dirty machinery and blasted landscapes alongside the Northern Lights inspired her as an artist and her book offers a rare insight into the lives of the people who surface our oil .Carmen Callil, the publisher and writer who championed female writers and transformed the canon of English literature, has died of leukemia aged 84. She founded the feminist imprint Virago Press, where she published contemporary bestsellers including Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou. She worked with writers such as Angela Carter, Alan Hollinghurst and Toni Morrison. She was also the first publisher of Hilary Mantel. We discuss her life with chair of Virago Press, Lennie Goodings, a long-term friend and former colleague of the late publisher and writer. Child-free women in the 20-something age bracket are sharing videos outlining what their day-to-day lives look like as #StayAtHomeGFs on TikTok. The hashtag has garnered 170 million posts and refers to one partner in a relationship whose role is to stay at home to look after their breadwinner boyfriend who goes to work and funds their lives. The content appears to be quite aspirational for many. We discuss the trend with the digital culture commentator Hannah Van de Peer and Alex Holder, a personal finance expert and author of Open Up: Why Talking About Money Will Change Your Life.Google searches for sterilisation peaked in the US in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v Wade – and the morning after pill sold out. It’s even made some women rethink whether or not they want children, and reports suggest younger women are even considering permanent sterilisation so they can’t become pregnant again. 23-year-old Olivia from Massachusetts joins Krupa, alongside USA correspondent Holly Honderich and NHS gynaecologist Dr Larisa Corda, to chat about the implications of female sterilisation. Presenter: Krupa Padhi Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Helen Gittos Interviewed Guest: Kate Beaton Interviewed Guest: Lennie Goodings Interviewed Guest: Hannah Van de Peer Interviewed Guest: Alex Holder Interviewed Guest: Holly Honderich Interviewed Guest: Dr Larissa Corda

In her memoir "Dying of Politeness" the Oscar winning actor Geena_Davis talks about her roles from a housewife-turned-road warrior and an amnesiac assassin to the mother of a rodent, and the president of the United States. Plus she shares with Jessica Ceighton how she could have swapped acting for athletes and her passion for female representation.Many of you got in touch after the journalist Merope Mills voiced her anger at her 13-year-old daughter Martha's preventable death in hospital. Jessica Creighton speaks to consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Virginia Davies about some of the broader medical issues you raised - from feeling that doctors and other medical staff were sometimes arrogant and often weren’t listening to your concerns about patient care to whether there needs to be a change in hospital culture. Survivors of modern slavery could be contributing to the UK economy and helping to address skills shortages, but instead are being held back by bureaucratic red tape, that’s according to a new report by Hestia the leading provider of modern slavery support in London and the Southeast. The want for survivors to be given a temporary right to work as soon as they enter the system. We hear from a survivor "Trinny" and Alison Logier Head of Modern Slavery services about the impact this could have both for survivors and society as a whole.What's it like to be the youngest child with large age gaps between you and your siblings? And what can parents do to help ease the difficulties that might occur? Presenter Jessica Creighton Producer Beverley Purcell

Jasmin Vardimon is one of the UK’s leading choreographers and was awarded an MBE for services to dance in the late Queen’s final birthday honours list in June. This month Jasmin is bringing ALiCE - a new interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland - to the Sadler’s Wells. She is also opening a purpose-built dance centre in Kent where the Jasmin Vardimon Company will be based. She joins Jessica to talk about her work.Deeyah Khan is an Emmy, Bafta and Peabody winning filmmaker. Deeyah’s films have previously covered topics such as abortion in America, white supremacy, and why people become terrorists. Her latest film looks at domestic violence in the United States, hearing from voices rarely heard on the topic, the men who perpetrate violence towards their partners. Deeyah joins Jessica.Baroness Casey's interim report into the Metropolitan Police's disciplinary procedures has found that hundreds of Met police officers have been getting away with misconduct and even breaking the law. The new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has today called for officers to be sacked, after the report found that their internal disciplinary system is racist and misogynist, and allegations of sexual misconduct or discrimination are less likely to result in a case to answer than other claims. It also found that repeat misconduct offenders have remained in post, with just 13 out of 1,809 officers with more than one case against them being sacked since 2013. Jessica speaks to Shabnam Chaudri, formerly a Detective Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police.Membership of the Women's International Motorcycle Association has increased by 50% in the last two years. And the world’s largest all-female biker meet took place in Leicestershire this summer, with over 1,500 women in attendance. But why is the number of female motorcyclists accelerating? Jessica talks to Karina Artun AKA Bike Like a Mum on Instagram, who started learning to ride in lockdown, and Sheonagh Ravensdale, Communications Director of the British Motorcyclists Federation.Women are selling sex to cope with the cost of living crisis, according to the English Collective of Prostitutes who have seen call levels to their helpline rise by a third in the last few months. Many women are turning to sex work for the first time, while others are returning, having left it behind. Pregnant Then Screwed have also been contacted by women in a similar position. Jessica speaks to a sex worker called Evie and Niki Adams of the English Collective of Prostitutes, a network of sex workers and supporters campaigning for the decriminalisation of prostitution.

Nicole Hockley lost her son Dylan when he was 6 years old, during the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut in 2012. She talks about her son, her feelings of loss, her activism and her reaction to the trial of Alex Jones, where a jury decided he should pay nearly 1 billion dollars in damages. Do you feel comfortable voicing your opinion? Are you afraid of the ‘cancel culture’? Actress Juliet Stevenson is in a new play that address the issue of differing opinions in the modern world – she explains why she thinks we’ve lost free speech in this country.Women in Iran are continuing to protest in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian women have a strong history of protesting – author Kamin Mohammidi discusses.This week marks 40 years of Sue Townsend’s ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole’. English Professor Emma Parker and writer Cathy Rentzenbrink join us to talk about the enduring legacy of Adrian Mole.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

This week, in a defamation trial in the US, Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars website, was ordered to pay nearly one billion dollars in damage to eight families and an FBI agent. He had falsely claimed a mass shooting of twenty young children between ages of 6 and 7 and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012 was a hoax. Because of his lies grieving families were harassed and threatened by his followers. Nicole Hockley’s six year old son Dylan was killed in the shooting and was part of the defamation case and awarded millions in damages. Nicole joins Anita to discuss her response, and her ongoing work as the co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise, which works to protect children from gun violence. Manisha Tailor MBE is the assistant head of coaching for the under 9's to 16's at QPR Football Club. She is the only person of South Asian heritage to be working as a coach in English professional football. She discusses her new book ‘Dream Like Me: South Asian Football Trailblazers’.National Album Day returns for its 5th year tomorrow and this year turns the spotlight on debut albums. Previous themes include women in music and the 1980s. With activity across BBC Sounds, Anita hears from indie folk trio The Staves. The three sisters from Hertfordshire released their debut album ‘Dead, Born and Grown’ exactly ten years ago and have just re-issued a special edition on recycled vinyl. Jessica, Emily and Camilla perform live in the Woman's Hour studio..Would you wear a necklace made from your own bacteria? Or a pair of earrings formed from human tears? Anita Rani talks to two women who are using bodily materials – often their own – to make art. Chloe Fitzpatrick grows human bacteria to create the dyes used in her jewellery pieces and has amassed millions of views on TikTok for her videos documenting the process. Alice Potts’ innovative work with crystals has allowed her to create beautiful crystal structures out of tears, urine, and sweat.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Nicole Hockley Interviewed Guest: Manisha Tailor Interviewed Guest: Camilla Staveley-Taylor Interviewed Guest: Emily Staveley-Taylor Interviewed Guest: Jessica Staveley-Taylor Photographer: Sequoia Ziff Interviewed Guest: Chloe Fitzpatrick Interviewed Guest: Alice Potts

