Woman's Hour

The recent resignation of DUP First Minister, Paul Givan, from Stormont last month, has left people in Northern Ireland without a properly functioning government. On top of that, an election is coming - one that could bring massive political change if recent polls are to be believed. Leading unionist and DUP MLA Diane Dodds joins Emma on the programme to discuss Brexit, the Northern Ireland protocol and cooperation in Stormont.A damning new report has revealed how a black schoolgirl was strip searched by the Metropolitan Police while on her period after being wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis. The review conducted by City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership took place without another adult present at the girl's secondary school in Hackney in 2020. The report states that during the search the girls "intimate body parts" were exposed and she was made to take off her sanitary towel. Emma speaks to Antoinette Bramble, Hackney's Deputy Mayor and cabinet member for children's services and Shabnam Chaudri, a former Detective Superintendent at the Metropolitan Police. Charlotte Mendelson's new books features the Hanrahans a big, arty family living in their bohemian North London home. Ray and Lucia are both artists, she has surrendered her career for his and their grown-up children seem dazzled by their outrageous, talented father. But, things are not as they seem and family secrets are bubbling under the surface. Charlotte joins Emma.Even in the face of war, food has a special power in bringing people together. Russian Chef Alissa Timoshkina and Ukrainian Chef Olia Hercules are best friends who have joined forces to set up Cook for Ukraine, a culinary campaign raising funds to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine. They are encouraging people to celebrate Ukrainian and Eastern European culture by cooking traditional food. They join Emma Barnett to talk about their experiences as friends from opposing frontiers.

Marina Ovsyannikova is an employee of Russia’s state Channel One television interrupting the channel’s main news programme on Monday night in an extraordinary act of protest against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. She burst on to the set of the live broadcast of the nightly news on Monday evening, shouting: “Stop the war. No to war.” - holding a handwritten sign to the same effect. The protest was welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who mentioned it in his televised address last night.. And within hours of her protest, more than 40,000 people had left comments on the journalist's Facebook page, with many praising her for taking a stand. Professor of International Relations at London School of Economics, Tomila Lankina joins Emma.In 2020, The Woman’s Hour Power List celebrated 30 inspiring women whose work is making a significant positive contribution to the environment and the sustainability of our planet. Today, we talk to the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who topped that List. Can the UK afford its net zero policies? With the cost of living rising, and the impact of the war in Ukraine, are Britain's plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions too expensive? Joining Caroline to discuss will be engineer and nuclear industry expert, Dame Sue Ion. In true popstar fashion, singer Rihanna announced her pregnancy in January with a New York photoshoot alongside her boyfriend, the rapper ASAP Rocky, wearing a bright pink coat, with layers of gold jewellery and chains resting on her new baby bump. And since that announcement, she’s been seen wearing a number of eye-catching outfits. But is there a bump fashion revolution coming? And what could this mean for the everyday pregnant woman? Celebrity stylist Jennifer Michalski-Bray and pregnant content creator Zara Bentley join us.Last week South Korea picked a new president: Yoon Suk-yeol. He is a conservative who defeated his liberal rival Lee Jae-myung. During his campaign he promised to abolish the Ministry for Gender Equality, denying that women face discrimination. South Korea has one of the worst women's rights records in the developed world, although modest gains have been made over the last few years. But that has ignited an anti-feminist backlash among many young men who see feminism as reverse discrimination, taking away their jobs and opportunities. So what does Yoon Suk-yeol’s election mean for women? Emma is joined by Laura Bicker, the BBC’s Soeul Correspondent and the feminist South-Korean film-maker Youjin Do.Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has revealed he is officially changing his name to incorporate his mother Carmen's surname - Larbalestier. He says that he wants her name to continue on with the Hamilton name, and that he doesn't understand why "when people get married then the woman loses her name." It is understood that he will include it as a middle name rather than a surname. Dr Jane Pilcher, Associate Professor of sociology, Nottingham Trent University discusses what impact a high profile man taking this step could have. Purnima tells the story of a beautiful hand-knitted dress she brought with her to the UK when her family was expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin. The latest in our series Threads. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Professor Tomila Lankina Interviewed Guest: Caroline Lucas Interviewed Guest: Dame Sue Ion Interviewed Guest: Jennifer Michalski-Bray Interviewed Guest: Zara Bentley Interviewed Guest: Laura Bickers Interviewed Guest: Youjin Do Interviewed Guest: Dr Jane Pilcher Interviewed Guest: Purnima Shah

On Saturday a ceremony took place at Bristol Cathedral to replace a plaque that marked the day women priests were first ordained by the Church of England, in 1994. The original plaque only listed the names of the men who attended the ceremony, and not the 32 women who had made history that day. Almost 30 years later, the plaque finally displays the women’s names. Emma speaks to Reverend Angela Berners-Wilson, the first woman to be ordained by the church, and the Bishop of Bristol, Right Reverend Vivienne Faull, who led the ceremony on Saturday.A pregnant woman who was photographed being carried on a stretcher - following the bombing of a maternity hospital in the southern port of Mariupol in Ukraine last Wednesday - is reported to have died, along with her baby. The attack on the hospital caused outrage around the world. 4000 children have been born in Ukraine since the war began nearly three weeks ago. Emma is joined by Louise Callaghan, Foreign Correspondent at The Sunday Times. Marked as a breakthrough in female contraception the Pill has been used for over six decades. 28% of women say it remains their preferred form of contraception, followed closely by the male condom. However, more recently on social media some young women are documenting their decisions to come off it. Emma is joined by Dr Jane Dickson, Consultant in sexual and reproductive health care, and former vice president of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, and Lottie Drynan who stopped taking the pill just over a year ago, after being on it for 13 years, and has been documenting her journey on Instagram.We know that women are more environmentally conscious when shopping for the household - but there’s one area where that doesn't seem to be the case - cars. There are now over 600,000 plug-in electric vehicles in the UK, but a new study has found that 20% of women haven’t even considered buying an electric car. We speak to Erin Baker, Editorial Director at AutoTrader about why women are less likely to opt for electric vehicles.It's been deemed a 'victory for women'. A campaign group has won a legal challenge against the Metropolitan Police over the force's handling of a vigil for Sarah Everard. Sarah Everard was murdered by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens - and the vigil was to be near where she was killed in Clapham in London during Covid lockdown. But when the group got in contact with the police they were told that it would be illegal and could face fines over 10,000 pounds each and possible prosecution. So they cancelled the original plan but a spontaneous vigil and protest took place anyway. Anna Birley, the founder of Reclaim These Streets speaks to Emma.

Why in 2022 is there no position in the Cabinet solely dedicated to the job of Women and Equalities? Why is it always tagged onto another cabinet role? We hear from Amber Rudd who juggled the job of being Home Secretary, while she was also Work and Pensions Secretary and from Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Anneliese Dodds, who's also Chair of the Labour Party.There have been elections in India this week and one journalist who’s been covering them is Rana Ayyub. She’s an Indian, Muslim journalist who writes for the Washington Post but she’s based in Mumbai. At the moment she’s under extreme pressure because of her work. She's experiencing serious online abuse, so much so that international monitoring groups worry that her life is in danger.Anne Dickson's book, A Woman In Your Own Right: The art of assertive, clear and honest communication, was first published 40 years ago. It has been in print ever since. Anne outlines the skills and techniques she pioneered and why they are still relevant today.Our TV screens are full of Ukrainian refugees - mainly women and children - who are fleeing their country. However, we're increasingly seeing women who are staying. We hear from the Ukrainian MP, Inna Sovsun.In 2016 Rachael Denhollander became the first woman to publicly accuse the USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. Rachael talks about her fight for justice and the impact on elite gymnastics culture.The singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades.

She’s been credited with inspiring the likes of the Spice Girls and Madonna – singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990’s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades. She joins Anita Rani to reflect on her career and musicThere have been elections in India this week and one journalist who’s been covering them is Rana Ayyub who joins us live. She’s an Indian, Muslim journalist who writes for the Washington Post but she’s based in Mumbai. At the moment she’s under extreme pressure because of her work. She's experiencing serious online abuse, so much so that international monitoring groups worry that her life is in danger. She’s also had police charges filed against her. She says it’s because she’s an outspoken critic of the Indian Government and the Indian Prime Minister, Narenda Modi, and they don’t like her shining a light on how the BJP, which is the Hindu ruling party, treats Muslims in the country. This week a misogyny act for Scotland created exclusively for women has been recommended to the Scottish government by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC following a year of Chairing the Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group. She’s been credited with inspiring the likes of Spice Girls and Madonna – singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990’s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades. She joins Anita to reflect on her career and music.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Gayl Gordon

Northern Ireland politics are once again in flux and the government can't really function. At the beginning of February, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill lost her role in Stormont after First Minister Paul Givan, a member of the DUP, resigned. In her role as Deputy over the years, she worked closely with former DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster. Now she could be on track to become the first Nationalist First Minister of Northern Ireland. In her first interview with Woman's Hour, she joins Emma. When you think of Little Women, you might not think of climate change, astrology or contemporary feminism. However, all-female performance collective Figs in Wigs have updated the classic for a new generation in Little Wimmin, a surrealist theatre show. What starts as a faithful adaptation of the book gradually becomes an absurdist and hilarious commentary on the issues facing women today. We discuss with cast members Sarah Moore and Alice Roots. In 2016 Rachael Denhollander became the first woman to publicly accuse the USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. Her stand led to hundreds of other women coming forward to tell their stories of how Nassar had also abused them under the guise of medical treatment. Their testimony, as well as the discovery of tens of thousands of child sexual abuse images on his computer, eventually led to his imprisonment. Rachael talks about her fight for justice and the impact on elite gymnastics culture. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Michelle O'Neill Interviewed Guest: Sarah Moore Interviewed Guest: Alice Roots Interviewed Guest: Rachael Denhollander Photographer: Rosie Collins

