Woman's Hour

Following a two-year investigation into bullying, abuse and discrimination the Whyte Review into British Gymnastics is finally published. We hear from ex-gymnast Claire Heafford, co-founder and campaign director of Gymnasts 4 Change, and Sarah Moore, lawyer and partner at Hausfeld who are acting on behalf of 38 former elite gymnasts against British Gymnastics in relation to allegations of abuse.In her prize-winning memoir, Free: Coming of Age at the End of History, Lea Ypi describes what it was like to grow up in Albania under a strict communist regime. Lea joins us to talk about her extraordinary coming-of-age story in Europe's last Stalinist outpost.Rosie Kinchen explains how horticultural therapy helped her overcome depression after having her second child. She discusses finding solace in a community garden.Her newspaper only launched 14 weeks before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, but the Kyiv Independent now has over two million followers on Twitter, and has been described by Time Magazine as: "The world's primary source for reliable English-language journalism on the war." We speak to the Editor of the newspaper, Olga Rudenko.A new film, Below the Belt, documents the reality of living with endometriosis. We hear from director Shannon Cone.Listener Christian Peake inherited a huge stack of canvasses painted by her grandmother, the artist Maeve Gilmore, whose artistic work had been over-shadowed by her more famous husband Mervyn Peake. As time went on though she became increasingly determined to get Maeve’s work the recognition she feels it deserves. Her grandmother's first exhibition is now on at Studio Voltaire in Clapham, London.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

Following a two year investigation into bullying, abuse and discrimination the Whyte Review into British Gymnastics is finally published. We hear from ex-gymnast Claire Heafford, co-founder and campaign director of Gymnasts 4 Change, and Sarah Moore, lawyer and partner at Hausfeld who are acting on behalf of 38 former elite gymnasts against British Gymnastics in relation to allegations of abuse.It’s has just been announced that Professor Dame Lesley Regan has been appointed as the first ever Women’s Health Ambassador for England. She’ll support the implementation of the upcoming Government led women’s health strategy, which aims to close the gender health gap and ensure services meet the needs of women throughout their life. We hear from her about what she hopes to achieve in this new role. This summer marks two years since the start of Covid-19. We hear from psychologist Ciara Dockery at Gurls Talk, the community-led non-profit organisation, about why they are encouraging young women and girls to write a letter to their pre-pandemic selves. What is the future of cars? Linda Zhang is the Chief Engineer of the Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up truck, the newly-electrified version of the USA’s most popular vehicle. She is in the UK to take part in the BBC World Service’s Future of Cars event staged at the Science Museum with the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. She tells us why bringing out an electric version of this monster vehicle is so important and why young people and women want to drive it. A house in Hackney, which in the early 20th century sheltered hundreds of stranded and abandoned South and East Asian Nannies – known as Ayah’s, has been commemorated with a blue plaque. Historian Dr Rebecca Preston tells us who these women were and their importance to British and international history. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

Her newspaper only launched 14 weeks before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, but the Kyiv Independent now has over two million followers on Twitter, and has been described by Time Magazine as: "The world's primary source for reliable English-language journalism on the war." Emma speaks to the Editor of the newspaper, Olga Rudenko about the challenges female journalists are facing in Ukraine. She also discusses how her and her team, which are mostly women, launched their newspaper just weeks after being fired from their previous newspaper that was owned by an oligarch. In a Woman's hour exclusive, two women whose disabled sons died after failing to get their Special Educational Needs supported in the right schools, have written an open Letter to two Secretaries of State warning that the system must change. Ministers are consulting until July 22 on how to make the SEND system better. Our reporter Carolyn Atkinson tells us more, and Emma speaks with Amanda Batten, chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Susie who spent £10,000 battling the system to get her disabled child into an appropriate school.Since 2009, the artist Kirstie Macleod has been working on The Red Dress project. This involves pieces of this red silk dress travelling around the world to be embroidered by mostly female artisans, many of whom have been marginalised and live in poverty. After 13 years, 46 countries and 343 embroiderers, the dress is finally finished.And, former Olympic Athlete Aniyka Onuora may have stepped away from the track, but in her new memoir: "My hidden race" she details her personal experience with professional sports, racism and sexism, mental health, and growing up in a Nigerian household in 1990’s Liverpool. She joins Emma in the studio.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his "benefits to bricks" plan to tackle the UK housing crisis - the chronic shortage of homes to rent and buy and climbing property prices. According to the charity Shelter at present across the UK there are currently 17.5 million adults without safe, secure or stable homes. If you include children in this number – it is 1 in 3. A new book Tenants is about people on the frontline of Britain's housing emergency – and describes particularly how a shortage of homes is affecting women. The author is journalist Vicky Spratt, housing correspondent for the I newspaper, and she joins Emma in the studio.Covid rates appear to be rising again and some experts are predicting a new wave of the virus over the summer. In the week to 2nd June, 1 in 65 people in the UK were testing positive – up from 1 in 70 the previous week. But do we actually need to worry about it – and if so, what should we be should we be doing to protect ourselves? Emma will be getting the thoughts of Professor Devi Sridhar, who’s chair of global public health at Edinburgh University, and sits on the Scottish Government Covid-19 Advisory Group.Listener Christian Peake was given a huge stack of canvasses painted by her grandmother the artist Maeve Gilmore who had died when Christian was 11 and whose artistic work had been over-shadowed by her more famous husband Mervyn Peake. A busy teacher and mother, Christian didn't really know what to do with them. As time went on though she became increasingly determined to get Maeve’s work the recognition she feels it deserves. She has created an online gallery at maeve_gilmore_archive on Instagram and her grandmother's first exhibition is currently on at Studio Voltaire in Clapham, London. A new report by healthcare charity Doctors of the World reveals that some migrant women have been charged up to £14,000 for NHS maternity services in England. The survey of 257 migrant women - including undocumented, refugee and asylum seeking women - shows that over a third have received a bill for maternity care. The bills range from £296 to £14,000 with half of those receiving a bill being charged more than £7000. To discuss the findings Emma is joined by Anna Miller, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Doctors of the World, and we hear from Kemi, who received a bill for £4900 after having an emergency caesarean section.Apparently, the naked dress is in - catwalk models and celebrities have been wearing dresses with depictions of the female form on them - some have gilded sculpted breasts with prominent nipples. Fashion journalist, Letty Cole gives her thoughts on this eye-catching new fashion trend.