The Doctor’ first opened at the Almeida in 2019 Juliet Stevenson’s performance was described as ‘one of the peaks of the theatrical year’. Now on stage in London’s West End the play has again been highly applauded by the critics. Juliet joins Emma Barnett to discuss playing Dr Ruth Wolff, medical ethics, identity politics, anti-Semitism, media witch hunts and the way institutions protect themselves against criticism.It’s been 40 years since The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend was published. On New Year’s Day 1981 Adrian lives in Leicester. His parent’s relationship is rocky, money is tight. He is worried about his spots and the length of his penis and he yearns for Pandora a girl from school who is from the posh part of town. Joining Emma are Dr Emma Parker, Associate Professor of English working on Twentieth Century women’s writing at Leicester University and the writer Cathy Rentzenbrink. What does the diary of a teenage boy tell us about the lives of girls and women in the early 80's?We hear from the Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge who yesterday at PMQ's asked Liz Truss about the charity Mermaids which offers support around gender and identity to children and young people up to 25 years old and is currently the subject of a regulatory compliance case by the Charity Commission. Plus Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds talks about her Strictly Come Dancing journey and the impact of the online trolling she's received since taking part in the show.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell PHOTO CREDIT. Ruth Wolff

Based on the Salem trials in Massachusetts in 1692, where young girls accused their elders of satanism, a new production of Arthur Miller's modern classic The Crucible has just opened at the National Theatre in London. Actor Erin Doherty, best known for her portrayal of a young Princess Anne in Netflix series The Crown, plays Abigail Williams, the girl whose spurned affections spark the witch hunt. She joins Jessica.Strip clubs in Edinburgh will be banned from April next year, but the venues and the strippers who work in them are fighting the decision. Supporters of the ban say it's upholding the Scottish Government's strategy on Violence Against Women and Girls which says stripping encompasses and engenders violence against women and girls. But strippers say it will impact their ability to earn a living and force them into dangerous working conditions at underground clubs. Jessica is joined by Tess Herrman from the Union of Sex Workers and also by former Labour councillor and Scotsman columnist Susan Dalgety.Dame Angela Lansbury, who won international acclaim as the star of the US TV crime series Murder, She Wrote, has died at the age of 96. The three-time Oscar nominee had a career spanning eight decades, across film, theatre and TV. She was born in London in 1925. When she moved to New York, she was discovered by a film executive who gave her, her first role as a maid in the 1944 film Gaslight. In 1973, Woman's Hour presenter Sue McGregor caught up with Dame Angela when she was performing in the stage show Gypsy. As university students settle in, are you experiencing empty nest syndrome? Listener Natalie Paddick got in touch to tell us about her feelings of loss now that all her children have left home. She joins Jessica along with author Celia Dodd who's written about the Empty Nest subtitled, 'Your Changing Family, Your New Direction'.For our occasional series Girl’s World, Ena Miller went to talk to 14-year-olds Ruby, Nyima and Azelea at their school in Stroud.A Brazilian butt lift is a procedure where fat, usually from the stomach and back, is injected into the buttocks to change their shape and size. In 2018 - after the death of Leah Cambridge who had flown to Turkey to have the surgery - the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, or BAAPS, advised their members not to perform them. But this week they've released new recommendations they hope will make the procedure safer. Joining Jessica are the President of BAAPS, Marc Pacifico, and director Louise Coleman whose documentary The Bottom Line is on ITV Hub.

The Royal College of Nursing, the world's biggest nurses' union, has a culture of bullying and misogyny, according to an internal report. Jessica Creighton speaks to Pat Cullen, the General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN who commissioned the report. Helen O’Hara is a violinist and composer who plays the ear catching violin on the massive No.1 hit Come on Eileen. She joins Jessica to explain why she chose to become a key member of Dexy’s Midnight Runners rather than join a symphony orchestra, how she picked up her violin again after a long break to raise her sons, and the story behind the title of her memoir – What’s She Like. Today is International Day of the Girl, a global day of action for girls rights. The CEO of the charity Plan International, Rose Caldwell is the CEO of Plan International UK & the Welsh Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt will join Jessica Creighton to discuss how to get more women into leadership and where we are with achieving gender equality. At the end of the Coperni show during Paris Fashion Week, two men spray painted a white dress onto model Bella Hadid. After a few minutes the dress moved with Hadid’s body like a regular, fitted fabric as she walked down the runway. Will we all be spraying on our clothes in the future? We speak to sustainable fashion journalist Megan Doyle to find out more. The war in Ukraine may have reached its culmination with the Russian invasion earlier this year, but for people living on the front lines, the fighting has been constant since 2014. Photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind joins Jessica to discuss her work and new upcoming exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

With this year’s UN Climate Conference – COP27 – just under a month away, political leaders and activists are preparing to visit Egypt which will host the event this year. Climate activist Farwiza Farhan and Patience Nabukalu join Jessica to talk about the power that women hold when it comes to climate conservation.Amy Loughren is the woman who helped to secure the conviction of notorious serial killer Charles Cullen. Cullen was a nurse who administered lethal doses of medication to patients in multiple hospitals and nursing homes in America throughout his 16-year career. In 2006 he pleaded guilty to 29 murders and is currently serving a life sentence for his crimes. Amy was a critical care nurse who worked the night shift with him at his final place of employment and collaborated with detectives to secure his confession. Her story is now being told in Netflix's new film The Good Nurse, starring Eddie Redmayne as Charles Cullen and Jessica Chastain as Amy. Friday night saw an historic match between England and the USA, it was the fastest-selling England football game – men’s or women’s – at the new Wembley stadium. Another historic moment saw the original Lionesses finally get caps for their first international game in 1972. They weren’t recognised by the FA at the time but thanks to the reserve goalie of the team Sue Whyatt, who text in to Woman’s Hour earlier this year, they were presented with their caps on Friday night. Sue Whyatt joins Jessica. Cecilia Knapp is a poet, playwright and novelist and was the Young People’s Laureate for London 2020-21. She won the Ruth Rendell Award in 2021 which honours the writer who has had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK in the past year. She has also been shortlisted for many poetry awards - including the 2022 Forward prize. She joins Jessica to talk about her debut collection Peach Pig, which candidly explores loss, motherlessness, the complicated relationships women have with their bodies, and grief. Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Emma Pearce