With worldwide sales in excess of 15 million albums, the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Joss Stone is without question among the most iconic soul singers of the modern era. She rose to fame at the age of 13 by winning a BBC talent competition and more recently won The Masked Singer. Joss has now reunited with legend Dave Stewart for her new album Never Forget My Love.In an exclusive interview in the week that her employment tribunal case continues, Maya Forstater speaks to Emma about losing her role at a company in 2019, after she had posted tweets and had conversations about sex and gender. She took her case to an employment tribunal on the basis that, amongst other claims, she had been discriminated against because of her belief – that biological sex is real, important, immutable and cannot be conflated with gender identity. Maya lost the preliminary hearing, on the basis that her beliefs were not protected under the Equality Act 2010, but she appealed and in June 2021 that decision was overturned. The ruling meant that gender critical beliefs are a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010. This week the next part of her employment tribunal starts, and it will decide whether her employer discriminated against her because of her belief. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Mangaer: Tim Heffer

Why in 2022 is there no position in the Cabinet solely dedicated to the job of Women and Equalities? Why is it always tagged onto another cabinet role? Emma talks to Amber Rudd who juggled the job of being Home Secretary while she was Work and Pensions Secretary too. Plus, Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Anneliese Dodds, who's also Chair of the Labour Party.When the war in Ukraine was just unfolding we spoke to Iryna Terlecky who's Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain. Since then she's has been busy responding to the refugee crisis by representing the Ukrainian community in meetings with the Government, talking to both Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, and with the Home Secretary Priti Patel. Emma spoke to her about what she makes of the latest government response to what's going on.Do you think motherhood gets enough recognition? We meet Agnes Agyepong, the founder of the Glomama Awards, a space celebrating the achievements of mothers, and one of this year’s winners, Safiyya Vorajee.Plus, why more and more organisations are seeking out staff and volunteers with direct experiences to help them front campaigns, fundraise and inform policy. We hear from Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at Beat, the UK’s Eating Disorder Charity and Miriam Taylor, a psychotherapist and author who specialises in trauma about why is it so important to have people with what's termed "lived experience" and why safeguards must be in place to protect them.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Emma speaks to BBC Ukraine correspondent Zhanna Bezpiatchuk about the situation in Ukraine. Today the Commons discuss the long-awaited Economic Crimes Bill. A cross party alliance of MPs will be tabling amendments to strengthen the bill. Amongst them is Labour MP, Dame Margaret Hodge who has been calling for tougher anti-corruption laws for many years, and has said there are "worrying loopholes in the bill". She joins Emma Last year, just 5% of the classical music pieces performed worldwide were written by women. That’s the highest percentage recorded to date. When the violinist Ellie Consta found this out she brought together a string orchestra called Her Ensemble to perform a range of music written by women. Ellie and violinist Sarah Daramy-Williams joins Emma. Anne Dickson's book, A Woman in your own Right: The art of assertive, clear and honest communication, was first published 40 years ago. It has been in print ever since. Anne joins Emma to outline the skills and techniques she pioneered and to discuss why she believes they are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago. One of the unforeseeable consequences of the war in Ukraine is how it has affected the hundreds of people from the UK and Ireland who visit the country every year to undergo fertility treatment or use Ukrainian surrogates. This has left families in a quandary about whether or not to continue treatment, and worried about the welfare of surrogate mothers and what could happen to any babies born during the conflict. Emma hears from Senator Mary Seery Kearney who is campaigning for surrogate women to be given refuge in Ireland and from Rend Platings who was due to return there this month for her next round of IVF.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll – joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste. She tells us how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’.All week we've been covering Ukraine. We hear from Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP who describes her new reality of being trained to use an assault rifle to defend her family and her country and Olena Symonenko who decided to flee Kyiv, and has escaped to Poland with her 6 year old son. If the Mona Lisa could speak what would she say? A new novel by Natasha Solomons gives voice to the painting and lets her tell her own story. We speak to Natasha and the Da Vinci expert Professor Martin Kemp.A person guilty of manslaughter or murder is already prevented from inheriting their victim’s estate by what’s known as the Forfeiture Rule. But should that law be extended to somebody guilty of domestic abuse? We speak to MP Florence Eshalomi, who is attempting to change the law. We also hear Tom Guha's story. He has had to deal with exactly this issue since his mother died and his stepfather’s behaviour was found to have a direct link to her death. Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu, who has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll -joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste, talks to Anita about how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’.Danielle Marin is the author of Top Girl, a book exploring her first-hand experiences with drug dealing, gangs and violent crimes. Danielle wants people to know about young women who get caught up in this kind of lifestyle, and how she found a way out.And in our new series called Threads, celebrating the emotional power of old clothes, listener Sarah tells us about a very special pair of knickers, given to her by her dear friend Ruth on her 21st birthday almost 40 years ago.

We have music and chat from the Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu who has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll – joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste. She tells us how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’. The number of refugees leaving Ukraine has reached a million. If you were listening last week you'll remember the heart-breaking interview we did with Olena Symonenko. She had decided to flee Kyiv, and was down in a bunker with her 6 year old son. She had left her flat, which she had lived in as a child and all her adult life: and just as well she did, because her block of flats had been bombed and was on fire. She sent us a picture. We've been keeping in touch with Olena all week, tracking her journey and she's now in Poland. Sharmadean Reid is the Founder and CEO of The Stack World. Her mission is to create economic and social empowerment for women through technology and media. She has been building Women's communities for 16 years, starting with a print magazine called WAH which she created while at university. She tells us about The Stack World, and how the platform helps women entrepreneurs to monetise their micro communities through buying and selling from each other. We celebrate the emotional power of old clothes and today we hear from Sarah who tells us about the Janet Reger frilly knickers she received from her friend Ruth on her 21st birthday nearly 40 years ago. Mountains have long inspired climbers to write about their adventures. It’s been a male dominated field but we hear from two women who are inspiring the next generation of climbers. The author and poet Helen Mort tells us about her memoir ‘A Line Above the Sky’ and author Amy McCulloch talks about her adult fiction debut ‘Breathless’.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

'Enough'. That’s the name of a new communication campaign launched by the Home Office this week to tackle violence against women and girls. It comes in the week of the anniversary of the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard in London, by a serving police officer. So one year on, where are we in the fight to deal with violence against women and girls? We speak to Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson who is the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, and to Woman's Hour listeners Polly and Rebecca about their concerns.The Winter Paralympics begin tomorrow in Beijing and ParalympicsGB are sending 24 athletes to compete - the biggest British Winter Paralympic team in nearly thirty years. There are five female athletes including alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick, who won four medals in Pyeongchang four years ago. Jessica discusses our medal prospects with Andy Stevenson, 5 Live’s Paralympic Winter Games reporter; and the International Paralympic Committee's decision not to allow Russian or Belarussian athletes to take part with Rebecca Myers, journalist at The Sunday Times.On Sunday the BAFTAs red carpet rolls out to recognise the very best in British film. One of the nominees in the short film category is about a small and unique community in the heart of South London - locals at the London Palace Bingo Club. Their beloved club is being forced to close down, and the film follows the regulars who have depended on it for years. Jessica speaks to the director Jo Prichard. The film is available to stream on the Bertha DocHouse website this weekend.Danielle Marin is the author of Top Girl, a book exploring her first-hand experiences with drug dealing, gangs and violent crimes. Danielle wants people to know about young women who get caught up in this kind of lifestyle, and how she found a way out. She joins Jessica.

For over thirty years Dr Suzanne Simard has done ground-breaking research on plant communication and intelligence. She is Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of a gripping scientific memoir, Finding the Mother Tree, in which she reveals the highly complex ways trees interact and communicate. Suzanne joins Jessica in the studio.As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, around 660,000 refugees, most of whom are women and children, have now fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past six days. That's according to the latest data from the UN Refugee Agency. They say Europe could face it’s largest refugee crisis this century. Many have fled to Poland where they have been welcomed in cities like Warsaw. But while many countries are opening their arms to refugees, the charity CARE International UK is warning that women and girls can be particularly at risk during widespread displacement in war situations, as they can face exploitation while trying to reach safety. Suzy Madigan is the charity’s Senior Humanitarian Advisor on Gender and Protection.The Scottish Government is expected to introduce its long-awaited Gender Reform Bill at Holyrood tomorrow - a law that would make it easier for transgender people to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate. The BBC's Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon joins us to discuss.A person guilty of manslaughter or murder is already prevented from inheriting their victim’s estate by what’s known as the Forfeiture Rule. But should that law be extended to somebody guilty of domestic abuse? MP Florence Eshalomi is attempting to change the law after one of her constituents wrote to her. Tom Guha has had to deal with exactly this since his mother died and his stepfather’s behaviour was found to have a direct link to her death. Tom clarifies the circumstances and Florence Eshalomi explains why she wants to alter the inheritance rules. Last month a new high-end sushi restaurant in Surrey came under scrutiny for publishing a dress code that asked women to wear “sexy black ankle-strap heels with a form-fitting top” or “bodycon dresses”. The restaurant has since apologised and changed the “sexist” uniform requests. Anna Sebastian is a Hospitality Consultant who has experience with hotels, bars and restaurants. Claire Curzon is the Managing Director of Brighter Directions – a marketing and communications agency. Both Anna and Claire discuss how attitudes towards women and dress codes have changed.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Dr Suzanne Simard Photographer: Diana Markosian Interviewed Guest: Suzy Madigan Interviewed Guest: Lorna Gordon Interviewed Guest: Florence Eshalomi Interviewed Guest: Tom Guha Interviewed Guest: Anne Sebastian Interviewed Guest: Clare Curzon