The House of Commons is going to become a 'menopause-friendly' employer. Speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle said after he signed a Menopause Workplace Pledge yesterday, that he hopes to "break the taboo" around the menopause. Practical adjustments could be included in Westminster, such as well-ventilated rooms and fans, flexible working and breathable uniforms. But will a pledge in Parliament have any impact of the lives of women across the UK? Journalist and author of Cracking The Menopause, Mariella Frostrup and academic and author Dr Lara Owen join Emma to talk about changing the culture around menopause. The Australian actor Rebel Wilson has revealed she is in a relationship with a woman. Last Friday, she shared a picture with her new partner on Instagram saying she had found her "Disney princess". But it was revealed the following day, the Sydney Morning Herald wrote they'd known about the relationship before it was public. Their celebrity reporter said he had given Wilson 1.5 days to provide comment for a story. That report sparked widespread criticism on social media, with LGBTQ+ campaigners saying it was unacceptable to put pressure on people to come out. The paper has since removed that gossip column and offered an apology. Emma is joined by the journalist and feminist campaigner Julie Bindel to discuss. Lea Ypi, professor of Political Theory at the London School of Economics, has written a prize-winning memoir, Free: Coming of Age at the End of History. Lea grew up in Albania and for the first eleven years of her life, it was one of the most isolated countries in the world, Europe’s last Stalinist outpost. Then, in December 1990, the regime collapsed. Lea joins Emma to talk about her extraordinary coming-of-age story.A new report funded by the Home Office suggests that sexual abuse of a child by their brother or sister – sibling sexual abuse – may be the most common form of sexual abuse within the family. Many experts say it is not given enough attention and resources need to be set aside to support families dealing with this. Emma speaks to reporter Livvy Haydock and Stephen Barry, who is the Lead Clinician at 'Be Safe' Bristol, part of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health partnership NHS Trust. Fancy taking your rage at the patriarchy out on a computer game? Well a developer in Plymouth has come up with The Glass Ceiling Games, where you fire slingshots back against catcalls, slice machetes at unsolicited nude photos, and point a ray-gun against mansplaining. So does it make a difference when women write computer games? Emma is joined by Hannah Wood creative director of The Glass Ceiling Games, and Karla Reyes, a game designer and Head of Business Development at Code Coven - an award-winning game development accelerator for underrepresented talent.

New research from the Young Women’s Trust paints a bleak picture for many young women as they come out of the pandemic and into the cost of living crisis, with young mums experiencing particular disadvantages. We hear from young mums Charlotte and Jyndi, and speak to Claire Reindorp CEO of the Young Woman’s Trust.Rosie Kinchen found herself deeply depressed after the birth of her second child. After rescuing an ailing houseplant she started dragging herself out of the house to look at plants in supermarkets and garden centres. The Ballast Seed is her memoir.Nearly two years ago in July 2020 a significant number of gymnasts, and parents of gymnasts, made allegations about mistreatment within the sport of gymnastics to British Gymnastics. Eloise Jotischky, a former elite acrobatic gymnast and now 19, has become the first to win a civil case against them for the abuse she experienced in the sport. British Gymnastics has admitted full liability and reached a settlement. BBC Sports correspondent, Natalie Pirks joins me now.A new film, Below the Belt, directed by Shannon Cohn features four women with endometriosis. Shannon who previously directed Endo What joins Emma.One of the UK's worst modern disasters, it will soon be the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. Seventy-two people died. The artist Tuesday Greenidge is sewing a quilt the size of Grenfell Tower to "symbolise justice" for survivors and the people affected. The singer Sophie DeMasi was involved in a song called West Side Story which came out this year in honour of the anniversary. They join Emma to discuss how art can help in the aftermath of such tragedy.

Oscar-winner Dame Emma Thompson on women's pleasure and full frontal nudity in her latest acting role in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. Are you a 'flusher' or a ‘binner’? New research says 2.4 million tampons are flushed down UK toilets every day leading to sewer blockages and pollution. We talk to Martha Silcott who's developed a simple product to encourage you to bin and Daisy Buchanan who says more needs to be done to make a product which flushes without causing environmental harm.In 2017 surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent. Mr Paterson was diagnosing cancer when there wasn’t any and cutting his patients open for no reason, performing unnecessary and damaging surgery. He also carried out unregulated "cleavage-sparing" mastectomies, in which breast tissue was left behind, meaning cancer returned in many of his patients. Ahead of a new ITV documentary Emma speaks to the whistleblower who raised concerns about Ian Paterson – Mr Hemant Ingle, and one of Paterson’s victims Debbie Douglas, who is still campaigning for a change in the law to prevent anything like this from happening again.50 years ago this month the first edition of the iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib was published. Also in that year - 1972 – and inspired by its founders, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe, Carmen Callil founded the book publisher Virago which still gives a voice and platform to female writers today. Emma hears from the three trailblazing women. Can platonic love survive romantic love as we grow up? The writer Dolly Alderton on her new BBC TV series, an adaptation of her 2018 memoir ‘Everything I Know About Love’.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Are you a 'flusher' or a ‘binner’? We’re talking about getting rid of tampons and towels. What makes you decide whether to flip that bin lid, or just drop and flush? New research is out which says 2.4 million tampons are flushed down UK toilets every day leading to sewer blockages and pollution. We talk to Martha Silcott who's developed a simple product to encourage you to bin and Daisy Buchanan who says more needs to be done to make a product which flushes without causing environmental harm. She's finally arrived! Ms Marvel the latest character from the Marvel universe. What's special about her? Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. Newcomer Iman Vellani, stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. We speak to Hafsa Lodi, a Pakistani-American journalist and author all about the series. Nellie Bly was the most famous American woman reporter of the 19th century. Her investigation of what was called back then an "insane asylum" sparked outrage, legal action, and improvements in the way that patients were treated. Louisa Treger’s new book ‘Madwoman’ is a fictional reimagining of Nellie's early life and her time at the asylum. We also have Martine Croxall, BBC news presenter who was chose Nellie Bly as her specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind. Last year we talked about "Hot Girl Summer". This year we're talking about "Feral Girl Summer". On TikTok, the hashtag alone has already been viewed more than seven million times. But what's this trend all about, and should we celebrate it? Olivia Petter, relationships writer at The Independent and Lydia Venn, Features Editor at The Tab discuss.

Oscar-winner Dame Emma Thompson has graced our screens for four decades. As an actor, she's played all kinds of women, from her role as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility to her heart-breaking Karen in Christmas favourite, Love Actually. But now she's taking on a different kind of acting role. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande tells the story of Nancy Stokes, a 55-year-old widow (played by Thompson) who decides to hire a significantly younger male sex worker, played by the Irish actor, Daryl McCormack. She joins Emma to talk about women's pleasure, full frontal nudity and the #MeToo movement. Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland two and half years ago, following a vote by MPs in Westminster. But despite this significant intervention, abortion in the province has been called “a post-code lottery,” with some women still travelling to England to get one. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, has stepped in and last month he announced new regulations to speed things up. He's on record saying, "I'm determined to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland can access abortion services in the same way as those living in the rest of the UK." But what might slow down progress is the stalemate that Stormont is in once again, after elections last month, and the political tension around the Northern Ireland protocol. So, just how quickly will abortion become more available in Northern Ireland? Emma Barnett talks to Brandon Lewis.The renowned Portuguese-British artist Dame Paula Rego has died at the age of 87. Last year she had a retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain and over a six-decade career she was known for characters inspired by fiction, fairy tales and her own life, and for focussing on women's rights. Emma talks to the Director of the Tate, Maria Balshaw and the art historian Lisa Modiano.If you’re a woman and you have a baby it’s going to cost you £70,000 in lost earnings over the next decade according to new research from the Think Tank, the Social Market Foundation, which is setting up a cross party commission to tackle the spiralling costs of childcare. Emma talks to Director of the Foundation James Kirkup about its findings, and one woman working as a senior mental health nurse who says she takes home just £100 a week after childcare costs. We also get the view of the Early Years Alliance, a charity that represents child minders, nurseries and pre-schools. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Alison Carter Photo credit: Nick Wall © GoodLuckLeoLimited