Merope Mills’ 13-year-old daughter Martha died in hospital in August 2021. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable, and the hospital has apologised. Merope, who is Editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, says her daughter would be alive today if doctors had not kept information from them about her condition, because as her parents they would have demanded a second opinion. The award-winng British-Ugandan actor Sheila Atim on her new film ‘The Woman King’. She plays the warrior Amenza, part of the Agojie, an all-female army who battle fearlessly against marauding European slavers to protect their empire in 19th century Dahomay, in West Africa. A year on from the Atherton Review which found women in the armed forces were being let down with a majority reporting they had suffered bullying harassment or discrimination we hear from Emma Norton from the Centre for Military Justice about what progress has been made.As the Prime Minister delivered her first speech at the Tory party confernece, the impressionists have been busy at work. Politicians have always been their lifeblood especially our Prime Ministers. Jess Robinson who does many of the famous female voices for Spitting Image and Jan Ravens from Radio 4's Dead Ringers discuss. . Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Anita Rani talks to Sheila Atim the award-winning British-Ugandan actor about her new film ‘The Woman King’. She plays the warrior Amenza, part of the Agojie, an all-female army who battle fearlessly against marauding European slavers to protect their empire in 19th century Dahomay, in West Africa. Her role is Lieutenant to Nanisca (AKA Viola Davis), the formidable head of that female military regiment. A year on from the Atherton Review which found women in the armed forces were being let down with a majority reporting they had suffered bullying harassment or discrimination we hear from Emma Norton from the Centre for Military Justice about what progress has been made. A new sculpture by Nigerian artist Péju Alatise, Sim & The Glass Birds, can be seen in this year's Frieze Sculpture 2022 in London's Regents Park. Sim & The Glass Birds is a four-panel life-sized sculptural composition featuring the figure of a young girl and glass birds in flight highlighting the plight of marginalised young girls and the issue of child labour in Nigeria . Peju joins Anita in the studio.Amanda Wakeley OBE is one of Britain's best-loved designers. She has three British Fashion Awards and has dressed everyone from Diana, Princess of Wales to Beyoncé but a downturn during the pandemic saw her company collapse into administration. She’s now started her own podcast called Style DNA by Amanda Wakeley. She talks to Anita about starting over again, turning 60 and her never-ending love for a good white shirt.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Merope Mills’ 13-year-old daughter Martha died in hospital in August 2021. She had sustained a rare pancreatic trauma after falling off a bike on a family holiday, and spent weeks in a specialist unit where she developed sepsis. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable, and the hospital has apologised. Merope, who is Editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, says her daughter would be alive today if doctors had not kept information from them about her condition, because as her parents they would have demanded a second opinion. She joins Emma for her only broadcast interview.As the Prime Minister Liz Truss jets off to Prague to a meeting of a new political club of nations, the summit of the European Political Community - the impressionists have been busy at work. Politicians have always been their lifeblood especially our Prime Ministers. Jess Robinson who does many of the famous female voices for Spitting Image and Jan Ravens from Radio 4's Dead Ringers join Emma.It has been three weeks since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who fell into a coma hours after being detained by morality police on 13 September in Tehran for allegedly breaking the strict law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. She died in hospital three days later. It sparked widespread unrest in Iran which has moved to the classroom where schoolgirls have been removing their hijabs. Meanwhile the protests are going global. Last week British Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe cut her hair and yesterday a video was posted in which 50 high profile French women also cut their hair in support, including the actor Juliette Binoche. On Tuesday Abir Al-Sahlani, MEP for the Swedish Centre Party made a speech in the European Parliament where she cut her hair while standing behind a podium. Abir joins Emma along with Faranak Amidi,This Saturday marks the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup. It's being held in New Zealand and England are the runaway favourites. Wales and Scotland are also taking part and Northern Ireland, who play as Ireland, failed to qualify. To give us a preview Emma is joined by Ali Donnelly, podcast host and author of Scrum Queens, the story of women's rugby and Rocky Clark, England's most capped player (men and womens). Rocky represented England in the last four World Cups, lifting the trophy with her team in 2014.

Nicola Rollock, Professor of Social Policy and Race at King's College London and an expert on racial justice, has a book out, The Racial Code: Tales of Resistance and Survival. in which she explores the hidden rules of race and racism, how they maintain the status quo, the pain and cost of navigating everyday racism and how to truly achieve racial justice.The Crown Prosecution Service has apologised unreservedly to a woman whose rape case was dropped after defence lawyers claimed she had an episode of a rare sleep walking condition called ‘sexsomnia’. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK - the CPS now says it was wrong to drop the case and it should have gone to court. The BBC followed Jade McCrossen-Nethercott’s case as events unfolded over three years. Emma speaks to Jade and Emma Ailes, the producer and director of the BBC 3 documentary : SEXSOMNIA: CASE CLOSED? about why she began following Jade's case. The Home Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled that she may consider giving anonymity to criminal suspects as she feels a “media circus” jeopardises a fair trial. Speaking to an audience of Young Conservatives at the Conservative Conference in Birmingham, her comments came in answer to a question referring to the high profile cases of singer Sir Cliff Richard and Harvey Proctor, a former Conservative Member of Parliament, who were falsely accused of sexual abuse and never charged. Currently, alleged victims of sexual offences receive lifelong anonymity under UK law but there is no law against naming a suspect. So what effect would it have, particularly on women, if anonymity were given? Joining Emma is Lady Nourse who was cleared of 17 counts of historical child sex abuse involving a boy under the age of 12 in 2021, and Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist and former detective who exposed Jimmy Savile as a paedophile. When was the last time you tried something completely new? After over a decade in the music industry, 4 successful albums, and a Mercury Prize nomination under her belt, Nadine Shah has turned her hand to acting for the first time. The singer, songwriter, and musician talks to Emma Barnett about fear of failure, updating Shakespeare, and learning to act for her debut role as Titania in Matthew Dunster and Jimmy Fairhurst’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.It’s exactly a month since Liz Truss became leader of the conservative party and today she makes her first speech in that new role to the party faithful at their conference in Birmingham later this morning. Instead of the usual honeymoon period a new leader can expect to enjoy she has been beset by adverse publicity after the unveiling of chancellor’s mini budget almost two weeks ago. It led to huge market unrest with the pound plunging to record lows against the dollar. Emma speaks to Kirsty Buchanan, her former Special Advisor.

Alex Scott is one of the most high profile names in women’s sport. The former Lioness started playing football for Arsenal when she was just eight years old, later, as a semi-professional player for the club she washed the men's team kit to earn extra money on the side. Alex went on to play for England 140 times and now presents on the BBC and Sky Sports. She has recently released her memoir entitled ‘How (Not) to Be Strong’ and joins Emma in the studio. Last Friday after two weeks of the inquest into the death of Molly Russell in 2017 coroner Andrew Walker concluded Molly died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content. He said the images of self-harm and suicide she viewed "shouldn't have been available for a child to see" and that social media content contributed "more than minimally" to her death. Her father, Ian has called for urgent changes to make children safer online. Emma Barnett speaks to Merry Varney, the family’s lawyer. It's just five weeks until the midterm elections in the United States. Emma is joined by the Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the first woman in US history to be elected both as a Governor and as a Senator for New Hampshire, a small but decisive State. In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a car park in Leicester. The search had been orchestrated by an amateur historian, Philippa Langley, whose unrelenting research had been met with incomprehension by her friends and family and with scepticism by experts and academics. Emma speaks to Philippa Langley.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

What is a gentle parent? Does it really mean never saying ‘no’ to your child? And how did #gentleparenting attract more than 2.6 billion views on TikTok? Emma Barnett talks to TikTok content creator Kelly Medina Enos and psychologist Dr Penelope Leach about the rising popularity of this parenting approach.Only yesterday the Prime Minister Liz Truss said her government would be sticking to the measures announced in the mini budget ten days ago. But this morning the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, has reversed the tax cut proposal that has led to volatility in the value of sterling and pressure on interest rates and inflation. Is it strong leadership to admit mistakes and move on or will it blight the premiership of Liz Truss? Emma is joined by the Times journalist Rachel Sylvester, and then business leader Nicola Horlick to discuss new research showing that just a third of girls want to be the boss in their future careers.We learned last week that the charity Mermaids is to be investigated by the Charity Commission. This is after an undercover investigation by the Telegraph newspaper claiming that Mermaids is supplying breast binders to children without parental consent. These are devices that are used to bind up the breasts in order to give the appearance of a flatter chest. Emma speaks to Lauren Moss, the BBC’s LGBT and Identity correspondent who has been following the story.Wayne Couzens is serving a whole life sentence for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021. He has appeared this morning at The Old Bailey at a plea hearing for two flashing offences he allegedly committed prior to this. Couzens was not actually asked to enter a plea however, amid ongoing industrial action by barristers, so we don't know yet know whether these charges will lead to a trial. We explore the subject of so-called ‘indicator’ offences, those low-level offences which could lead to more serious crimes. Emma is joined by Zoe Billingham, Former Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary who was responsible for inspecting 15 police forces & Kieran McCartan - Professor of Criminology at the University of the West of England.We speak to Sam and Alena Cox, a married couple of artists whose Kent home is attracting a lot of attention. Sam is an artist known for his doodles and he has gone everywhere in his home with his paintbrush and spray can. It's black and white all over - from the external walls to the toilet lid and even Alena’s tutu.