You might be forgiven for thinking that the females of most animal species are passive, maternal and monogamous – because that’s been the long-standing scientific consensus. But now the zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke wants to expose the stereotypes and bias that lie beneath our common understanding of how the sexes work in the wild. Her new book is called Bitch - A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal. You may also have heard her presenting a current Radio 4 series called Political Animals. Lucy joins Jessica to discuss redefining the female of the species. Furniture poverty is when someone is unable to afford or access essential items. including white goods, beds, and carpets and curtains. In 2017 around 400,000 children in the UK didn’t have their own bed to sleep on, and in 2020 at least 4.8m people were living without at least one essential household appliance. These figures are expected to have risen during the pandemic, and expected to rise further with the cost of living crisis - with soaring inflation and household bills. Jessica speaks to a woman we are calling April - who tells us about her experience of furniture poverty, and Claire Donovan from End Furniture Poverty.Following a trend across South America, last week Colombia decriminalised abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. It means increased abortion access for women in the largely Catholic country. Jessica speaks to Marge Berer, the Co-ordinator of the International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion and to Marianna Romero from the Centre for Study of State and Society in Argentina, about the change in Colombia.Jessica speaks to Lana Kozak, a 20 year old journalism student in the UK, about wanting her mum to be able to join her here.We start a new series ‘Threads’ exploring the significance of old clothes. What is the oldest piece of clothing in your wardrobe? Do you have something that doesn’t fit anymore, but you just can’t bear to throw away? Why do clothes hold such strong memories and nostalgia? Today we meet listener Emma Nabarro-Steel, who contacted us with a song she wrote about this same topic, and the dress that means a lot to her.

As the conflict continues in Ukraine, we've seen footage of predominately women and children fleeing the country. But that is just one aspect of this conflict. There are also many women who have stayed in Ukraine and signed up to fight. Back in December, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence expanded the number of women who are eligible for mandatory service in the armed forces. They will be joining the 57,000 or so women, aged 18 to 60, already serving. But is there an appetite for more women to sign up? And what roles are they likely to play? Jessica Creighton hears from Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP who describes her new reality of being trained to use an assault rifle to defend her family and her country and Dr. Olesya Khromeychuk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute, London.President Joe Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, calling her "one of the nation's brightest legal minds". She will be the first black woman to serve in the court's 232-year history if confirmed and would mean four women may sit together on the nine-member court for the first time. Kimberly Peeler-Allen the co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation that builds the collective political power of Black women, discusses the significance of her nomination.If the Mona Lisa could speak what would she say? A new novel by Natasha Solomons gives voice to the painting and lets her tell her own story. Natasha and the Da Vinci expert Professor Martin Kemp join Jessica. What does it mean to be a “dangerous woman”? That is something Dr Jo Shaw of the University of Edinburgh has been studying and has led to a new book with fifty essays from different women reflecting on the topic from around the world. The idea that women are dangerous individually or collectively permeates many historical periods, cultures and areas of contemporary life. It has been used to describe the Labour MP and human rights activist Shami Chakrabarti, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was labelled by the Daily Mail as “the most dangerous woman in the UK”. But what lies behind this label and what does it say about the power dynamics with which women live with today? Jessica speaks to Dr Jo Shaw of the University of Edinburgh and the journalist Bidisha, whose essay is part of the collection.

In an exclusive interview, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and future Queen Consort talks to Emma about her work with domestic abuse survivors. They are joined by Diana Parkes whose daughter Joanna Simpson was battered to death by her estranged husband in 2010.Olena Symonenko tells us about her escape to a safer part of Ukraine only to find out that her apartment that she had lived in all her life had been hit by a bomb.The actress and writer Joanna Scanlan known for her many roles in TV shows such as Getting On and The Thick of It, talks about her BAFTA nominated film After Love. Do we change our bodies because we want to or because we are being pressured to conform by society? Cambridge Professor of Political Philosophy Clare Chambers considers this question and concludes that the unmodified body is under attack, particularly for women, who are constantly given the message that their body is not good enough just as it is. Her new book is Intact – A Defence of the Unmodified Body.Margaret Atwood's latest collection of essays, Burning Questions, gathers together her essays and other occasional non-fiction pieces from 2004 to 2021. The literary legend talks culture wars, feminism and grief. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Dianne McGregor

A pivotal moment in the history of trade unions and women’s rights is to be marked by English Heritage with the placement of a blue plaque commemorating the 1888 matchgirls’ strike in East London. Curatorial Director of English Heritage, Anna Eavis, tells us about the protest, its real role in the Labour movement and why it has been so misconstrued throughout history.Millions of people across Ukraine are this morning making choices they never dreamed they'd have to make. Olena Symonenko told us about her escape to a safer part of the city only to find out that her apartment that she had lived in all her life had hit by a bomb overnight. The BBC Correspondent Sarah Rainsford told us about conversations she's been having with people on the ground in South East Ukraine and from Iryna Terlecky, the Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain, about the work they are doing to help families in Ukraine.Earlier this week the US Women’s national football team reached a $24 million settlement with the US Soccer Federation, which will guarantee equal pay with the men’s team and give players millions in back pay. Women’s soccer is incredibly popular in the US, the players are household names and having won the World Cup numerous times, are considered the best team in the world. But they have been fighting this battle for equal pay for six years. We speak to Cindy Parlow Cone, the president of the United States Soccer Federation about how they hope to push FIFA to equalise World Cup pay. We also hear from journalist Molly McElwee about whether it is the big win it is touted to be. What sound does my body make? That's the question singer and musician Briony Greenhill asks in her work. Briony is a vocal improviser - meaning she writes her songs entirely out loud, on the spot, without notation. She gives us a demonstration of how we can vocally improvise ourselves, and tells us about her debut album Crossing the Ocean.Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Rabeka NurmahomedPhoto by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall is now at the heart of the royal family. In her ascension day message which begins a year of celebrations to mark seventy years on the throne, the Queen said that once Prince Charles becomes King, her sincere wish is that Camilla will be at his side as Queen Consort.It's recognition for her loyalty, and her work campaigning on a variety of causes and in particular that of domestic abuse. It was a meeting in 2016 with a woman called Diana Parkes that inspired the Duchess.Diana's daughter Joanna Simpson was battered to death by her estranged husband in 2010 with their two children within earshot. After the killing, Diana setup a foundation to help transform the lives of children impacted by domestic violence and it was at a meeting of the charity SafeLives that she first met the Duchess. In our interview we reunite them at Clarence House to hear how her story has inspired the work of a future Queen.Emma also speaks to the clinical psychologist David Trickey from the child mental health charity the Anna Freud Centre and to Baroness Floella Benjamin who campaigned to get the new Domestic Abuse Act through parliament and she’s also a Vice President of the children’s charity Barnardos.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Editor: Karen Dalziel Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

Margaret Atwood's latest collection of essays, Burning Questions, gathers together her essays and other occasional non-fiction pieces from 2004 to 2021. She is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, and The Blind Assassin which won the Booker prize in 2000. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid's Tale, was followed in 2019 by a sequel, The Testaments, which was also a Booker Prize winner (with Bernadine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other). Margaret joins Emma to talk about culture wars, free speech, feminism, grief and being in your 80’s.The Labour MP Harriet Harman has called for a full investigation into how a housing association failed to realise that a female tenant had apparently been left dead in her south London flat for more than two years. Harriet joins Emma to talk about this happening in her constituency, and also how she has been coping since the sudden death of her husband Jack Dromey last month."There was urine flying through the air" - a new report out today in the Telegraph lays bare what it calls the ‘incontinence crisis’ blighting elite women's sport. Female athletes are overwhelmingly at risk of pelvic-floor dysfunction, leading to urinary incontinence which has, according to this report, become normalised in certain sports. Anna Kessel, Women’s Sport Editor at The Telegraph, joins Emma.The actress and writer Joanna Scanlan is known for her many roles in TV shows such as Getting On, No Offence and The Thick of It. She’s just been nominated for a BAFTA leading actress award for the film After Love. Set in Dover, she plays a white English woman called Mary Hussain who converted to Islam at marriage, but following the unexpected death of her husband many years later uncovers a secret about him across the channel in Calais.Image: Margaret Atwood Credit: Luis Mora