This year marks 20 years since Sarah and Gordon Brown lost their daughter Jennifer, who died ten days after being born seven weeks prematurely. In a search for answers, they founded the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory in 2004, which looks into the causes and consequences of premature birth. Around 1 in 13 babies in the UK are born prematurely –before 37 weeks. Sarah is Chair of the charity Theirworld and tells Emma about the latest research.It's been over a year since Sarah Everard was adbucted, raped and murdered by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens, who's now in prison for life. The vigil that followed in London followed to remember Sarah, ended up with clashes with the police and arrests. Now it's been reported that some police officers thought the event was an anti-police protest. The Evening Standard newspaper has printed what certain officers have told Westminster magistrates court this week. They say they faced resistance when they tried to break up the crowd, had feared being attacked, and were branded “murderers” by some people in the crowd. At the moment, six people are being prosecuted by Scotland Yard over the vigil. Jamie Klinger is one of the founders of Reclaim These Streets, which tried to organise the vigil.Psychologist and co-host of BBC podcast Bad People Dr Julia Shaw’s new book Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality combines her own experiences of being bisexual and her background in the psychological sciences to explore and celebrate a sexual identity she says remains marginalised and forgotten.It's been described as "one of the biggest medical scandals ever to hit this country". In 2017 surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent. Mr Paterson was diagnosing cancer when there wasn’t any and cutting his patients open for no reason, performing unnecessary and damaging surgery. He also carried out unregulated "cleavage-sparing" mastectomies, in which breast tissue was left behind, meaning cancer returned in many of his patients. Ahead of a new ITV documentary being broadcast this weekend, Emma speaks to the whistleblower who first raised concerns about Ian Paterson – Mr Hemant Ingle, and one of Paterson’s victim’s Debbie Douglas, who is still campaigning for a change in the law to prevent anything like this from happening again.

The singer songwriter Joan Armatrading received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996. Best known for hits such as Love And Affection, Me Myself I and Drop The Pilot, she has released more than 20 studio albums. Later this week Joan will receive The Music Producers Guild Outstanding Contribution Award. She joins Emma to discuss her music and this latest achievement.50 years ago this month the first edition of the iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib was published. It set out to offer an alternative to existing women’s magazines at a time when the women’s liberation movement was challenging women’s secondary place in society. Also in that year - 1972 – and inspired by its founders, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe, Carmen Callil founded Virago – the book publisher which still gives a voice and platform to female writers today. Tonight a party is being held at the British Library in celebration, and Emma is joined by all three women.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won the backing of a majority of Tory MPs in a confidence vote despite a significant revolt against his leadership. He won 59% of the vote, meaning he is now immune from a Conservative leadership challenge for a year. In all, 211 Tory MPs voted they had confidence in the PM's leadership while 148 voted against him. We've since heard from a number of male MPs, but where are all the female MPs? Vanishingly few women from the Conservative Party have spoken publicly on this - especially from the rebel side. Emma is joined by Victoria Prentis, Minister of State for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.Every year HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria kill more than 5 million people. Much has been done to try to eradicate these diseases, and international donor funds are intent on curing them by 2030. The UK has historically been one of the main donors, but due to the covid-19 pandemic, priorities have shifted and some funds have been redirected. The Kenyan campaigner Maurine Murenga, who lives with HIV herself, is asking for the international community to bring their attention back to these deadly diseases. She joins Emma in the studio.If you happened to be strolling along the seafront at Plymouth at the start of the Jubilee weekend you may have looked down and spotted a very large gathering of mermaids sunning themselves. Pauline Barker organised the event to kick off celebrations in the city by the sea, and to try and break a Guiness world record - she tells Emma how it went.

Can platonic love survive romantic love as we grow up? Emma Barnett talks to to the writer Dolly Alderton about her new BBC TV series, an adaptation of her 2018 memoir ‘Everything I Know About Love’, A round-up of the weekends events for the Queen's platinum jubilee from Roya Nikkah - royal editor of The Sunday Times and Dame Prue Leith on being part of the final part of the final pageant on the Mall. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s largest gardening charity For the last 12 years Sue Biggs CBE has been its director general. She's been pivotal in creating and carrying out a huge investment programme. As she prepares to step down later this month, she talks to Emma Barnett about her work over the last decade and her plans for the future. The non-fatal strangulation law comes into effect tomorrow as part of the Domestic Abuse Act, following a successful campaign by groups such as the Centre for Women's Justice and cross-party MPs and peers. We discuss its significance and next steps with Nogah Ofer from the Centre for Women's Justice and forensic physician Dr Catherine White, who is calling for specialist training for groups who work with victims of NFS.Plus as Boris Johnson faces a vote of No Confidence in the Commons this afternoon, we hear from attorney general for England and Wales Suella Braverman and our deputy political editor Vicky Young. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

As the nation celebrates the Queen’s 70 year reign this jubilee weekend we ask what impact will the changes to primogeniture mean for future British monarchs? We hear from five historians, Alison Weir, Lady Antonia Fraser, Jung Chang, Tracey Borman and Kate Williams.Author Julie Myerson’s new book is Nonfiction, a novel about a couple struggling with a daughter who is addicted to heroin. It's partly inspired by the experience of her own son's drug addiction. Julie joins Andrea Catherwood to talk about addiction, maternal love and the ethics of novel writing.Grease IS the word! We meet actors Olivia Moore and Jocasta Almgill, who are taking on the roles of Sandy and Rizzo in a new production of one of the best-loved musicals of all time.The Women’s Prize for Fiction has launched a campaign to encourage more men to read novels by women. Research, conducted for Mary Ann Sieghart’s The Authority Gap, found that of the top 10 bestselling female fiction authors, including Austen, Atwood and Agatha Christie, only 19% of their readers are men. We hear from Kate Mosse a best-selling novelist, playwright and founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction.What’s it like to be a female bouncer? With the industry saying staff shortages are impacting their ability to keep people safe, they are making plans to hire more women. Michael Kill is CEO of the Night Time Industries Association and Carla Leigh is a Door Supervisor and is setting up her own security business focusing on getting women in to the industry.Tahmima Anam is an anthropologist and a novelist. She's a big fan of silence and believes it can be harnessed to challenge sexism and expose bad behaviour.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Karen DalzielPHOTO CREDIT: Manuel Harlan

As the nation celebrates the Queen’s 70 year reign this jubilee weekend we have our own tribute to Her Majesty with a special programme to champion some of the other great Queens in history. Anita Rani brings five eminent historians together to champion their candidate including Lady Antonia Fraser on Marie Antoinette, Kate Williams on Liliʻuokalani the last Queen of Hawaii, Tracy Borman on Elizabeth I, Jung Chang on Empress Dowager Cixi from China and Alison Weir on Eleanor of Acquitaine. They consider what each brought to their reign and the nature of Queenship. What traits do all queens share including Elizabeth II ? and what impact will the changes to primogeniture mean for future British monarchs?Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson and Flora McWilliam Studio Engineer: Duncan Hannant