Record numbers of nurses are quitting the NHS in England, according to new data analysis by the Nuffield Trust for the BBC. More than 40,000 have left the health service in the past year. Another report published this week from NHS Providers said the squeeze on pay amid rising inflation is forcing nurses and other staff to stop contributions to their pension, skip meals and take on second jobs. Anita Rani speaks to Molly Case, a clinical specialist nurse, working in the community in South London.We talk about family WhatsApp group chats. They can be a source of great joy or great annoyance. We speak to author Nina Stibbe and Journalist Nell Frizzell who has been looking into this.Regarded as one of the greatest English-language novelists of this century, Dame Hilary Mantel was perhaps less well known for her brilliant writing on chronic illness. Throughout her life the author suffered from a severe form of endometriosis. Emma speaks to writer Sarah Perry, author of the Essex Serpent, who has had her own experience of chronic illness and Eleanor Thom, author of Private Parts, how to really live with endometriosis.Giorgia Meloni's election as the Prime Minister of Italy is just the latest victory for a woman on the right of the political spectrum. The vast majority of European women who have had true executive power come from the right, starting with Margaret Thatcher. Emma speaks to Professor Matthew Goodwin and the academic Costanza Hermanin to discuss why the Left have had fewer female leaders. 'Ladies shall we have some fun?' We speak to sex and relationship expert Oloni, who built an online community by speaking openly about sex and relationships. We discuss her new book 'The Big O'.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Surya Elango Editor: Emma Pearce

A woman posted a thread on Mumsnet about wanting to take time off work while going through a break up with father or her child, the responses she got were mixed. We want to know whether you would ever consider this but also would you be open about taking time off to help deal with a break up? We speak to relationship expert Mel Schilling and blogger Meera Narandan.We talk to Chi-chi Nwanoku from Chineke! Orchestra – Europe’s first professional majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra – and hear music from their new albumThe Yoga Manifesto – a new book by Nadia Gilani and we’ll be joined by one of the winners from last night’s International Women’s Podcast AwardsPresenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Michael Millham.

'Ladies shall we have some fun?' Some of you may recognise this catchphrase and be thinking of the sex and relationship expert Oloni, who built an online community by speaking openly about sex and relationships. Her new book – The Big O – is out and goes into detail about how we can close what she calls ‘the orgasm gap’. Oloni joins Emma.The Bank of England’s intervention yesterday to calm financial markets after the government’s mini-budget came hot on the heels of the International Monetary Fund warning that the measures are likely to fuel the cost of living crisis. One woman who’s been advising the IMF over the past 20 years is Ngaire Woods, now Professor of Global Economic Governance at the University of Oxford, she joins Emma.Giorgia Meloni’s election as the Prime Minister of Italy is just the latest victory for a woman on the right of the political spectrum. The vast majority of European women who have who had true executive power - party or government leaders – come from the right, starting with Margaret Thatcher. The academic Costanza Hermanin from the European University Institute in Florence joins Emma Barnett to discuss why the Left have had fewer female leaders, alongside Professor Matthew Goodwin from the University of Kent, who has written a number of books including National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy.We've been talking about female friendship in the last couple of weeks and focussing on what happens when friendship goes wrong. Can you fix a friendship that has broken and should you try? Daniella and Nataliya - Dan and Nat - are both 33 and they live in London. Jo Morris talked to them, separately, about their long friendship and what it means to them. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Sir Keir Starmer delivered his speech to the Labour Party conference yesterday. It comes as YouGov polling shows women would be more likely than men to vote Labour if an election were held now. What's behind this? Former Tony Blair aide for over 10 years Baroness Sally Morgan joins Emma Barnett alongside Anoosh Chakelin Britain Editor at the New Statesman.Actor Gwyneth Paltrow decided to pose naked, mostly covered in gold body powder, and then posted her photos on social media saying she had learned to accept 'the marks and the loosening skin, the wrinkles' that come with turning 50 and her decision was 'more about the female gaze and just a sense of fun'. Is there power to be gained from going naked? Emma speaks to economist and author Dr Victoria Bateman who protested against Brexit naked on TV, and walked naked into the drinks reception at the Royal Economic Society Conference.A group of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters from Leicester have called for an end to the clashes involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities. The tensions in the city, which started last month following an India and Pakistan cricket match and the spread of misinformation on social media, resulted in large-scale disorder on 17th September on the east side of the city. This has led to nearly 50 arrests, 158 crimes being recorded and nine people being charged. The arrests have included people from outside of the city. The group of South Asian women of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths in Leicester issued a joint statement at the weekend saying "As strong proud Asian women, we know that when Leicester is united, it can never be defeated.” Joining Emma are local Labour Councillor Rita Patel who is Hindu and Yasmin Surti, a Muslim mother of three and Secretary of the Federation of Muslim Organisations in Leicester.Zarifa Ghafari was the youngest woman to become a mayor in Afghanistan, before having to flee the country last year after threats on her life by the Taliban, once again back in charge. Zarifa sadly knows first hand the brutality of the regime, as only weeks after another assassination attempt on her life failed in 2020, the Taliban killed her father. Her story forms the basis of a new Netflix documentary called In Her Hands and a book called Zarifa. She joins Emma from Germany, where she and her mother, fiance and six siblings now live in safety.

In her new novel "Best Of Friends" the award winning writer Kamila Shamasie explores the personal and political in Karachi in 1988 and London now. Fourteen year old Maryam and Zahra have been friends for 40 years but can they ever really know each other?Tonight's File on 4 will highlight the shortcomings of the Police and the National Referral Mechanism – the government pathway set up to provide financial, emotional and legal support as well as access to safe accommodation to victims of trafficking – and reveal how British survivors are being let down by the system. Emma talks to reporter Annabel Deas and we hear from a woman we're calling "Isobel" who is currently at risk of trafficking and lives in fear of her life. She was last trafficked earlier this year when she was gang raped and badly beaten by a gang who have abused her for over a decade. Her abuse began when she was 13 years old. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley PurcellPhoto credit; Alex von Tunzelman

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.