One in six people in England and Wales have a criminal record. A new campaign #Fairchecks spearheaded by charities Transform Justice and Unlock reveals the experiences of women whose lives have been ruined by minor offences as much as 30 years on. To coincide with the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill, going through the final stages of parliament, they are asking for amendments to shorten the time people must disclose their conviction, helping to give some people’s a fairer chance at a fresh start. Emma is joined by Rachel, now 36, who acquired a criminal record at the age of 19, and by Angela Cairns, CEO of Unlock. Do we change our bodies because we want to or because we are being pressured to conform by society? Cambridge Professor of Political Philosophy Clare Chambers considers this question and concludes that the unmodified body is under attack, particularly for women, who are constantly given the message that their body is not good enough just as it is. Her new book is Intact – A Defence of the Unmodified Body. Last September the Children’s code came into effect in the UK. Its purpose is to protect children's online data. Instagram and Apple are amongst nine tech firms under investigation by the Information Commissioner for breaches of the Code - following complaints lodged by the charity 5Rights which fights for children's digital rights. Emma is joined by its founder Baroness Beeban Kidron. The reputation of cheerleading has changed in recent years thanks to programmes such as Netflix docuseries Cheer and its recognition as an official Olympic sport. Emma discusses its growing popularity in the UK with Team England coach Angela Green and cheerleader (and engineer) Pokuwa Strong.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Today Woman's Hour has an exclusive investigation into the women who have survived domestic violence but are being exploited a second time by ‘rent farming’. These women, trapped in what is known as 'exempt accommodation' after fleeing abuse, say they often come out more traumatised than when they moved in. We reveal the legal loopholes which allow landlords to receive higher - enhanced - housing benefit, which they're meant to spend on wrap around support to get tenants' lives back on track. But many don’t and are accused of financially ‘gaming the system’.Later this week the Royal Academy is opening an exhibition called Whistler’s Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan. Very little is known about Joanna, she was an Irish model who became Whistler’s confidante and muse for at least two decades. But Professor Margaret MacDonald from Glasgow University, who is the curator of the exhibition, has been trawling through the archives for decades, to find out all she can about her; shining a light on Joanna's partnership with Whistler and the iconic paintings she inspired.Last week the UK's Chief Medical Officers published their first ever guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people. They suggest 20 minutes of exercise per day and balance activities 3 times a week. An infographic of the advice was created with the help of disabled children and their families. We speak to two mums, Tina and Carly, about the importance of the advice and how their sons were involved in the making of the infographic. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Nicole Jacobs Interviewed Guest: Professor Margaret MacDonald

Mina Smallman, the mother of the murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman is one of the key women who called for Dame Cressida Dick to resign from her position as Metropolitan Commissioner. As negotiations continue on when Dame Cressida will leave, we get Mina’s reaction.Do we need a family planning one as well? Lawyer Natalie Sutherland has become one of Britain’s first fertility officers and Becky Kearns is co-founder of ‘Fertility Matters at Work.’ They talk to us about why more companies should consider appointing one.During lockdown, full-time carer and former history teacher, Joanna Williams sat down at her kitchen table and wrote the biography of 'The Great Miss Lydia Becker.' She thought the world needed to know about the 19th Century Manchester suffragist - beyond the few lines she had found in a text book.Children aged between 5-11 in all four nations of the UK are to be offered a low dose of the Covid vaccine. Dr Elizabeth Mann, an immunologist at the Lydia Becker Institute at the University of Manchester and Naomi Grimley, BBC Global Health Correspondent joins us.Prince Andrew has reached an out of court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. He has always denied the allegations and hasn't admitted any liability. Georgina Calvert-Lee, an employment and equality lawyer at McAllister Olivarius and expert on NDAs and MP Jess Phillips, Labour's Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding discuss.One mum in the US was left shocked when she told her nurse one of her twin daughter's names, only to be laughed at for it. She posted a video to her TikTok account which went viral. We talk to SJ Strum, who has a YouTube channel and blog which offers baby naming advice.

The National Theatre is embarking on a seven week tour of secondary schools. Their radical reimagining of ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ with two female leads will be watched by more than 10,500 students from across the UK, bringing live theatre to underserved areas like Doncaster, Sunderland and Wigan. It aims to create conversations about issues like Police sexual abuse, violence against women and online misogyny. Emma discusses the play with its director, Kirsty Housley.35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee was attacked and stabbed in her New York apartment after a man followed her into her building. Her murder has caused outrage in the city amid questions about the vulnerability and safety of the Asian community in the city. Communtiy activist Grace Lee joins us from New York.Author Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel Black Cake tells the story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. She joins Krupa to discuss how stories shape our identity and how secrets can impact families across generations.Choosing a name for your child is a personal decision and sometimes you just have to realise not everyone is going to like it. But one mother in the US mum was left shocked when she told her nurse one of her twin daughter's names, only to be laughed at for it. Elizabeth-Leslie Edwards, posted the video to her TikTok account where it went viral with over one million views. We hear from SJ Strum who has has a YouTube channel and blog which offers advice on baby naming.Plus forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop will be telling us all about 'How to Solve A Crime' . And will we see Hillary Clinton enter the Presidential race in 2024.Presenter Krupa Pardy Producer Beverley Purcell

Schools in the Indian state of Karnataka reopened yesterday after protests broke out in response to the state government trying to ban women wearing the hijab in classrooms. The issue gained widespread attention after videos and images of girls wearing hijab getting heckled while being denied entry to school went viral. Protestors took to the streets to condemn the decision, and women have marched in solidarity in cities across India. Divya Arya, BBC woman’s affairs journalist and Sumayyah Khan, a law student at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh join Krupa Padhy.It's been announced that children aged between 5 and 11 in all four nations of the UK are to be offered a low dose of the covid vaccine. Children are at a much lower risk of becoming severely ill from a Covid infection, so the health benefits of vaccinating them are smaller than in other age-groups. Also, many will have some protection from already having caught the virus. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments across the UK, have been weighing up the evidence for immunising five to 11-year-olds. It concluded vaccination should go ahead to prevent a "very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation" in a future wave of Covid. Dr Elizabeth Mann, an immunologist at the Lydia Becker Institute at the University of Manchester and Naomi Grimley, BBC Global Health Correspondent discuss.Isabelle Farah is a British Lebanese actor, comedian, and writer. Following an undergraduate degree in French and Film Studies, she trained as a classical actress. She started doing stand up comedy in 2017 and has since gigged across the UK and internationally. Her one woman comedy show, Ellipsis, about grief, authenticity and punchlines, enjoyed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe last summer, and is currently on at the Pleasance Theatre in London. She explains the personal event that inspired it.New research funded by the Home Office has found that a tenth of domestic abuse cases involve parents being attacked by their children. These findings are based on almost 67,000 reports investigated by Lancashire police, of which 7,171 involved a child over 16 abusing a parent or parental figure. The reports show that abuse was more likely to be intimidating or coercive behaviour than outright violence and the age of the abuser averaged at 27 years old. Nicola Graham-Kevan is a professor of criminal justice psychology at the University of Central Lancashire and led the research. Kat Wilson is a senior support worker at Woman's Aid.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Dr Elizabeth Mann Interviewed Guest: Naomi Grimley Interviewed Guest: Divya Arya Interviewed Guest: Summayyah Khan Interviewed Guest: Isabelle Farah Interviewed Guest: Nicola Graham-Kevan Interviewed Guest: Kat Wilson

An out-of-court settlement has been reached between Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre. She'd accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. He's always denied it and hasn't admitted any liability. We examine what the settlement means for Virginia Giuffre with the lawyer, Georgina Calvert-Lee and Jess Phillips MP, who's Labour's Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding.There have been some desperately sad news reports recently about children who've been killed by those they loved and trusted. We talk in depth about child protection? Are vulnerable and at-risk children being removed quick enough from their families? Or do we have a system which takes too many children away without trying other ways to help first? We speak to author and journalist, Polly Curtis who's been investigating this issue as well as Alison Bavidge from the Scottish Association of Social Workers Do you know who Lydia Becker was? She was a suffragist, and one of our listeners really got into her during lock-down. Joanna Williams sat down at her kitchen table and wrote a book about her. It helped her cope with being a full-time carer to her husband.Did you know that women led Bronze Age immigration to Orkney? New research led to the finding. We speak to Dr. Maria Pala from the Archaeogenetics Research Group at the University of Huddersfield to find out more.