The songwriter and pianist Kate Garner is the daughter of Chas Hodges of Chas and Dave fame. Chas’s mother, Daisy, recorded a special tribute to the Queen for the silver jubilee back in 1977. But to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Kate has decided to continue the family tradition and has penned her own song called Platinum Queen. She performs live and tells Nuala McGovern how her song prompted a response from the Queen herself.For the first time this year the Women’s FA Cup Final was played on the same weekend as the men’s and matches are seeing record attendance levels. Despite all this success a recent study has found that 86% of players in the Women’s Super League and Championship wanted or needed clinical support at some point during their playing years. The Lead author of the report, Carly Perry ,from the University of Central Lancashire found that only 50% of clubs represented by participants offered psychological support. She joins us alongside Kelly Lindsey from Lewes FC which is the only club in the world to pay it’s men and women’s teams equally. The Women’s Prize for Fiction has launched a campaign to encourage more men to read novels by women. Why? Because the stats are currently alarming. The research, conducted for Mary Ann Sieghart’s The Authority Gap, found that of the top 10 bestselling female fiction authors, including Austen, Atwood and Agatha Christie, only 19% of their readers are men. In comparison, for the top 10 bestselling male authors the split in readers is much more even at 55% men and 45% women. In other words, women are prepared to pick up novels by men, but men are much more reluctant to read novels written by women, regardless of the genre. We talk to Kate Mosse a best-selling novelist, playwright and founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Jubilee Birthday honours with singer Bonnie Tyler and nuclear engineer Dame Susan Ion and Charlotte Proudman on the fallout from the Heard/Depp libel trial in the USA.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineers: Tim Heffer & Donald McDonald

Tahmima Anam is an anthropologist and a novelist. She's a big fan of silence and believes it can been harnessed to challenge sexism and expose bad behaviour. We talk about the pros, cons and ethics of genome sequencing for new-borns. A new pilot will be running shortly, so we speak to Vivienne Parry, Head of Engagement at Genomics England and Rebecca Middleton, who has an inherited brain aneurysm disorder and is a member of the panel representing parents and health care professionals.Do you know what "fexting" is? Do you do it? It's in the headlines because the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, has admitted that she 'fexts' with her husband. It means fights over text. So we're asking is it a good way to row? Behavioural psychologist and relationship coach, Jo Hemmings helps us out. In Japan abortion pills are illegal, but that's due to change by the end of the year. However it looks like a woman who's in a relationship will need permission from her male partner before she gets them, plus the cost could be out of reach for many. We speak to women rights campaigner, Kazuko Fukuda, and the BBC's Mariko Oi in Tokyo.And we've got Twinnie, the singer and songwriter from York. She describes her music as country pop, and her new track is called Welcome To The Club.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe talks for the first time to Emma Barnett for this special Woman’s Hour programme.In this exclusive interview she reveals the full story of her imprisonment in Iran. Nazanin explains how she survived solitary confinement, how the love of her daughter kept her alive and what Prime Minster Boris Johnson told her about the real reason for her imprisonment.Nazanin was arrested in April 2016 after visiting her parents in Iran with her 21 month-old daughter Gabriella, on her way back to Britain. For the next six years the charity project manager was detained by the Iranian regime. She was sentenced to five years for plotting to overthrow the Iranian Government, and then in 2021, sentenced to another year for propaganda against Iran. Nazanin has always refuted those allegations as strongly as she could, stressing that she was in Iran on holiday visiting her family. Her husband Richard Ratcliffe mounted a tireless campaign to free his wife, including twice going on hunger strike. In March 2020, as Covid took hold in Iran, Nazanin was temporarily released to her parents’ home under house in Tehran.On 17 March this year, she was finally allowed to come home and be reunited with her husband and daughter. Her release, along with fellow British-Iranian national Anoosheh Ashoori, came after negotiations and diplomatic efforts that had intensified in the preceding months. At the same time the UK Government paid a £400 million debt to Iran dating back to the 1970s although both governments have said the two issues should not be linked.CREDITS Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Woman’s Hour Sarah Crawley Producer Director John O’Rourke Executive Producer Tanya Hudson Executive Editor Woman’s Hour Karen Dalziel

Grease IS the word! We meet actors Olivia Moore and Jocasta Almgill, who are taking on the roles of Sandy and Rizzo in a new production of one of the best-loved musicals of all time.Author Julie Myerson’s new book is Nonfiction, a novel about a couple struggling with a daughter who is addicted to heroin. It's partly inspired by the experience of her own son's drug addiction. Julie joins Andrea Catherwood to talk about addiction, maternal love and the ethics of novel writing.As we await the verdict in the Heard / Depp libel trial, we look at the ramifications. Some say that neither party comes out of it well, but there are also serious concerns that this televised court case is harmful to victims.New sentencing guidelines regarding child sexual offences come into force today. Child abusers will now face tougher sentences for the act of planning or facilitating sex offences even if sexual activity doesn't occur or the child doesn’t exist, for instance, where police pose as children in sting operations. We hear from Gabriel Shaw, Chief Executive of the charity NAY-PAC, National Association for People Abused in Childhood.And for the first time in Scotland, some victims of rape and domestic abuse will be able to formally meet those who harmed them. In a process called restorative justice, victims of crime, such as sexual abuse or assault, can ask for a face-to-face meeting with the perpetrator. Andrea talks to Gemma Fraser, head of Restorative Justice Policy at Community Justice Scotland, and Ashley Scotland, Chief Executive of the charity Thriving Survivors, which will offer a specialist service for cases involving sexual harm.Presenter Andrea Catherwood Producer Beverley Purcell PHOTO CREDIT; Manuel Harlan

Hannah Fry is a professor in the Mathematics of Cities at UCL, a best selling author, a TV presenter and a podcaster. But in January 2021, her life changed when she found out she had cervical cancer. At just 36 years old, with two young daughters, she was faced with her own mortality. She turned to the statistics to find out what she was facing. But what she found within them shocked her. As a way of coping with the diagnosis, she started filming her treatment and has turned it into a deeply personal documentary: Making Sense of Cancer. What’s it like to be a female bouncer? With the industry saying staff shortages are impacting their ability to keep people safe, they are making plans to hire more women. Michael Kill is CEO of the Night Time Industries Association and Carla Leigh is a Door Supervisor and is setting up her own security business focusing on getting women in to the industry. Over 60 thousand Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the UK since the beginning of the war. Most of those are women and children as most men have been banned from leaving Ukraine. Anya Abdulakh is from the charity Families4Peace, which is helping newly arrived Ukrainians in London. She is working with women like Maria and Olena who both came to the UK from Kyiv in recent weeks. Anya, Maria and Olena speak to Paulette. Do you know what a tweenager is? A listener got in touch and told us she was struggling to work out how to support and understand her 11-year-old daughter. In focusing on teenagers have we neglected younger children? Dr Tara Porter is a Clinical Psychologist and she argues that the 'tween' years lay the groundwork for the teens. She joins Paulette Edwards to offer insights and advice.Presenter: Paulette Edwards Producer: Emma Pearce