The number of women gambling is expected to rise as the cost of living crisis continues. Hear Jo’s story of what happened when she became addicted to gambling, and advice on the warning signs and how to get help from the chief executive of GambleAware Zoe Osmond. When Max Dickins needed to find himself a best man, he realised that he had no male friends. When he discovered that this is something lots of men go through, he decided to write a book with hints and tips for men, as well as what they can learn from the women in their lives about how to keep friendships.As the war in Ukraine goes on, musicians are providing hope and peace for Ukrainians. Piano soloist Anna Fedorova explains what she’s achieved through the power of music alongside the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra.The royal family is going to have a new, slimmer, shape in future. Royal biographer Catherine Mayer tells Emma what this means for Prince Andrew in particular, as well as the future of the monarchy under King Charles. Sheep shearer Marie Prebble tells us how she set a brand new women’s world record for sheep shearing – which involved months of training, and eight hours straight of holding wriggling sheep. Caitlin McPhail and Helen Thorn discuss dating in the modern world – including the small signs on online dating profiles that show someone’s a little bit boring, and how to let your true personality shine on dating platforms. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Sheep farmer Marie Prebble speaks to Woman’s Hour about how she sheared 370 sheep in eight hours to set a new world record in female sheep shearing. She’ll be giving us an insight into what it takes to prepare for such an event and telling us a bit more about being one of the few female sheep farmers in the UK.More than 100,000 people in part-time work could face a benefit cut if they fail to properly look to do more hours, Kwasi Kwarteng is set to announce in his mini-budget today (Friday). The new rule will require benefit claimants working up to 15 hours a week to take new steps to increase their earnings or face having their benefits reduced. Part time work is essential to those in unpaid care roles, which are mostly held by women, so we wanted to find out how the new rules will affect these women. In Seoul last Wednesday, a 28-year-old woman was killed in a subway restroom, one day before her alleged killer was due to be sentenced on charges of stalking her. Her death has shocked the nation and prompted calls for a tightening of Korea's recent anti-stalking laws. We speak to BBC Seoul correspondent Jean MacKenzie.The much-loved film and book The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has been adapted for the stage, featuring the acting talents of Academy award-winning actor Hayley Mills and Coronation Street star Rula Lenska. They play Evelyn and Madge, two British retirees who start a new life in a retirement hotel in Bangalore; and join us to discuss how the play tackles misconceptions about ageing. Ira Mathur’s 'Love the Dark Days' is set across India, England, Trinidad and St Lucia. The memoir follows the author and broadcaster's journey as a child growing up in post-independence India with a Muslim mother and a Hindu father. Having lived with her grandmother, a member of an elite Muslim family, with a history of having colluded with the brutality of the British rule, she realises she has unconsciously imbibed her grandmother’s prejudices of class and race. Ira joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Helen Barnard Interviewed Guest: Marie Prebble Photographer: Emily Fleur Interviewed Guest: Jean Mackenzie Interviewed Guest: Hayley Mills Interviewed Guest: Rula Lenska Interviewed Guest: Ira Mathur

What role does music play in providing hope and solidarity when facing the horrors of war? The concert pianist Anna Fedorova is a member of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra which performed in concerts around the world over the summer. Ahead of a documentary on BBC 2 this Saturday called Ukraine's Musical Freedom Fighters, she joins Emma to talk about the experience, how she is continuing to support musicians from the Ukraine and why she feels it is imperative she continues to play the work of Russian composers. This week President Joe Biden announced that the pandemic is over in the US despite figures showing 400 Americans on average are dying from the virus every day. This comes after the director of the World Health Organisation recently stated that the pandemic remains a global emergency but the end could be in the sight if countries use the tools at their disposal. Here in the UK the latest figures show Covid infections have fallen to their lowest levels since October last year. Fewer than a million people had the virus in the last week of August. So, is the end in sight? And how prepared are we to believe it? Should we accept normality will resume and we can adjust our behaviour accordingly? Emma Barnett is joined by Professor of Epidemiology, Azra Ghani and Professor Pragya Agarwal to discuss. A new study by the charity GambleAware shows that the cost of living crisis could trigger an increase in women gambling. The survey of more than 1600 women shows that one in four women aged 18-49 who gamble expect to gamble more in the coming months, with 12% of those surveyed already having turned to gambling to try and supplement household income. GambleAware are starting a campaign to target women and break the stigma that prevents them from seeking support. Emma is joined by their Chief Executive, Zoe Osmond and Jo who has been "gamble free" for a year. Demonstrations have spread across Iran sparked by the death of a 22 year old woman, Mahsa Amini. She died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. As we reported on Tuesday, eyewitnesses said she was beaten while inside a police van after being picked up in Tehran. There have now been protests for five successive days - with incredibly powerful scenes across Iran - women burning their headscarves and cutting their hair in protest and eight people have died. Could this be a turning point in how Iran polices women? Faranak Amidi is the BBC Near East Women Affairs correspondent. One in three Japanese people under the age of 35 say they have no plans to marry. Women because they enjoy the freedoms of being single and having a career and men because they worry about being able to financially provide for a family. So what is driving this rejection and what will the long term impacts be on Japan? Dr Jennifer Coates is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield and Emily Itami is the author of Fault Lines, she grew up in Tokyo and now lives in London.Photo of Anna Fedorova: Marco Borggreve

We're all aware of red flags, the indicators that a potential partner may exhibit a lack of respect, or interest in your relationship. But a new flag has emerged on dating apps - the beige flag. These are indicators on dating app profiles which suggest a person has nothing of interest to say, and may well be boring. Emma Barnett is joined by Caitlin MacPhail, who coined the phrase, and comedian Helen Thorn.The period of national mourning following the death of the Queen has ended but will continue for the Royal Family. One senior member of the family who has been the subject of many headlines over the past week is Prince Andrew who stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after a Newsnight interview that addressed his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He paid a financial settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual assault, a claim he denies. Catherine Mayer, author of Charles: The Heart of a King, joins Emma Barnett to discuss what type of monarch King Charles will be and what the future holds for Prince Andrew. Analysis today by the BBC has found more than half of maternity units in England fail consistently to meet safety standards. Birte Harlev-Lam is Executive Director at the Royal College of Midwives and joins Emma. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot is considered one of the most important poems of the 20th century. To celebrate its centenary Lyndall Gordon, author of Hyacinth Girl, tells Emma Barnett about the women who weave a vital thread through the poem; from Eliot’s first wife Vivienne to his hidden muse Emily Hale. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

183 key workers and community volunteers were amongst royals, politicians and world leaders in Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s state funeral on Monday. One woman who was asked to be an eyewitness to this historic day was Lynn McManus, from North Shields, in Tyne and Wear. She's the founder of The Tim Lamb's Children's Centre and Pathways4All, a parent-led charity providing play and leisure for disabled children. She was recognised in the Queen's last Birthday Honours List in June 2022 with an MBE for her services to children with disabilities.A 2019 YouGov survey found that one in five men have no close friends — twice the proportion for women. What pressure might this be putting on their female partners, to fulfil the role of best friend and hold the social calendar? And what tools can men learn to help maintain friendships? Max Dickins is an author, playwright and comedian, and has written Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem. He joins Emma to discuss.Liz Truss is heading to New York today, making her first foreign trip as Prime Minister as she attends the annual United Nations General Assembly. During her two-day trip she is due to have meetings with US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. This will be her first test in building international relationships and trust in the UK. So does the former foreign secretary have the interpersonal skills to build strong relationships? Joining Emma to discuss are deputy political editor for the Spectator Katy Balls and Bronwen Maddox the new director and CEO of Chatham House.A 22-year-old Iranian woman has died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. Eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van after being picked up in Tehran last Tuesday, and died on Friday after spending three days in a coma. It is the latest in a series of reports of brutality against women by authorities in Iran in recent weeks. Tehran's police chief says the death of a woman in custody was an "unfortunate" incident he does not want repeated. BBC Woman Affairs correspondent for the Near East, Faranak Amidi joins Emma with the latest.The Married Women’s Association was formed in 1938 by a former suffragette and its main aim was to ensure that men and women would be treated as equals in the union of marriage - both legally and financially. Their members included the first female barrister and the first female BBC executive, as well as the writer Vera Britain, so why are they not well known, and how influential were they? Dr Sharon Thompson, presenter of the Quiet Revolutionaries podcast, who has also written a book of the same name, joins Emma.

Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister – and the only woman to have held that role – reflects on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her status as a global female leader. What will it mean for Australia where King Charles automatically became Head of State last week?Ophelia Lovibond, best known for playing Izzy Gould in the BBC mockumentary series W1A, discusses her new TV series Minx and playing Carrie Johnson.In a bid to close stubborn gender pay gaps, several states in the USA have passed laws requiring salary ranges to be clearly stated on all job ads. To discuss the growing trend and whether it is workable in the UK, we hear from money blogger Iona Bain and Radha Vyas, co-founder of the group travel company Flash Pack.The Hungarian government has tightened abortion laws in the country, meaning women who want to get an abortion will have to listen to vital signs - such as the foetal heartbeat - before being allowed to proceed. Nick Thorpe, the BBC's East and Central Europe Correspondent explains.'Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries' is an exhibition celebrating the art and skills of hairdressing along with some of the most iconic looks of the past 70 years. Our reporter Tamsin Smith speaks to some of the women perusing the exhibits about some of the looks they've tried over the years.Since she was a girl the writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes has been fascinated by Greek Myths. Her fourth novel ‘Stone Blind’ tells the story of Medusa and gets us way beyond snake hair and a deadly gaze to understand why she's become the monster in re-tellings of her story over the centuries.

More than 33 million people have been affected by the flooding in Pakistan. How has the flooding impacted the thousannds of pregnant women. who require maternal health services to ensure a safe pregnancy and childbirth? We hear from midwife Neha Mankani and founder of the Mama Baby Fund. In a bid to close stubborn gender pay gaps, several states in the USA have passed laws requiring salary ranges to be clearly stated on all job ads. To discuss the growing trend and whether it is workable in the Uk, Anita hears from money blogger Iona Bain and Radha Vyas, co-founder of the group travel company Flash Pack.For our Girl’s World series, reporter Ena Miller went to talk to 13 year old Alice and India about the drama of their lives, boys and girls and how things have, or have not, changed since Ena was their age. Two years on from winning,The BBC’s Young Writer Award with Cambridge University, Lottie Mills has a book deal. She discusses her writing, and how disabilty is depicted in fiction. How can clothes help us grieve? 'Wearapy' is a term coined by the fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell who believes that what we wear can help us through times of emotional upheaval. In her new book Big Dress Energy, she describes how wearing her late sister's clothes has helped her confront her grief. She’s joined by Dr Matilda Aspinall, lecturer at UAL London College of Fashion, who has paid tribute to her late grandmother through the act of refashioning her dress.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Dame Sheila Hancock tells us about her memories of the Queen. Just short of 90, she has lived her life in parallel. Earlier this year she said: "throughout my life, I have been grateful for the Queen's reassuring presence."Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister – and the only woman to have held that role – speaks to Emma about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and her status as a global female leader. What will it mean for Australia, where King Charles automatically became Head of State last week? The current Labor government there led by Anthony Albanese has previously indicated it wants to hold a referendum on whether to become a republic, though Prime Minister Albanese said on Sunday that “now is not a time to talk about our system of government”.Josephine Hedger has just become the female World Champion Tree Climber – for the fifth time. She joins Emma to chat why she loves braving immense heights at speed – and how it feeds into what she does for a living.Today marks a significant day for women in Hungary. The government has tightened abortion laws in the country, meaning women who want to get an abortion will have to listen to vital signs - such as the foetal heartbeat - before being allowed to proceed. The Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long sought to boost Hungary's flagging birth rate and his right-wing government prides itself in standing for traditional family values. Nick Thorpe, the BBC's East and Central Europe Correspondent explains how the law has changed.

A heartfelt statement was released from from the Princess Royal, who accompanied her mother’s coffin on its long journey from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace. The Royal Editor of the Times Newspaper Roya Nikkhah joined Krupa to discuss the role Princess Anne has played in the Queen's life.Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state in 15 of the 56 Commonwealth countries. Professor Chandrika Kaul joins Krupa Padhy to discuss the way the Queen led the Commonwealth countries and the challenges King Charles III may face as a monarch, and as a man, as some countries express an interest in becoming a republic.Liz Truss has announced the ban on fracking will be lifted to help boost the UK's domestic gas supplies. Fracking, which is a controversial method of extracting shale gas, was banned by the Conservatives in 2019 following fears over the risk of earthquakes. Tina Rothery, of the campaign group UK Nanas, joins Krupa. 'Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries' is an exhibition celebrating the art and skills of hairdressing along with some of the most iconic looks of the past 70 years, it opens in The Piece Hall in Halifax on the 17th September. Our reporter Tamsin Smith saw the exhibition when it was in Barnsley and she spoke to some of the women perusing the exhibits about some of the looks they've tried over the years and about where they got their style inspiration from.Since she was a girl the writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes has been fascinated by Greek Myths. Her fourth novel ‘Stone Blind’ tells the story of Medusa and gets us way beyond snake hair and a deadly gaze to understand why she's become the monster in re-tellings of her story over centuries. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Emma Pearce

King Charles the Third is our new monarch. At his accession to the throne, his wife Camilla became Queen Consort, and his daughter-in-law Kate is now the Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall. Royal Editor at the Daily Mail Rebecca English and historian and author Dr Estelle Paranque join Emma Barnett to talk about what this means for the female royals. Emma also speaks to Diana Parkes about her experience of working with the former Duchess of Cornwall on domestic abuse issues - a cause she has expressed a hope of being able to continue supporting as Queen Consort.Samantha Cameron, the chief executive of the clothing company Cefinn, and the wife of the former Prime Minister David Cameron, will be attending Her Majesty's funeral on Monday. She speaks to Emma about her memories of The Queen, including being given a medal by her for running around Balmoral. She also offers an insight into what it will be like for the former Duchess of Cornwall to be the partner of a man who is taking on a huge new role.Ophelia Lovibond is perhaps best known for playing Izzy Gould in the BBC TV mockumentary series W1A. Later this month, you can see her take on the role of Carrie Symonds alongside Kenneth Branagh as Prime Minister Boris Johnson in This England, set during the Covid crisis. But from Wednesday this week you can catch her in the leading role in new series Minx on Paramount Plus. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, Minx centres around Joyce, an earnest young feminist who dreams of producing a magazine by, for and about women but ends up joining forces with a low rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women. Olivia joins Emma.The Women's Institute was formed in 1915, designed to bring together women in rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. It has evolved over the years and is now the largest voluntary organisation in the UK with more than 212,000 members in over 6,600 groups. The Queen was its longest serving member of 79 years, joining as a young Princess. She was also president of her local WI group at Sandringham in Norfolk - a position she honoured every year. Ann Jones, National Chair of the WI joins Emma.