Mina Smallman whose daughters were killed in a London park gives her reaction to the latest revelations from the Metropolitan police. Vladimir Putin could launch an invasion of Ukraine "almost immediately", the UK believes as diplomatic efforts continued to avert a war in eastern Europe. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday an invasion could take place within 48 hours as he urged Russia's president to step back from the "edge of a precipice". We hear from two women on the ground in Ukraine.We have health & safety officers, diversity officers, and even wellness officers in the workplace. Do we need one for family planning as well? We speak to lawyer Natalie Sutherland, who has just become Britain’s first Fertility Officer, and, Becky Kearns, Co-founder of ‘Fertility Matters at Work’ to find out why more companies should consider appointing one.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

The award-winning poet Imtiaz Dharker has specially selected her favourite "Love Poems" together in a beautiful collection for the Folio Society. There are recent and ancient poems, poems that talk about the animal magnetism of love and others of more profound devotion, but they have all been arranged carefully to speak across centuries and cultures. Imtiaz also shares with Emma her writing tips for those who want to compose something for the person they love today.A record number of women are standing in the French presidential elections in April across the breadth of the political landscape. It’s the first election since the global #metoo movement and commentators are considering whether this could have an impact on the outcome. We hear from Catherine Nicholson who is the European Affairs Editor at France 24 TV and Agnes Poirier UK Editor of L'Express.At-home early abortions were introduced at the start of the pandemic to prevent the number of people visiting clinics, but the legislation is due to expire next month. We speak to Clare Murphy, boss of BPAS, about her fears for pregnant women if the government revokes the measures. You may have been online searching for long-lost members of your family - trying to build that family tree. But now there's a chance to search pictures of relatives too. The National Portrait Gallery has teamed up with the website Ancestry to upload thousands of portraits of well-known and ordinary people it has in their collection. But the gallery has also announced a competition giving the public the chance to submit their own family photos to be selected and displayed. Dr Alison Smith from the National Portrait Gallery tells us how people can make their entries.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Giles Aspen

Marian Keyes writes funny, clever novels about the tough stuff in life. Her new novel Again, Rachel revisits Rachel Walsh whose story of recovery from addiction was told in the 1997 novel Rachel's Holiday. Marian explains how her own experience of addiction and recovery shapes the stories she tells.In the glamorous world of luxury property selling high-end homes can be a cut-throat business. Sophie Leigh and Chloe Cable from the reality show Mega Mansion Hunters discuss their uphill struggle to become successful women in the industry.Donna McLean first heard about undercover cops having relationships with female activists in 2010 when Mark Kennedy, an undercover police officer who had spent years pretending to be an environmental campaigner, was unmasked. She didn’t realise until years later she was also a victim of the Spy Cops scandal. She has written a memoir Small Town Girl: Love, Lies and The Undercover Police.A group of mothers in Massachusetts exorcise their pandemic frustrations by screaming in a group in the middle of a football field. Could the craze come to the UK? We speak to Professor Pragya Agarwal and Dr Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler Last week’s Levelling Up white paper has promised a devolution deal to every part of England that wishes to have one by 2030. But what impact has devolution had on female political representation? We discuss with Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society; Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire; and Jackie Weaver, Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils.Brit-award winning singer-songwriter Kate Nash introduces her new song Imperfect, and shares her experience of learning to wrestle for Netflix series GLOW.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

Dame Cressida Dick, the first woman to lead the Metropolitan Police has resigned. We've covered every twist and turn of the many high profile crimes against women and girls involving the Met Police over the last two years. We get reaction from Kristina O'Connor, the daughter of Des O'Connor, who has her own experience of inappropriate Met Police behaviour. Also, Jamie Klingler from Reclaim These Streets, Zoe Billingham who's the former Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and Harriet Wistrich, Director of the Centre for Women's Justice.We hear from Tukwini Mandela, one of Nelson Mandela's oldest grandchildren. Thirty two years to the day, Nelson Mandala was released from Robben Island. Tukwini is here to explore how much the UK population really knows about black history.We speak to Marie Penman who left her job with the charity-side of Raith Rovers football club because it signed David Goodwillie. He was the player who a Scottish civil court found to have raped a woman.Sheila Ferguson. who used to be one of the Three Degrees. is now in a new production of Chicago which is on tour. Sheila joins Anita to talk about new love, dating and hanging out with musical legends when she first started out.

Today the Prince of Wales will unveil a statue of Licoricia, a Medieval Jewish woman outside where she once lived on Jewry Street, Winchester. The statue is hoped to inspire women and provide education on the UK’s Jewish history. Emma is joined by Rebecca Abrams author of ‘Licoricia of Winchester: Power and Prejudice in Mediaeval England’, on why Licoricia’s story is so important.Brit-award winning singer-songwriter Kate Nash, known for her expressive and honest lyrics sung in a North London accent, is coming to venues again very soon. She's got a tour, a fifth album and even a musical coming out this year. You may have seen her in the series, GLOW on Netflix based on the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling from the 1980s and she's got a new single, 'Imperfect' out tomorrow along with a new video in the theme of 'Galantine's Day.' She joins Emma live from LA to talk all about releasing new music and learning how to wrestle.Boris Johnson has just made Samantha Jones the most powerful woman in No. 10. No, not the Sex and City character but a former nurse and NHS boss who has been hired as the Prime Minister's first 'Chief Operating Officer'. This is part of the reform of Downing Street he promised after Sue Gray's report on the so-called partygate scandal was released last week. In this new post, Samantha Jones will apparently examine how Number 10 is run and help set up the Office of the Prime Minister. Emma is joined by Rosa Prince, Editor of The House - which is Parliament's magazine - to find out more about her and the role.Last week’s Levelling Up white paper has promised a devolution deal to every part of England that wishes to have one by 2030. But what impact has devolution had on female political representation? We discuss with Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society and Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, the only female metro mayor in England and Jackie Weaver, Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils.Sculpture of Licorcia by Ian Rank Broadley.

Marian Keyes writes funny, clever novels about the tough stuff in life. Her books feature addiction, break-ups, poor mental health with women at the heart and lots of good men as well. Her new novel Again, Rachel revisits Rachel Walsh whose story of recovery from addiction was told in the 1997 novel Rachel's Holiday. 25 years later Rachel has come full circle and is now working at the rehab facility where she got into recovery all those years ago. Marian joins Emma to explain how her own experience of addiction and recovery shapes the stories she tells and why happy endings are so important to her.Voice messages left on a crisis hotline ignored for six weeks. More self-harm incidents than any other women's prison. Violence high and a regime that's uncaring and punitive. These are the findings of an inspectorate report out today into Foston Hall, a women's prison in Derbyshire. Four other women's prisons in England have recently been inspected too. Across the board, self-harm has increased in women's prisons during the pandemic, much more than in men's prisons. Emma is joined by Sandra Fieldhouse who leads on women's prisons for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.The crypto art marketplace has taken off over the past couple of years - with some pieces raking in millions - but surprise, surprise, it is nearly as male-dominated as traditional auction sales. For some female artists though, it has been life-changing. That is especially the case for the Scottish artist Anna Louise Simpson, a divorced mother of two, who is with us this morning. We are also joined by Micol Ap who runs VerticalCrypto Art, a media hub and studio dedicated to NFT art.For the last week, the media has been full of the aftermath of the Prime Minister's remarks to the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - that he had failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile for sexual assault while Director of Public Prosecutions. A claim that is false, but was seized upon by a group of people who surrounded Starmer on Monday evening. But how has all of this affected Savile's many victims? We hear from one of them, Dee Coles, who told us how outraged she was, and how upset. Emma speaks to Maggie Oliver, a former detective who now runs the Maggie Oliver Foundation which helps victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

Downing Street has said the Prime Minister will not be apologising for claiming that the Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer, while Director of Public Prosecutions failed to prosecute Jimmy Saville for sexual assault - a claim that is false. There have been renewed calls for Boris Johnson to retract the comments after Sir Keir was targeted yesterday by a gang of protestors near Parliament - some of whom could be heard shouting "paedophile protector". The Prime Minister has described the demonstrators' behaviour as "disgraceful". It brings to the fore the issue of MPs and their public safety. Kim Leadbeater is the sister of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, and now represents her sister's former constituency of Batley and Spen for Labour. She speaks to Emma.New analysis says that almost 300,000 people were unable to see a cancer specialist within two weeks of an urgent referral between April and November last year. The research, which used information from the House of Commons library and was commissioned by the Labour Party, found that more than 90,000 of those breaches were for people who may have breast cancer. As the Prime Minister promises new targets to tackle the backlog, Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Now, Baroness Delyth Morgan explains what this means for breast cancer patients.Have you ever felt like you wanted to scream from the top of your lungs? You’d be in good company. Last month, a group of Massachusetts mothers in the US decided to get all their pandemic frustrations off their chests by shouting in a group in the middle of a football field. It has inspired others women around the US to do the same. Could this craze come to the UK? Behaviour and data scientist, Professor Pragya Agarwal, decided to start screaming with her daughters during lockdown. Dr Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler explains why it might feel good but might not be the healthiest way of feeling better. A new BBC Three documentary presented by reporter Ashley John-Baptiste explores sibling separation in the UK care system. What is the impact for a child in foster care to be separated from their sisters or brothers? Rachel Musekiwa and Keilagh Brinkley are two young women who were both separated from their siblings in care. They tell us their experiences.A new all-female sketch show called Lazy Susan premiered this month on BBC Three and iPlayer. The series features some hilarious new characters from the comedy duo Freya Parker and Celeste Drin, alongside some of those best-loved from their stage shows. Unique and powerful women, like this pair of comedians, are taking over comedy from every direction. That's according to the Director of BBC Comedy, Shane Allen, who says: “Five years ago there were still articles asking where all the funny women were." Freya and Celeste join EmmaPresenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Kim Leadbeater Interviewed Guest: Baroness Delyth Morgan Interviewed Guest: Professor Pragya Agarwal Interviewed Guest: Dr Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler Interviewed Guest: Rachel Musekiwa Interviewed Guest: Keliagh Brinkley Interviewed Guest: Freya Parker Interviewed Guest: Celeste Drin