Part of our exclusive Woman’s Hour interview with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. She reveals the full story of her imprisonment in Iran to Emma Barnett. Nazanin explains how she survived solitary confinement, how the love of her daughter kept her alive.Anita Rani speaks to documentary photographer Joanne Coates about her exhibition and book 'Daughters of the Soil' looking at the role of women in farming; a culmination of a year’s research where she explored the role of women in agriculture in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. We also speak to arable farmer, Christina Willet, who farms with her son in Essex. This month, the health secretary announced a new plan to tackle ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in England. A listen back to our interview with Sean O’Neill, a senior writer for the Times, whose eldest daughter Maeve, passed away last October at the age of 27, after suffering from ME since she was a teenager. A recent landmark report called ‘Broken Ladders’ has revealed 75% of women of colour have experienced racism at work, 27% having suffered racial slurs and 61% report changing themselves to fit in. Produced by the Fawcett Society and the Runnymede Trust, ‘Broken Ladders’ explores and documents the experiences of 2,000 women of colour in workplaces across the UK, showing the entrenched racism that women of colour endure throughout their careers. Zaimal Azad, senior campaigns officer at the Fawcett Society spoke to Jessica Creighton.We speak to and hear a live performance from Amara Okereke who has taken on the role of a life time as Eliza Dpolittle in My Fair Lady. Amara, who is 25 has been called 'the new face of British theatre' and has been performing at The Coliseum in London.Producer: Surya Elango Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

The play Lotus Beauty set in a beauty salon in Southall tells the story of the Punjabi immigrant women it serves where culture meets the desire to fit in. The beauty salon is a backdrop for exploring themes such as domestic abuse, suicide, and a desperation for belonging. We hear from the plays Director Pooja Ghai, and from Kiran Landa, who plays the character Reita. In 1973, two Black girls - Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf - were sterilised without their knowledge in Alabama by a government funded organisation. The summer of that year, the Relf girls sued the government agencies and individuals responsible for their sterilisation. By 1979, the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare was ordered to establish new guidelines for the government’s sterilisation policy. A new book, Take My Hand, draws inspiration on this landmark case and explores the history of compulsory sterilisation against poor, Black and disabled women and girls in America. We hear from the author - Dolen Perkins-Valdez.We hear from the documentary photographer Joanne Coates who has a new photography exhibition and book Daughters of the Soil looking at the role of women in farming . This work is a culmination of a year’s research where she explored the role of women in agriculture in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The poet Charly Cox takes us through her latest collection inspired by a piece of research by the dating website Plenty of Fish. It found that 51% of people have secretly brought a friend along on a date with them. Charly tells us about her own experience and some of the stories behind the eight poems she has written about blind dates and dating. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka NurmahomedPhoto credit: Robert Day

Amongst all his other difficulties, Boris Johnson has promised to improve the outcome for rape victims, saying he will fix the system. It was a pledge made after the murder of Sarah Everard. Today, long awaited guidelines on evidence in trials have been published which campaigners say will do just the opposite. They'll deter women from coming forward because police and prosecutors will STILL be allowed to ask for personal records like medical and therapy notes and even school reports. We discussed this last month - when our reporter Melanie Abbott heard that draft guidelines prepared by the Crown Prosecution Service were being overturned. She joins us to tell us the latest.Bravehearted is a new book that explores the extraordinary story of the women of the American ‘Wild West’ during the 19th century. Whether they were the hard-drinking hard-living poker players and prostitutes of the new boom towns, 'ordinary' wives and mothers walking two thousand miles across the prairies pulling their handcarts behind them, Chinese slave-brides working in laundries, or the Native American women displaced by the mass migration, all have one trait in common: extreme resilience and courage in the face of the unknown. We speak to author and historian, Katie Hickman about a period of history she believes has never been as well-documented by women as this. The Living Wage Foundation has said that women are being disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis as they are more likely to be in low paid work. Today the government is set to announce support, the Financial Times’ Clear Barrett joins Jessica on the programme to discuss how this could help you. One of the most successful pop groups in history is back! 40 years since their last concert, ABBA, are once again performing. Well almost… Agnetha, Freida, Benny and Björn spent 5 weeks performing their songs in motion capture suits so that their movements could be captured and turned into ABBA-TARS. The end result? A digital, 360-degree, immersive concert experience which feels like you’re watching ABBA, from the 1970s, perform in front of you. Producer Svana Gisla has kept the whole production on track for five years.A recent landmark report revealed 75% of women of colour have experienced racism at work, 27% having suffered racial slurs and 61% report changing themselves to fit in. Produced by gender equality organisation, the Fawcett Society, and the race equality think tank, the Runnymede Trust, ‘Broken Ladders’ explores and documents the experiences of 2,000 women of colour in workplaces across the UK, showing the harmful and entrenched racism that women of colour endure at every stage of their career journey. Zaimal Azad, senior campaigns officer at the Fawcett Society joins Jessica Creighton.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Vera Baird Reporter: Melanie Abbott Interviewed Guest: Katie Hickman Interviewed Guest: Claer Barrett Interviewed Guest: Svana Gisla Photo Credit: Baillie Walsh Interviewed Guest: Zaimal Azad

It has been just over two months since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori returned to the UK from detention in Iran, and were reunited with their families. But for the family of London born businessman and wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz it’s been a different story. The family said they expected their father to be part of the same deal but he was only released on furlough and swiftly returned to prison. His daughter Roxanne Tahbaz joins Emma. On yesterday’s programme Nazanin paid tribute to those who campaigned for her release and in particular the ordinary women who supported her cause. Two of those women are retired primary school teacher Linda Grove and Freya Papworth from the organisation FiLia who organised a 24 hour fasting relay hunger strike. Both join Emma in the studio. Amara Okereke has taken on the role of a life time as Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady. Amara, who is 25 has been called 'the new face of British theatre' and has been performing at The Coliseum in London to rave reviews. She joins Emma to talk about the show.Mina Smallman has spoken to Woman's Hour several times to talk about her grief after the murder of her daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. Two weeks ago the two former police officers who took photos of her daughters and shared them with colleagues were back in court to try and get their sentences reduced. Mina was in court to see that happen, she joins Emma.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