Woman's Hour special following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.We'll be talking to Historians Tracy Borman and Kate Williams. Editor of Hello Magazine Rosie Nixon. Helen Lewis from the Atlantic. And artist Tracey Emin.

It's understood that there will not be a specific women's minister in Prime Minister Liz Truss' government. Amber Rudd, former women's minister who held the post whilst Home Secretary - tells Emma why she believes the move is 'regressive' and 'baffling'.

We discuss the latest on Liz Truss’ first full day as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Emma Barnett is joined by Baroness Gabby Bertin who worked with David Cameron for a decade while he was leader and Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor at the Daily Telegraph. What is it like to break away from a strict religious community? Emily grew up in the Hasidic Jewish community, known for its religious conservatism and social seclusion, but left with her children following a difficult divorce. She tells her story to Emma.For any woman over fifty who has ever asked ‘What now?’ ‘Who do I want to be?’ comes a book by Sharon Blackie, a psychologist and writer, best known for her ecofeminist book, If Women Rose Rooted. She joins Emma to talk about her new book, Hagitude.We speak to Mursal Hedayat, a businesswoman who came to the UK as a refugee at the age of 4 and is now being recognised for her entrepreneurial success with her social enterprise that helps people become language coaches. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse on her autobiography, Finding my Own Rhythm - from a young dancer in apartheid era South Africa to renowned Latin dance champion and TV star.Liz Truss is the UK's new prime minister. What will be her priorities? Which women will she promote in her first reshuffle? What will her leadership style be? We hear from Katy Balls; the deputy editor of The Spectator, and Hannah Al Othma from The Sunday Times.Pregnant women are advised not to drink alcohol, but what about eating fish? The guidance on this can be confusing - with many women avoiding fish altogether when pregnant. But a new study shows that avoiding fish could be the wrong thing to do. We hear from co-author professor Jean Golding who specialises in Paediatric and Peri-natal Epi-deemiology at the University of Bristol.With inflation running at over ten per cent, it’s understood that Liz Truss – who becomes prime minister later today – is considering a freeze on energy bills as one of her first acts in office. The Women’s Budget Group argue that women are less prepared to face cost of living rises, due to lower wages and savings, and in particular they are concerned about job losses for women working in small businesses which could result from increasing fuel costs. Women make up the bulk of those working in the hospitality, retail and care sectors. Sara Reis is the deputy director at the Women’s Budget Group and joins Jess to discuss their latest report.Holly Bourne writes fiction for teenagers and adults, and female friendship is central to her books. In her new adult novel Girl Friends, Jess and Fern are millennials whose passionate closeness as teens is central to both of their lives until things fall apart. When they meet more than ten years later they are forced to reassess their friendship and how it was shaped by the sexual politics of the time they grew up in.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Dianne McGregor

As the Conservative Party looks set to elect its third female leader and prime minister, it has left observers and women in other political parties wondering about the secret of their success. The Labour Party have yet to elect a female leader despite having introduced all women shortlists for the 1997 election which returned a record 101 female Labour MPs to the House of Commons, one of whom was Fiona Mactaggart the MP for Slough. She joins Emma Barnett alongside former cabinet minister and MP for Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers.This year, there have been increasing reports of refugees attempting to travel into Europe by sea, with some travelling by dinghy across the Mediterranean and across the channel into the UK. Last week, the Ocean Viking search & rescue ship rescued 466 women, children and men in 10 rescue operations within 60 hours in the Mediterranean, including two heavily pregnant women and a 3-week-old baby. Emma is joined by Rebecca, a British midwife and medical lead on board the Ocean Viking.Leonardo DiCaprio has been called out for only publicly dating women under the age of 25. It comes as the 47-year-old actor broke things off with his girlfriend Camila Morrone who was 22 years his junior. We discuss why women are responding to the news online with so much humour and mockery with the digital culture commentator Hannah Van-de-peer. Emma also speaks to the relationship psychologist Emma Kenny.Helen Fields is a criminal barrister turned bestselling author. Her latest novel The Last Girl to Die follows private investigator Sadie Levesque as she investigates murder on the Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Baroness Brenda Hale on Roe v Wade and her reaction – as well as if she supports the barrister strikes. She also talks about the differences between the UK and US justice systems, and whether we need to re-evaluate how rape cases are tried in the UK .How much do you gossip? Two women who rely on gossiping to make a living talk about how much it runs the world, and its importance in politics. Women are in some of the lowest-paid jobs in the country – but they also make up the majority of trade union members. General Secretary of UNISON, Christina McAnea, talks about why unions are striking and what could happen next. How does it feel to become a mother when your own mother is dying? Hear one woman’s story of when this happened to her, and expert advice on how to cope with it and look after yourself, as well as everyone else. It’s the joy of dressing up without the stress of going to the event…Frock Up Friday is something that now involves more than 15 thousand people dressing up every Friday night, and feeling good about themselves. The founders tell us about how we can be involved.Fan-girls are often ridiculed or called hysterical – but they can do more than just sing a long to songs. A member of the BTS Army and a Korean Culture expert tell us about how fangirls can prompt activism and change.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

New sexual misconduct allegations have been made about a cabinet minister and a top Number 10 aide who serve at the heart of Boris Johnson's government according to a Sky News investigation. They've published testimony from two women who give detailed, first-hand accounts of what they claim happened to them when one was assaulted and the other groped by political figures who are both now in senior roles. Liz Bates is the political correspondent at Sky News and presenter of the Open Secret Podcast.The race to be the next Prime Minister comes to an end of Monday, when either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will enter Number 10. Ella Robertson McKay has recently interviewed both candidates as the National Chair of the Conservative Young Women group – which represents female party members under the age of 35. Ella joins Anita to discuss what each candidate is offering to young women and what Ella’s members think the winner should prioritise. At the start of lockdown in spring 2020 two friends living in Hastings set up a Facebook group for friends to experience the excitement of dressing up on a Friday and getting read to go out when everybody was forced to stay at home. The “Frock up Friday” movement was born and within three weeks the group had 10,0000 members worldwide and now two years later, they number 15,000 and are still growing. The friends who founded the group call themselves the “Mother Frockers” – Beverli Francis and Suzie Simms – and they’ll be joining Anita Rani this morning to talk about their picture book which details many of the fabulous outfits members share, their festival this weekend for online friends to finally meet up in person, as well as their plans for the future.In July the healthcare charity Nuffield Health published data which showed that 47% of women had done no vigorous exercise in the past year. It was quickly pointed out that there might be lots of reasons for this - lack of time and money for example but there are other factors too. Every Body Outdoors is a group of women who are determined to fight for clothing and kit which fits them and they want to see larger and plus-sized people out and doing exercise, Charlotte Petts joins 5 of the group in the Brecon Beacons as they walk and talk about their campaign and their experiences. In the third and final part of our Woman’s Hour series on Fangirls we ask: Is there a darker side to being a fangirl? We speak to freelance writer Jessica LucasPresenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Liz Bates Interviewed Guest: Ella Robertson Mckay Interviewed Guest: Beverli Francis Interviewed Guest: Suzie Simms Reporter: Charlotte Petts Interviewed Guest: Jessica Lucas

The former President of the Supreme Court Baroness Brenda Hale joins Emma Barnett to give her reaction to the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the United States. She also talks about abortion law here in the UK, the upcoming barristers' strike and whether rape trials should get priority for court time.A new campaign is being launched today, exclusively on Woman’s Hour, aiming to help more women who are being underpaid their state pension. Mothers’ Missing Millions is specifically aimed at women who spent time out of paid work bringing up children, mainly in the 1980’s and 1990’s – but did not receive credits for this on their National Insurance record as they should have done. According to the Department for Work and Pensions’ annual report which came out in July, this is now ‘the second largest’ source of error on state pensions. Emma is joined by Steve Webb, the former pensions minister who now works at the corporate consulting firm LCP, which is offering a free guide to how women can fix this for themselves. Listener Hannah got in touch asking us to talk about being motherless when you’re about to become a mother yourself. In 2017 her mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Hannah was 24 weeks pregnant with her first child, and she sadly passed away when her grandchild turned one. Emma speaks to Hannah, as well as consultant perinatal psychologist Julianne Boutaleb.In her new book, Look! We Have Come Through! Living with D.H. Lawrence, Lara Feigel, Professor of Modern Literature and Culture at King’s College London, tells the story of a pandemic year spent in the company of her partner, her two children and D.H Lawrence. Lara joins Emma to talk about D.H Lawrence and how an author can inform and change your life.