The celebrations to mark her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee have officially begun. with events up and down the country over the coming months. One woman who's preparing her own very special tribute to the Queen is 92 year old Margaret Seaman. Margaret made headlines last year with her 'knitted Sandringham' which painstakingly recreated the palace and grounds of the Queen's Norfolk estate. Margaret joins Emma from her home in Great Yarmouth.Imagine finding out the love of your life never existed. Donna McLean first heard about undercover cops having relationships with female activists in 2010 when Mark Kennedy, an undercover police officer who had spent years pretending to be an environmental campaigner, was unmasked. She didn’t realise until years later she was also a victim of the Spy Cops scandal. Over 40 years, British police officers were sent undercover to infiltrate left-wing activist groups. Over 30 women, so far, have found out the men they fell in love were actually spying on them. In 2015 a message from an old friend turned Donna’s life upside down. She found out the 2 year long relationship she’d had with locksmith Carlo was in fact a lie. He was an undercover police officer. She has written a memoire Small Town Girl: Love, Lies and The Undercover Police.You may have heard the term 'pregnant people' being used in place of 'pregnant women'. It's intended to be inclusive of trans men and nonbinary people who are having a baby. Today a global group of women's health experts publish an article in the journal Frontiers of Global Women's Health, arguing that there are unintended consequences to shifting the language of reproduction in this way. They say these include compromising the accuracy of some medical research and results, and the dehumanisation of women by using terms that refer to them only by body part or function - for example 'cervix haver' or 'birth-giver'. Jenny Gamble, Professor of Midwifery at Coventry University, is one of the co-authors of the article and joins Emma.The Gilded Age is a new TV series created by Julian Fellowes - of Downton Abbey fame - which follows the lives of high society women in 1880s New York. But who are the real historical figures who inspired the series? We speak to social and fashion historian Elizabeth Block. Lata Mangeshkar, one of India's most beloved singers, has died aged 92. Described as the 'nightingale of Bollywood', she had a career that spanned more than half a century and her voice was the soundtrack to hundreds of Bollywood films. Her funeral took place earlier today in India, attended by Prime Minister Modi and stars of the entertainment industry. Two days of national mourning will follow. To reflect on her extraordinary legacy, Emma is joined by BBC presenter Nikki Bedi.Image: Sandringham as knitted by Margaret Seaman Credit: Keiron Tovell

Two women with no previous rowing experience have smashed the world record for the fastest female pair to row across the Atlantic. We hear from Jessica Oliver and Charlotte Harris who rowed 3000 miles over 45 days in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, battling 30 ft waves, sharks and sleep deprivation. Photo credit Atlantic CampaignsVile text messages have come to light which were shared between police officers belonging to the Metropolitan Police. The IOPC has said: "We believe these incidents are not isolated or simply the behaviour of a few 'bad apples'." The Met has said that it is 'sorry'. We hear reaction from Zoe Billingham, former Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary. And we hear from listener Amanda,. Her son, George, is planning to join the Police later this year and she is worried but he is determined to be part of the change. Big investment firms are missing out on up to 2.37 trillion pounds of potential investment because of their poor record in attracting female investors. That was a warning this week from the giant investment bank BNY Mellon, which revealed only 28% of women feel confident in investing their money. Anne-Marie McConnon is the bank's chief client experience officer, and she tells us more about their findings. She’s joined by Sarah Turner the founder of Angel Academe, a network for mostly-female angel investors.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

The cover of British Vogue’s February 2022 issue has made history. It’s the first Vogue cover to feature nine black models, titled Fashion Now. The issue celebrates the rise of African models in high-end fashion, styled by Vogue’s first Black Editor-In-Chief Edward Enninful and Brazilian photographer, Rafael Pavarotti. Undeniably it’s been met with celebration but also some nuanced criticism. We hear from Chelsea Mtada, the Arts and Culture Editor at Guap Magazine.We discuss the new legal duties being put on parents who educate their children at home. Parents in England will have to let the local authority know and register their child accordingly. If they don't, they'll be penalised. We hear from Charlotte Ramsden President of the Association of Directors of Children's Services and Gabriella Rook, a young trustee from Education Otherwise, the longest standing and largest home-education charity in England and Wales.The Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing officially begin on Friday. Around 3000 athletes from 91 nations will compete for one of the 109 gold medals on offer. So who are the women among the Great Britain hopefuls? We hear from the four time Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday Presenter Chemmy Alcott and from Katie Smith Olympic Reporter from BBC Sport. Big investment firms are missing out on up to 2.37 trillion pounds of potential investment because of their poor record in attracting female investors. That was a warning this week from the giant investment bank BNY Mellon, which revealed only 28% of women feel confident in investing their money. Anne-Marie McConnon is the bank's chief client experience officer, and she tells us more about their findings. She’s joined by Sarah Turner the founder of Angel Academe’s, a network for mostly-female angel investors.Social media is filled with bloggers and influencers – so how does someone stand out? Lockdown has seen a trend in a new kind of ‘insta mums’ – who are bringing humour and a dose of reality to motherhood. Both Molly Gudger and Louise Boyce have built platforms on telling it like it is when it comes to parenting. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka NurmahomedPhotographer credit: Rafael Pavarotti

Stacey Dooley has been presenting television documentaries for over 10 years – on everything from drug cartels in Southern Spain to illegal pornography in South Korea. Now the Sunday Times bestselling author has released a new book, exploring the state of mental health in the UK. ‘Are You Really OK?’ looks at – amongst other things – issues of PTSD, depression, psychosis; and what causes these things. Stacey reveals what she’s learnt.Yesterday on the programme we discussed the culture of policing in the light of misogynistic, discriminatory and violent texts exchanged between serving officers between 2016 and 2018. They were revealed as part of an IOPC investigation at Charing Cross police station in London. These revelations follow the murder of Sarah Everard and the treatment of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman by serving Metropolitan Police officers. We asked how can a toxic culture be changed? A mother, Amanda, contacted us while we were on air. Her son, George, is planning to join the Police later this year and she is worried but he is determined to be part of the change. They both join Emma.Two women with no previous rowing experience have smashed the world record for the fastest female pair to row across the Atlantic. Jessica Oliver and Charlotte Harris rowed 3000 miles over 45 days in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, battling 30 ft waves, sharks and sleep deprivation. They join us to discuss the experience. Some of Afghanistan's public universities reopened yesterday for the first time since the Taliban took over the country, with female students joining their male counterparts heading back to classes. Girls are still not allowed to attend secondary schools, and women remain barred from many jobs outside the health and teaching sector. This is unfolding against the backdrop of a major humanitarian crisis. Fawzia Koofi, the former Vice President of the National Assembly in Kabul and women's rights activist, updates us.You know the rhyme “divorced beheaded died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” The first women to lose her head at the hands of Henry VIII was Anne Boleyn - and her story is so often characterised by that tragic outcome that we may have overlooked the fact that she was a feminist and ahead of her time. This is the view of Dr Owen Emmerson who has curated an exhibition at Hever Castle - Anne's childhood home - called Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court. But can she be seen as a feminist when the word hadn't even been invented? Emma is joined by Owen and Tracy Borman, the Tudor historian and Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces who is currently writing a book about the relationship between Anne Boleyn and her daughter Elizabeth. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Stacey Dooley Interviewed Guest: Jessica Oliver Interviewed Guest: Charlotte Harris Interviewed Guest: Tracy Borman Interviewed Guest: Dr Owen Emmerson

Gloria Allred is probably the best known women’s rights lawyer in the US. Equally loved, feared and deemed controversial by some, for nearly half a century she's represented women in high profile cases involving Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, R Kelly, Donald Trump. She talks to Woman's Hour about the situation facing the Duke of York, the possible retrial of Ghislaine Maxwell & her admiration for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Vile text messages have come to light which were shared between police officers belonging to the Metropolitan Police. The IOPC has said: "We believe these incidents are not isolated or simply the behaviour of a few 'bad apples'." The Met has said that it is 'sorry'. We get reaction from Zoe Billingham, former Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and Shabnam Chaudhri, who served as an officer in the Met for 30 years.Monica Ali wrote her bestseller Brick Lane nearly 20 years ago. Her new book is called Love Marriage. It's about two families who are brought together when Yasmin and Joe fall in love. Scottish crime writer, Val McDermid, has stopped sponsoring a football club that's been part of her life since she was a baby. She's finished supporting Raith Rovers because it's signed up David Goodwillie who, in a Scottish civil case in 2017, was found to have raped a woman. He was fined £100,000. Val says she can't see herself ever going back to Raith Rovers.

As the Prime Minister apologises for a failure of leadership, accepting Sue Gray's report, and promises to overhaul Number 10 - his place of work and home - what of Carrie Johnson? And concerns about the blurring of lines...The pandemic has changed the way some women work and has blurred the boundaries between home and work for many. A new book by Professor Laura Gowing of King’s College London called 'Ingenious Trade' unearths the stories of women at work in 17th Century London and shows how crucial to their identity paid employment was. For those who remember the late 90s and early noughties, thongs were a defining emblem of popular fashion, often poking out of denim and low-rise trousers. Today, clothes retailers are seeing a surge in their thong sales since 2019, and with the resurgence of ‘y2k’ style among young people, it seems that thongs are back.Joe Biden announced last week that he'd fulfil his campaign promise of the first black female justice just as Justice Stephen Breyer said he would retire. Biden said that it was long overdue in his opinion and that he will reveal his choice of a younger, liberal judge by the end of February. While many Americans welcome diversity in the Supreme Court, Biden has also faced criticism for playing identity politics. Emma discusses this with Kimberly Peeler-Allen who is the co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation that builds the collective political power of Black women and Lawrence Hurley, Reuters U.S. Supreme Court Correspondent.Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that more than one in ten children starting school in England are at risk of measles because they haven't had their jabs. Vaccine rates for the MMR, which helps protect five-year-olds against measles, mumps and rubella, have fallen to their lowest level in a decade. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there's been a concerning drop in the number of children receiving these vaccinations on time, with some parents perhaps not wanting to burden the NHS or unaware doctors were still offering appointments. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Caroline Slocock Interviewed Guest: Caroline Wheeler Interviewed Guest: Professor Laura Gowing Interviewed Guest: Alizé Demange Interviewed Guest: Letty Cole Interviewed Guest: Kimberly Peeler-Allen Interviewed Guest: Lawrence Hurley Interviewed Guest: Professor Helen Bedford