This month, the health secretary announced a new plan to tackle ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in England. Woman’s Hour is joined by Sean O’Neill, a senior writer for the Times, whose eldest daughter Maeve, passed away last October at the age of 27, after suffering from ME since she was a teenager. Emma also talks to Dr Charles Shepherd, medical advisor to the ME Association. ITV's reality TV show Love Island has dropped its fast fashion sponsors for more sustainable, preloved fashion for its next season. Love Island is known for setting fashion trends with contestants often wearing several outfits in each episode. But this time the outfits will be from Ebay and they will be second-hand. Emma is joined by Natalie Binns who is a fashion buying and sustainability sourcing consultant for several independent brands. In the last of our series Threads Listener Jeanie remembers her marvellous Aunty Mary whose Land Girl jacket holds so many happy memories.Tens of thousands more youngsters will end up in care unless radical changes are made to child protection a major new review has warned. Polly Curtis, journalist and author of Behind Closed Doors: Why we break up families and how to mend them, joins Emma to discuss the findings of the report.A statue of the 19th-century fossil hunter Many Anning was unveiled this weekend, on Saturday, in Lyme Regis in Dorset. Mary was a fossil hunter who made many significant discoveries. Her bronze statue is thanks to a local 15-year-old schoolgirl called Evie Swire, who campaigned for Mary to be immortalised Evie is at school today, but Emma is joined by her mother Anya Pearson.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Do you know much about nuns? Many people don’t, but some nuns in the US are turning to social media to bring religion into the 21st century. Sister Monica Clare from the Community of St John the Baptist went viral on Tik Tok after followers wanted to know her skin routine - now she answers people’s questions about being a nun. She joins Krupa as does Siobhan McSweeney, who plays fictional Sister Michael in Derry Girls to talk all about nuns. Actor Anne-Marie Duff talks to Emma about her new role as Constance, a working class matriarch from the Midlands in a new play that spans five decades of the lives, and deaths, of the Webster family. ‘The House of Shades’ by Beth Steel is on at London’s Almeida Theater until 18th June. Are you happiest when you’re in the office or do you prefer to work from home? Are you contemplating leaving a role because it’s no longer flexible? Dr Jane Parry, Associate Professor of work and employment at Southampton Business school and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff speak to Emma about recent work from home data.After Little Mix said goodbye to their fans with their final show on Saturday before going on hiatus, it seems that for the first time in decades, Britain is without a major girl band. Emma is joined by Melanie Chisholm from the Spice Girls and music journalist, Jacqueline Springer.Women attending abortion clinics in the UK can face “regular harassment” according to a report from BBC Newsnight. Anti-abortion groups who gather outside services say they’re holding “prayer vigils” and offering help but some patients say they have been so distressed they’ve had panic attacks or even felt suicidal. Now charities are calling for protected areas outside all services which activists cannot legally enter. BBC Newsnight Correspondent Anna Collinson speaks to Krupa about it.A new exhibition exploring female spiritual beings in world belief and mythological traditions around the globe opens at the British Museum this week. Feminine power: the divine to the demonic is the first exhibition of its kind to bring together ancient sculpture, sacred artifacts and contemporary art from six continents. Belinda Crerar, Exhibition Curator at the British Museum and Dr Janina Ramirez, a British Art Historian and author of Goddess a book for children written to accompany this exhibition join Krupa.Photo Credit: Channel 4

It’s been ten years since the writer and activist Laura Bates founded the Everyday Sexism project, giving a platform to thousands of women to document their everyday experiences of sexism, harassment and assault. In her new book, ‘Fix the System Not the Women’ she argues we have wasted decades telling women and girls how to fix things, how to fix themselves, how to stay safe, it hasn’t worked because women were never the problem in the first place. She is calling for systematic reform of our key institutions and societal systems that she says are failing to protect women.Spanish women with severe Menstrual symptoms could be entitled to three days of leave a month - extended to five in some circumstances - if a draft bill going through the Spanish parliament is approved. It would make it the first legal entitlement of its kind in Europe. The bill is part of a package of reforms that could also overturn laws passed by the previous government, including 16 and 17 year old girls no longer needing parental consent to have an abortion. Maria Ramirez is a journalist and Deputy Managing Editor from ElDiario an online investigative and political news service based in Madrid.A new exhibition exploring female spiritual beings in world belief and mythological traditions around the globe opens at the British Museum this week. Feminine power: the divine to the demonic is the first exhibition of its kind to bring together ancient sculpture, sacred artifacts and contemporary art from six continents. It will look at how femininity has been perceived across the world, and how feminine power has been used in deities, goddesses, demons, saints and other spiritual beings. Belinda Crerar is Exhibition Curator at the British Museum and Dr Janina Ramirez is a British Art Historian and author of Goddess a book for children written to accompany this exhibition Two-time Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman has had a career spanning 40 years. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, Nashville-based Beth, has released more than a dozen albums and written number one hits and songs recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John and Neil Diamond. Beth joins Krupa to discuss her music and to perform her bluesy new single ‘Hey Girl’ (We Can Deal With It) an anthemic reaction to the ‘Me Too’ movement, a song Beth calls her “celebratory shout out to our sisters making their way in the world.”Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Laura Bates Interviewed Guest: Maria Ramirez Interviewed Guest: Belinda Crerar Interviewed Guest: Dr Janina Ramirez Interviewed Guest: Beth Nielsen Chapman

Actor Anne Marie Duff talks to Emma Barnett playing a working class matriarch in a new play that spans five decades of the lives, and deaths, of the Webster family.Last September 19, 2021, Sophia Huang Xueqin, the Chinese journalist who kick-started China’s #MeToo movement, disappeared. We find out what has happened to her from BBC Eye journalist Jessie Lau who's been investigating her disappearance,. Plus writer and journalist Lijia Zhang explains what it's like to be a feminist in China.Plus Anna Eavis the Curatorial director at English Heritage tells us the the story of Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, and mistress of King George II, as Marble Hill, a Palladian villa built in the 1720s for her, prepares to open to the public following its restoration Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell Photo credit; Helen Murray

Helen Fitzgerald grew up in rural Australia as one of 13 siblings. Her new novel Keep Her Sweet looks at what happens when 'normal' sibling rivalry turns into something else. She joins Krupa to explain why she's so fascinated by the dark corners of family life.When was the last time you saw a nun? It feels like a very old-fashioned vocation – and there are less and less in the public eye now. But some nuns in the US are turning to Tik Tok to bring religion into the 21st century through social media. The Daughters of St Paul are known as the ‘media nuns’ on Tik Tok, they do skits and dances, and have millions of followers worldwide. Then Sister Monica Clare from the Community of St John the Baptist went viral because she was on Tik Tok and everyone wanted to know her skin routine…now she answers people’s questions about being a nun. And, of course, we’ve got everyone’s favourite - less PC nun – Sister Michael from Derry Girls, played by Siobhan McSweeney.Women attending abortion clinics in the UK can face “regular harassment” according to a report from BBC Newsnight. Anti-abortion groups who gather outside services say they’re holding “prayer vigils” and offering help but some patients say they have been so distressed they’ve had panic attacks or even felt suicidal. Now charities are calling for protected areas outside all services which activists cannot legally enter. More than 100,000 women in the UK attended abortion services targeted by activists in 2019, according to latest data from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which is a leading provider of abortions. Anna Collinson is the Newsnight Correspondent who compiled the report.It’s four years since journalist and actor Nicky Clark founded the Acting Your Age Campaign. Incensed by the lack of middle-aged women on stage, television and in film, and rarely seeing stories of women like herself portrayed, she has attracted a lot of support from women such as Meera Syal, Tracy-Ann Obermann and MP Jess Phillips. Actor and fellow-supporter, Juliet Stevenson joins Nicky and presenter Krupa Padhy to explain why it appears male actors on screen ‘have a whole life and women have a shelf life’ and why this campaign is necessary.