In a new series 'Friends Forever?' we are looking at key relationships in many women's lives, those with female friends. Specifically we're interested in when things go wrong - when and why friendships fall apart and how devastating that can be. And, whether they can be repaired. Annie and Lizzie were very close at school and after and then their lives diverged. They each told their story to Jo Morris.More than 33 million people have been impacted by the devastating floods in Pakistan, and over a thousand people have died since mid-June. Emma is joined by two students from Pakistan who have set up Mahwari Justice campaign to get sanitary products to those in need. In the second part of our Woman’s Hour series on Fangirls we ask: Can fan girls change the world? We speak to Professor Jay Song, Associate Professor in Korean Studies at the University of Melbourne about the political power of fangirls and a member of the BTS Army, Dr Heta Bhatt. We deep dive into the world of K-Pop band BTS & their loyal fandom called the BTS Army, who have been instrumental in shaping politics and socioeconomic issues in Korea and beyond. The cost of living crisis is having an impact on us all. And while paying a monthly fee to go to the gym may likely be seen by some as non-essential expenditure – some people say using the facilities there like showering can help shave hundreds of pounds off energy bills. Should there be boundaries on what facilities people can use in the public sphere? We are joined on the programme by the money saving expert and mum Gemma Bird. The Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees also chats to us about setting up ‘warm banks’ - those are heated sites like museums and galleries for those unable to afford their energy bills.Reporter: Jo Morris

How does it feel to reach the age your Mum was when she died? Jo Morris has talked to 3 women who feel a clock ticking. Their stories are all different but they have one thing in common – none of them have felt able to talk about this before. They didn’t want to worry their loved ones or vocalise difficult thoughts.As the cost of living crisis worsens for families across the country, workers have been voting for industrial action over below-inflation pay offers in what many are describing as the “summer of discontent”. They include transport workers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers, postal workers, civil servants, lawyers and British Telecoms engineers. Women are in some of the lowest paid jobs and now make up the majority of trade union members. We speak to Christina McAnea General Secretary of the UK’s largest union - UNISON – and also to Sarah Boston, author of Women Workers and the Trade Unions. We investigate what role women are playing in both the movement and the strikes.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

What comes to mind when you hear the word gossip? You’re probably imagining two women together whispering or laughing. Gossip has a bad reputation, but it can be a way of forming and maintaining, friendships. Comedian Rachel Parris and improv-artist Lauren Shearing who she works with on 'Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, talk about the role gossip plays in their relationship.Why do we gossip and why's it get such a bad rap when we enjoy it so much? We hear from Dr Kathryn Waddington, Emerita Fellow in Psychology at Westminster University who's researched and written about gossip for 25 years. In the Middle Ages the word gossip meant ‘women who supported other women during childbirth’ so when did it change into the ‘gossip’ we know today? Historians Professor Melanie Tebbutt from Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Natalie Hanley-Smith from Oxford Brookes University discuss.So what if the discovering and reporting of gossip is your profession? Journalist Marie Le Conte, a former diarist for the Evening Standard and Camilla Wright the founder of Popbitch look at the life of a professional gossip.Sex and relationships are a cornerstone of gossip. It’s often - ‘who is doing what?’ and ‘with whom!?’ But what happens if you broadcast your life to the world? Rubina Pabani and Poppy Jay are the hosts of BBC podcast Brown Girls Do It Too. In the days of social media - how do they find the judgemental gossip mill?Gossip is often a key strand in storylines in films, TV and novels. Whether it’s introduced for comic effect or used in the build up to the climax of a drama, or to build intrigue in a reality television series Literary critic Alex Clark and film and television critic, Hanna Flint illustrate how.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyGuest: Rachel Parris Guest: Lauren Shearing Guest: Dr Kathryn Waddington Guest: Prof Melanie Tebbutt Guest: Dr Natalie Hanley-Smith Guest: Marie Le Conte Guest: Camilla Wright Guest: Rubina Pabani Guest: Poppy Jay Guest: Alex Clark Guest: Hanna Flint

Many people are having positive life-affirming experiences of hosting Ukrainian refugees but we have also been contacted by some listeners who are having a trickier time and feel not much is being said publicly about when these situations go wrong. Listener Jane tells us about her experience of taking in a Ukrainian student. We also hear from Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of the charity Sanctuary Foundation. Roz Unwin shared her passion for quizzing. She took it up over lockdown, and now runs her own quizzes in North London. She joined Emma, along with Alice Walker, who was crowned this year’s Mastermind Champion.We look at matrilineal communities who trace kinship through the female line and can involve the inheritance of property and titles with Woman’s Hour listener and Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History at the University of Hull, Joy Porter and Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, Environmental Humanities, Native American and Indigenous Studies at Syracuse University.Listener Freya shares her experience of having anorexia and being sectioned, and coming out the other side.Liz emailed to tell us about the unusual way she keeps fit: on a trapeze. She explains how it changed her life, along with Katy Kartwheel - an actress and circus performer, who also teaches aerial skills to people of all ages.And a listener asked us to raise awareness of a less publicised aspect of the menopause - pubic hair loss. Emma finds out more from the Chair of the Menopause Society Paula Briggs and the Sex Therapist Stella Sonnenbaum.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Dianne McGregor

On our final day of Listener Week Jessica Creighton brings a host of stories to the table inspired by your requests.Listener Carol is DJ BB. She got in touch to tell us about taking up DJ’ing in her 50s and setting up an event called ‘She’s In Control’. Nearly 60 she tells us about the negative perception of older women in music and the club scene. DJ Ritu is the same age as Carol but has been in the club scene since her 20s. They both join Jess Creighton to dissect the music and club scene through the lens of an older female DJ. Have you decided to retire and then changed your mind months or years later? What made you de-retire? Were the reasons financial? Did you miss the mental stimulation or daily structure or the socialising? Jessica Creighton speaks to Ros Whitehouse who, in her early 70’s, felt society was telling her to retire but within months she realised it was a mistake. Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of the Silver Line Helpline, joins them.We received an email from an anonymous listener who described her experience of being an unwanted child. To discuss this issue, and the impact it can have later in life, Jessica speaks to Dr Caroline Boyd – a peri-natal, chartered clinical psychologist.And we look at matrilineal communities who trace kinship through the female line and can involve the inheritance of property and titles with Woman’s Hour listener and Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History at the University of Hull, Joy Porter and Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, Environmental Humanities, Native American and Indigenous Studies at Syracuse University.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant Photo Credit: Mahaneela