Nikki da Costa is former director of legislative affairs at No 10. She has a piece in the Times this morning saying that 'No 10 failed us when we needed our leaders most'. Nikki joins Emma for an exclusive broadcast interview.Sarah Brown has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry. She grew up singing gospel in a Pentecostal church, which first inspired her love of Mahalia Jackson’s music. To mark the 50th anniversary of Mahalia’s death, Sarah has released an album in tribute to her heroine.Last week Mars Wrigley announced a rebranding of the iconic M&M mascots. The green M&M character will be losing her high heels to be replaced with sneakers. We ask whether this kind of ‘activism branding’ leads to any significant change? Lee Edwards is a Professor of Strategic Communication and Public Engagement at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Carly Lewis-Oduntan is a freelance features writer.Following allegations of abuse against footballer Mason Greenwood posted first on social media, Women's Aid CEO Farah Nazeer joins Emma to discuss the ramifications of making allegations on social media before going to police? Regular exercise is something we all know can help your mental health and reduce your stress levels. But is there a point when it becomes unhealthy? The mental health charity Mind is concerned people may be getting overly reliant on exercise and are urging ‘exercise addicts’ to build in rest days. Hayley Jarvis, Mind’s Head of Physical Activity and 21 year old Catherine join Emma.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucina Montefiore

Dr Koshka Duff, an assistant professor of politics at Nottingham University has received an apology and compensation from the Met Police after officers were caught on CCTV using sexist, derogatory and unacceptable language during a 2013 strip search. In her first broadcast interview since the apology, she speaks to Emma about that experience and why it has taken so long to get an apology. Chloe Slevin, a 3rd year nursing student at University College Dublin has been painting well-known masterpieces - with a Covid-19 twist. Her latest creation? The 'Corona Lisa' which sees the famous Mona Lisa in full PPE, which she plans to auction off for charity. She joins Emma to talk about all about her paintings.Tareena Shakil is the first British woman to be found guilty of joining the so-called Islamic State. She was jailed for travelling to Syria with her son - who was a one year old baby at the time, in 2014. She speaks to Anita about why she left the UK to join a terrorist organisation - and why she's speaking out. Midwives are being ‘dangerously overworked’ according to a former NHS midwife. Piroska Cavell, who worked for years across the UK as a midwife and Dr Mary Ross-Davie from the Royal College of Midwives speak to Emma about the challenges facing midwives working on the frontline:Plus do you remember the rhyme for Henry VIII's six wives? Well a musical about them has just opened on Broadway following rave reviews on the West End. Six the Musical follows all six wives, as they take the microphone in a ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ style sing-off. Co-director Lucy Moss, co-director and co-writer of the show, and Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, who plays Henry VIII’s fifth wife Katherine Howard, join Emma to discuss its success.

Tareena Shakil is the first British woman to be found guilty of joining so-called Islamic State. She was jailed for travelling to Syria with her baby son to join ISIS. That was in 2014 when she was 24. She didn't last long in Syria and fled. A trial in the UK followed and it came to light that she lied to police when they questioned her and some of her social media posts encouraged others to do the same as her. She tells her story to Anita Rani, and describes her hopes for the future.Libby Heaney and Nabihah Iqbal are combining music production and AI for their piece Cascade. It's an exploration of the River Thames and includes field recordings of the Thames, AI generated sounds and visuals. One Big Bag is a film installation about a young death doula. That's a carer who supports someone who's dying and their families. Its creator is artist Every Ocean Hughes. She joins Hermione Elliott who's a doula herself, and Dr Helen Frisby.

We’re all too familiar with operatic heroines, dying tragically on stage. The arias they sing are often completely beautiful, the skill of the composers not in doubt, but the stereotyping does modern women no service. It’s a dilemma that award winning, all women string quartet Zaïde address in a new project entitled No(s) Dames. They have teamed up with counter tenor Théophile Alexandre to showcase arias of tragic heroines by seventeen different composers. The twist is that it is male Theophile who sings the arias. First violinist Charlotte Maclet joins Emma.Today is National Holocaust Memorial Day and the Prince of Wales, as chairman of the National Holocaust Memorial Trust has commissioned the portraits of seven Holocaust survivors all of them now in their nineties, whose childhoods were spent surviving the Nazis. The portraits will be displayed at the Queen's Gallery as a living memorial to the six million innocent men, women and children who lost their lives in the Holocaust and whose stories will never be told. A 60-minute BBC Two documentary Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust will air tonight at 9 pm and has followed the creation of the artworks and the relationship between artists and sitters. Emma is joined by one of the survivors - Rachel Levy - who was painted by the artist Stuart Pearson Wright.Image: Quatuor Zaïde quartet with Théophile Alexandre Credit: Julien Benhamou

Chloe Slevin, a 3rd year nursing student at University College Dublin has been painting well-known masterpieces - with a Covid-19 twist. First came 'The Girl with the Surgical Mask' after the famous 'Girl with the Pearl Earring' then she did a version of one of Michaelangelo's famous works. But her most recent painting is that of the 'Corona Lisa' - the Mona Lisa in full PPE and surgical mask, which she's auctioning off for LauraLynn, Ireland's only children's hospice. She joins Emma to talk about her paintings and what it's been like as a trainee nurse during the pandemic.Emma speaks to Dr Koshka Duff who was detained in 2013 after offering a legal advice card to a black teenager during his stop-and-search. On CCTV footage, officers can be heard laughing about her hair, clothes and talking about her underwear. The Metropolitan Police have now apologised and paid the academic compensation for their "sexist, derogatory and unacceptable language".The Ministry of Justice, this week, has announced an unprecedented recruitment drive, to boost the number of magistrates by 4,000. It’s part of a £1 million campaign to make the magistracy more representative of the communities it serves. They’re aiming to attract people from a wide range of backgrounds, from teachers, bricklayers, stay-at-home mums, and any individuals who can display reason and sound judgment. The step is expected to free up an estimated 1,700 extra days of Crown Court time annually and new recruits are expected to help tackle the backlog of criminal cases caused by the pandemic. Emma speaks to Amie Canham from North Yorkshire, a new Magistrate, as well as Bev Higgs, Chair of the Magistrates Association.Women were contributing to the development of British politics and democracy long before they were agitating for the vote. Very few of them are well known today but all of them contributed something to the world we now inhabit, that’s according to Nan Sloane who has written a history of radical, reformist and revolutionary women from the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832. Her book is called Uncontrollable Women.

Six the Musical is currently on stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. The show follows Henry VIII’s six wives, as they take the microphone for the first time in a ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ style sing-off. Originally written by two Cambridge University students and showcased at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, it has since taken London’s West End by storm and has just opened on Broadway. Joining Emma are Lucy Moss, co-director and co-writer of the show, and Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, who plays Henry VIII’s fifth wife Katherine Howard in a brand new London cast.Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure after Downing Street admitted staff gathered inside No 10 during the first Covid lockdown to mark his birthday in June 2020. A spokesperson said staff had "gathered briefly" to "wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday", adding that he had been there "for less than 10 minutes". There have been recent suggestions that No 10 would benefit from having more women in high profile roles to sort out what has been reported to be a 'lad's lair'. Baroness Kate Fall was Deputy Chief of Staff for David Cameron while he was Prime Minister, and joins Emma.Are the youth of today oversensitive, mollycoddled and intellectually weak? Is cancel culture spiralling out of control? According to journalist and writer Hannah Jewell, author of new book We Need Snowflakes: In defence of the sensitive the angry and the offended, the term ‘snowflakes’ has been used to demonise young people who care passionately about fighting racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and economic inequality.As Russian troops mass on the border with Ukraine, and NATO warns of a risk of fresh conflict in Europe, Emma speaks to BBC Ukrainian Service journalist Irena Taranyuk about the pressures and decisions facing women in her country right now.The MP Sir Edward Leigh, who himself suffers from rosacea, has tabled a debate on the link between skin problems and poor mental health to be held at Westminster Hall later today. He joins Emma Barnett to discuss his concerns alongside the consultant dermatologist Dr Penelope Pratsou who also speaks on behalf of the British Skin Foundation.