Kate Rusby is one of the UK’s leading folk singers. She joins Andrea Catherwood to talk about her latest album 30: Happy Returns. She's collaborated with musicians such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, K. T. Tunstall and Richard Hawley to sing new versions of her old songs and to celebrate thirty years of making music. The footballer Jake Daniels has come out as gay. He's the first current male professional footballer to do so, which shows you how unusual it is. So, is it harder to be yourself in the men's game compared to the women's? With us on Woman's Hour is the footballer Lianne Sanderson who's won 50 international caps for England and was the first professional female player to come out 12 years ago, and Dr Rachael Bullingham, who's a senior lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire and specialises in homophobia in women's sport. We speak to the BBC's Sarah Rainsford who's covering the war in Ukraine about the Wives of Azov. Their husbands are part of the Azov Regiment who are seen as heroes in Ukraine because they've been defending Mariupol, but they've been trapped for more than two months in a steel works. Overnight some of them managed to get out of there. Paula McGowan's autistic son died when because he was given anti-psychotic drugs, despite warnings from him and his family. His death was described as ‘avoidable’. Paula is now on the brink of achieving her goal which is that all health and social care staff must, by law, undergo mandatory training in autism and learning disability awareness. We speak to Paula, as well as Alexis Quinn, who's been involved in piloting the training.

After Little Mix said goodbye to their fans with their final show on Saturday before going on hiatus, it seems that for the first time in decades, Britain is without a major girl band. Emma is joined by Melanie Chisholm from the Spice Girls and music journalist, Jacqueline Springer.We discuss recent work from home data with Dr Jane Parry, Associate Professor of work and employment at Southampton Business school and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff.In the wake of the tragic killings of toddlers Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo Hughes, a government report is expected to be published shortly looking into what went wrong. Social workers had failed to act on warnings from relatives, which meant the children were not removed from their abusive homes. But a BBC One Panorama explores a different perspective - what about when children’s services intervene too far, too fast – and when they act unethically, even unlawfully towards children and their parents, causing lifelong trauma in the process? One local authority in Herefordshire has been severely and repeatedly criticised by a high court judge for breaching children’s human rights through what the judge called “appalling” social work practice. Woman’s Hour talks to Panorama Reporter Louise Tickle about her investigation. Women in the US have been raising concerns about period and pregnancy tracking apps on phones. BBC Technology reporter Shiona McCallum and Jillian York from the American digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, join Emma to discuss. Relationships for many of us are just downright fascinating. Susanna Abse is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and joins Emma to discuss her new book. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Emeli Sandé is one of Britain’s most successful songwriters - with 19 million singles sold; including three number one singles, six million albums and four BRIT awards. Emeli joins Emma to discuss her music and career.How are disabled children being affected by the war in Ukraine? There are claims that thousands have been forgotten and abandoned in institutions unable to look after them. The human rights organisation, Disability Rights International, has carried out an investigation. Their Ukraine Office Director, Halyna Kurylo joins Emma.‘Alice’s Book’ by Karina Urbach tells the story of Karina's grandmother Alice Urbach. Before the Second World War Alice wrote a cookbook called Cooking the Viennese Way! - but when books by Jewish authors couldn't be distributed, Alice was taken off it. Karina talks about her family history, intellectual theft by the Nazis and her mission to restore Alice Urbach’s name to her cookbook.Abi Morgan is a BAFTA and Emmy-award winning playwright and screenwriter whose credits include The Iron Lady, Suffragette and The Hour. She has now written her first book - This Is Not A Pity Memoir - about an extraordinarily tumultuous period in her and her family's life.Last weekend the Baftas saw Sophie Willan, the actress and creator of Alma’s Not Normal, take home an award for best female performance in comedy. The sitcom is based on Sophie’s own experience of growing up in care, and focuses on her relationship with the women in her family. Sophie dedicated her win to her grandmother, Denise Willan, who sadly passed away half-way through filming the show.Watching Eurovision tonight? Two hundred million people are expected to watch it, live from Turin. Representing the UK this year is Sam Ryder. He's doing well at the moment and is second favourite to win behind Ukraine. The UK really hasn’t done very well over recent years, but twenty-five years ago we won it with Katrina and The Waves and Love Shine a Light. Katrina joins Anita.

‘Alice’s Book’ by Karina Urbach tells the story of Karina's grandmother Alice Urbach. Before the Second World War Alice wrote a cookbook called Cooking the Viennese Way! but when books by Jewish authors couldn't be distributed, Alice was taken off it. Karina talks about her family history, intellectual theft by the Nazis and her mission to restore Alice Urbach’s name to her cookbook.The Taliban have ruled that Afghan women will have to wear the full face veil for the first time in decades. It comes soon after the Taliban reversed their decision to allow girls to go to secondary schools. We catch up with Hasina Safi, who used to be the women’s minister in Afghanistan and is now a refugee in the UK, still living in an hotel. She joins Anita to discuss her reaction to this latest news and her hopes for the future of women in Afghanistan. Babies as young as six months recognise differences like skin colour according to research. So what’s the best way to talk to young children about race? Does it matter how diverse a child social circle is? And what about their parents' friendship groups? Tineka Smith is the author of Mixed Up: Confessions of an Interracial Couple and has a young son, and Uju Asika is an author, parenting blogger and has two teenage boys.Watching Eurovision tomorrow? Two hundred million people are expected to watch it, live from Turin. Representing the UK this year is Sam Ryder. He's doing well at the moment and is second favourite to win behind Ukraine. The UK really hasn’t done very well over recent years, but twenty-five years ago we won it with Katrina and The Waves and Love Shine a Light. Katrina joins us.

H*tler’s Tasters is a dark comedy about the young women who have the “honour” of being Adolf Hitler’s food tasters. The play explores the way girls navigate sexuality, friendship, patriotism, and poison during the Third Reich. Emma Barnett talks to its award winning playwright, Michelle Kholos Brooks After a record number of women are elected to Stormont we talk to Monica McWilliams an academic, peace activist, human rights defender and former politician who co-founded the Women’s Coalition political party in 1996 and was a signatory to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. A new survey by Working Wise has flagged that many working women are concerned about the gaps in work they've taken and what impact those gaps will have on their pension. The author of the research Mandy Garner tells us about her findings and we hear from Cecilia Floren who is worried about her pension.On Sunday, the Baftas saw Sophie Willan, the actress and creator of Alma’s Not Normal, take home an award for best female performance in comedy. The sitcom is based on Sophie’s own experience of growing up in care, and focuses on her relationship with the women in her family. Sophie dedicated her win to her grandmother, Denise Willan, who sadly passed away half-way through filming the show. She joins Emma to talk about their relationship and the importance of grandparents.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Giles Aspen Photo Credit: Hunter Canning

In former consultant neurologist Jules Montague's new book, The Imaginary Patient, she looks at how they can be influenced by many external factors. Who gets to choose which conditions are "real" or not, and is that a helpful question to ask? And what implications does that have for women? She joins Emma. Michael Gove, The Levelling Up Secretary, confirmed that there will be no emergency budget to help with the cost of living, even though the Queens Speech yesterday said that the Government would help. New research says that an estimated 1 and a half million households in the UK will struggle to pay food and energy bills over the next year. Sarah Pennells is a Consumer Finance Specialist at the Pensions Provider Royal London and has been gathering data on this. How are disabled children being affected by the war in Ukraine? There are claims that thousands have been forgotten and abandoned in institutions unable to look after them. The human rights organisation, Disability Rights International, has carried out an investigation. Their Ukraine Office Director, Halyna Kurylo joins Emma. It’s been just over a week since the the publication of a leaked draft document from the Supreme Court, which suggests Justices are set to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade, ruling, which gave women in American an absolute right to an abortion. To discuss what this means for women in America Emma is joined by Associate Professor Emma Long and State Senate candidate Leslie Danks Burke.There'll be no emergency budget to help with the cost of living, even though the Queens Speech yesterday said that the Government would help. That's been confirmed by Michael Gove, The Levelling Up Secretary, this morning.We've been celebrating the emotional power of old clothes in our series Threads. Zoe, who was known as 'strawberry girl' on her small university campus in Liverpool tells us about her 'scratch-and-sniff' t-shirt.