Concerns that the criminal justice system is not responsive enough to the specific needs of women are longstanding. In June 2018 the government published its Female Offender Strategy. It sought to reduce crime, pressure on services and the cost of dealing with women in the CJS, and to improve outcomes for women at all points in the system. The National Audit Office have just released a report examining the success of that strategy so far and are critical of the government’s efforts in implementing it. Kate Paradine, Chief Executive of Women in Prison joins Emma. Midwives are under a ‘worrying amount’ of pressure and are being ‘dangerously overworked’ according to former NHS midwife, Piroska Cavell. According to a survey by the Royal College of Midwives from October 2021, over half of their members considering leaving the profession due to the current situation. Emma speaks to Piroska about her own experience of being a midwife on the front line and Royal College of Midwives’ Dr Mary Ross-Davie about the challenges facing maternity services. Nineteen year old Zara Rutherford has become the youngest woman ever to fly solo around the world. Her journey spanned 5 months, 32,000 miles and five continents. And to top it all she only got her pilot’s licence two years ago. Who is Annalena Baerbock? The new German foreign minister met with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov last week in Moscow, and delivered a warning that her country was prepared to pay a high price to defend its values, if Russia invades Ukraine. Why is her role in the diplomacy significant, and how did she become Germany’s first female foreign minister? Emma speaks to Michaela Kuefner, Chief Political Editor at Deutsche Welle. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Piroska Cavell Interviewed Guest: Dr Mary Ross-Davie Interviewed Guest: Zara Rutherford Interviewed Guest: Kate Paradine Interviewed Guest: Michaela Kuefner

Artist Tracey Emin shares why she wants an artwork she donated to the government’s art collection to be removed from display in Number 10 Downing Street. Last Wednesday afternoon, 23-year-old school teacher Ashling Murphy was killed while jogging along the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Ireland. The case has shocked the nation and revived concerns about women’s safety in public spaces in Ireland and the UK. We speak to Irish Times reporter Jade Wilson and veteran women's rights activist Ailbhe Smyth.In 1969 Muriel McKay was kidnapped after being mistaken for Rupert Murdoch’s wife. The story dominated front pages for weeks, and hundreds of police worked the case. After 40 days Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein were arrested, and later jailed, but Muriel was never found. We hear about the re-opening of the case from Muriel's daughter, Dianne McKay.Woman to Woman is the all-star group founded in 2018 and features musical artists Beverley Craven, Julia Fordham and Judie Tzuke. They now have a new album and a new collaborator, singer-songwriter Rumer. We catch up with member Julia Fordham.Nearly seven million adults in the UK have very poor literacy skills – many of whom are too ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help. What impact can struggling to read and write have on a woman’s life long-term? Ginny Williams-Ellis is the CEO of Ready Easy UK and Sarah Todd used Read Easy back in 2015.Plus do you practice self-love? Thirty Things I Love About Myself is a new comedic novel by Radhika Sanghani. It's been inspired by her own journey to loving herself – culminating in not one but two nude portraits of herself.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Sarah Crawley

We discuss the life of Mary Ward the 17th century Catholic nun who actively championed education for girls - and even spent time in prison for her cause. Now, almost four hundred years after her death, Mary Ward's legacy lives on via a network of almost 200 Mary Ward schools worldwide – including St Mary's School in Cambridge. She is considered the first sister of feminism and a pioneer of female missionary work. Sister Jane Livesey and Charlotte Avery headmistress at St Mary’s school for girls tell us about her life and legacy.We hear from Jo Richards from British Wheelchair Basketball about the start of the British Wheelchair Basketball Women's Premier League which begins on Saturday live on the BBC. The league is the first of its kind worldwide, and the UK's first women's professional Para-sport league. What do you remember about ‘ladette culture’? It was a term first coined in 1994 to describe young women who behaved boisterously, assertively and loved a drink. Some considered it a feminist movement – allowing girls to act ‘just like men’. Comedian Shappi Khorsandi – who grew up in the 90’s – explores ladette culture in her new comedy stand up tour. Professor Angela Smith teaches Language and Culture at the University of Sunderland. Shappi and Angela both join Anita to discuss the significance of this time, and how our attitudes have changed.On 17th November 2019, Grey Atticus Fox was born, nine weeks early to author Georgina Lucas and her partner Mike. Weighing just three and a half pounds, he was taken to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit and put on a ventilator. But less than two weeks later, a devastating prognosis left Georgina and Mike with an agonising decision of whether to withdraw Grey's life support. Georgina writes movingly about this experience and its aftermath in her memoir If Not For You.Woman to Woman is the all-star group founded back in 2018 and features musical artists Beverley Craven, Julia Fordham and Judie Tzuke. Now the trio are back with a new album, new tour and a new collaborator- singer-songwriter Rumer. Anita will speak to member Julia Fordham about their reunion, working with Rumer and their latest singles.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh are preparing to begin testing a new IVF treatment which could allow women to freeze their eggs at a much younger age and increase the likelihood of successful pregnancies in older women. Professor Evelyn Telfer, chair of reproductive biology at the University discusses how this research could change fertility treatment in the future. We hear from artist Tracey Emin about why she she wants an artwork she donated to the government’s art collection removed from display in Number 10 Downing Street. and following Christian Wakeford's defection to the the Labour Party Anna Soubry, who left the Conservative Party to sit as part of a group of independent MPs which later went on to become Change UK ,shares what it's like to defect and whether it works out politically. The world-renowned ballet dancer and artistic director of English National Ballet, Tamara Rojo, joins us following her decision to step down from her role after ten years to become the artistic director of San Francisco Ballet, Today the High Court hears the judicial review brought by Reclaim These Streets. They are challenging the Metropolitan Police’s handling of a vigil - in memory of Sarah Everard, and in opposition to violence against women. Reclaim These Streets co-founder Anna Birley tells us why they're seeking the review. . Plus do you practice self-love? If so how, do you do it? ‘Thirty Things I Love About Myself’ is a new comedic novel by Radhika Sanghani. It's inspired her own journey to loving herself – culminating in not one but two nude portraits of herself front and centre in her home. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

The Raise the Roof project in Perth in Scotland, is gathering the lesser-known histories of a number of influential and fearless women to feature in the new Perth City Hall Museum when it opens in early 2024. A list of over 50 women who have lived in Perth over the centuries – from a witch to a pioneering photographer and the first female MP has been drawn up. But it is down to a number of different community groups to decide which women will be celebrated. They will work with an artist to help tell their stories and a wire statue of each of those women will be displayed around the city. Chloe Tilley is joined by Anna Day the Cultural Public Programme Manager at Perth & Kinross Council and the artist Vanessa Lawrence. The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has warned that thousands of children have "fallen off the radar" of schools. She is launching an inquiry to find young people who are not attending school in the wake of lockdown. On the programme Dame Rachel de Souza told BBC Woman’s Hour that between 80,000 and 100,000 children were not on any school rolls at all. This was inaccurate. The Office of the Children's Commissioner for England subsequently confirmed that Dame Rachel misspoke and that this figure actually relates to the number of children who were persistently absent from school in Autumn 2020, following the first Covid-19 lockdown. They also confirmed that the number of children not on school rolls is unknown. In 1969 Muriel McKay was kidnapped after being mistaken for Rupert Murdoch’s wife. The story dominated front pages for weeks, and hundreds of police worked the case. After 40 days Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein were arrested, and later jailed, but Muriel was never found. The brothers never confessed to their crimes, or revealed the whereabouts of Mrs McKay’s body. Until now. Dianne McKay is Muriel’s daughter and joins Chloe.With inflation at a 10 year high, energy bills on the increase, and average pay rises failing to keep up with the rise of the cost of living, and not forgetting an increase in national insurance coming this way, millions of people will find themselves worse off in 2022. The number of households spending at least 10 per cent of their family budgets on energy bills – is set to treble overnight to 6.3 million households when the new energy price cap comes into effect on April, that’s according to research by the Resolution Foundation, who’ve dubbed 2022 the year of the squeeze. And new analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says that low income families could spend on average 18 percent of their income after housing costs on energy bills. How would you respond to starting a relationship and being told by your new partner he was looking for a committed partnership—just one that did not include exclusivity? Author and journalist, Rachel Krantz had to address just this and embrace it with her ex partner Adam. She was nervous, yet intrigued and so Rachel decided to give it a go. Seeing whether she could cope with, and enjoy, both of them dating other people. In her debut memoir, ‘Open, An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation & Non-Monogamy’ Rachel candidly shares with the reader her experiences of exploring Brooklyn sex parties and being part of the swinger community.Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Dame Rachel de Souza Interviewed Guest: Dianne McKay Interviewed Guest: Helen Barnard Interviewed Guest: Victoria Benson Interviewed Guest: Anna Day Interviewed Guest: Vanessa Lawrence Interviewed Guest: Rachel Krantz

Yesterday on Woman's Hour we talked about the outpouring of grief in Ireland and beyond about the murder of Ashling Murphy. Today we are looking at solutions to ending violence against women. Sarah Benson, CEO Women's Aid Ireland joins Chloe. Universities are being called on to end the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements to silence complainants in sexual harassment cases by signing up to a new pledge today. Higher Education Minister Michelle Donelan MP joins Chloe to discuss her concerns that some establishments are also using the legally-binding contracts to deal with other problems such as abuse, and other forms of misconduct which stops the victims from speaking out and protects the reputations of perpetrators. Nearly seven million adults in the UK have very poor literacy skills – many of whom are too ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help. What impact can struggling to read and write have on a women’s life long-term? Ginny Williams-Ellis is the CEO of Ready Easy UK, a charity offering free one-to-one reading coaching. Sarah Todd used Read Easy back in 2015. Has sharing the realities of parenting gone too far? Journalist Rose Stokes is pregnant and has been getting loads of horror stories of birth and parenting from friends, family and strangers. We talk to her, and psychotherapist Anna Mathur. Former England Netball captain Ama Agbeze on the Vitality Roses defence of their Commonwealth title later this year. Tonight they take on World number one's Australia in London in the annual Quad series. We'll look how that win in 2018 developed the elite game in England.Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Lucinda Montefiore Picture credit: Steven Paston/PA Wire