Abi Morgan is a BAFTA and Emmy-award winning playwright and screenwriter whose credits include The Iron Lady, Suffragette, Sex Traffic, The Hour, Brick Lane and Shame. She is the creator and writer of BBC drama, The Split. She has now written her first book. This is not a Pity Memoir about an extraordinarily tumultous period in her and her family's life.Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer, best known for her role as Villanelle in Killing Eve, is making her West End debut. Both star and play have been performing to glowing reviews. It is an incisive investigation into the criminal justice system, how it deals with sexual assault and then fails those seeking justice through it. A one-woman show, it tells the story of a criminal defence barrister who is raped by a colleague. Suzie Miller, who wrote the play, joins Emma Barnett in the Woman’s Hour studio.Would you let your 2 year old walk to the shops on their own? The long running Japanese TV show Old Enough!, which has become available to stream on Netflix, follows kids as young as 2 while their parents send them off on their first ever errand away from home. Unknowingly followed by undercover TV camera operators. It has sparked debate about how much freedom we give our toddlers in the UK.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Childbirth is something that more than 80% of women go through in their lifetime. But could that be about to change? Sci-Fi author Helen Sedgwick thinks we’re just a generation away from external, artificial wombs being used for childbirth. But what does this mean for the concept of motherhood and a woman’s place in society? Anita is joined by Helen and designer of an artificial womb Lisa Mandemaker.Exam season is upon us - Highers have begun in Scotland and A-levels and GCSEs start on the 16th May and finish on the 28th June, but maybe your kids have end of year exams coming up too. As a parent what is the best way to support your child? Especially if they have important exams looming but are doing everything they can to pretend that they don’t? Or perhaps you have the opposite problem and your child is paralysed with anxiety. How do you engage the teenage brain and support your child with their revision? Anita is joined by Dr Jane Gilmour, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.What does your grandmother mean to you? The South African musician Toshi has released a new song – Khokhoba – which means ‘getting old’ in her native language of Xhosa. The song is dedicated to her grandmother and we hear about the spiritual and societal role that elderly women and grandmothers play in the Xhosa culture.Sex Parties have gone from being fringe underground raves to large, well-established sell-out club nights, in the last few years! Why are we seeing a resurgence the sex party? We hear from Dr Kate Lister, Sex Historian and Author of A Curious History of Sex & Miss Gold, who runs One Night Parties, a sex party in London. They discuss how Covid-19 has changed the way we approach sex, the female gaze and hedonism through history

Emeli Sandé is one of Britain’s most successful songwriters. With 19 million singles sold including three number one singles, 6 million albums and four BRIT awards (including Best Female twice!). Emeli joins Emma to discuss her music, and has a specially recorded version of There Isn’t Much – a track written with Naughty Boy and Shaq, from her new album Let’s Say For Instance. Over the weekend in Afghanistan the Taliban ordered that all women must wear a burqa in public. It's the latest blow to women's rights in the country since the Taliban took power in August last year. Yalda Hakim is an International Correspondent for the BBC and spoke to us about this development. What is it like to run a fashion magazine? We ask Kenya Hunt, who became the first black Editor-in-Chief at Elle UK when she took over the role in March. With print readership in decline, and the fashion industry reeling from the pandemic, how does she plan to keep women reading magazines? Depp v Heard. It’s the court case that has gripped not just America but the whole world. The actor Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation over an article in which she said she was a victim of abuse. The BBC’s Holly Honderich joins Emma to discuss this very public trial. Anna Kent is a humanitarian aid worker, NHS nurse and midwife. She was 26 when she joined Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) for her first assignment in South Sudan in 2007. She has subsequently worked as a midwife across the world including Ethiopia, Haiti, Bangladesh and the UK. She has now written a book, Frontline Midwife: My Story of Survival and Keeping Others Safe.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma PearcePhoto credit: Olivia Lifungula

Emma talks to Peggy Seeger who has enjoyed six decades of success with her music. Peggy was married to the singer Ewen McColl. Together they revitalised the British Folk Scene during the 50s and 60s. Now 86 years old, Peggy's own songs have become anthems for feminists, anti-nuclear campaigners and those fighting for social justice.Exam season is upon us - Highers have begun in Scotland and A-levels and GCSEs start on the 16th May, but maybe your kids have end of year exams coming up too. As a parent what is the best way to support your child? Anita is joined by Dr Jane Gilmour, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.Candice Carty-Williams described her very successful first novel Queenie as 'the black Bridget Jones'. She has described her new novel People Person as her ‘daddy issues’ book and in it she celebrates families of all sorts. Her aim, she says, is to make visible the people she knows and the experiences she has had.As Anne Robinson announces she's stepping down as the host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown, Emma Barnett catches up with her. Robinson was the first female to ever host the show, with 265 episodes under her belt since she joined just a year ago.It’s been just over a year since the former husband of ITV presenter Ruth Dodsworth was jailed for coercive controlling behaviour and stalking. In a new ITV Tonight programme ‘Controlled By My Ex Partner: The Hidden Abuse' Ruth explores the crime of coercive control and what needs to be done to stop it.Milli Proust, writer and floral designer in West Sussex, and Georgie Newbery, a flower farmer, discuss the growing trend of cut flower gardening.Sex Parties have gone from being fringe underground raves to large, well-established sell-out club nights, in the last few years. We hear from Dr Kate Lister, Sex Historian and Author of A Curious History of Sex and Miss Gold - who runs One Night Parties, a sex party in London.

Radio 1’s Adele Roberts won Radio Times’ Moment of the Year award at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards this week, for the moment when she spoke to her listeners about being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She joins Emma to talk about her ongoing treatment and how she’ll celebrate when it’s done.Judith Hutchinson has been trying to house Ukrainian citizen Oksana Melashchuk and her two children for several weeks now. Oksana’s visa finally came through yesterday, and both women are able to join Emma from Judith’s house in Hampshire.This week a law professor wore an identical dress to the Queen of Spain while receiving an award from her. Have you ever turned up to an event in the same outfit as someone else? Were you mortified or did you style it out? We hear your experiences and Emma asks Lisa Armstrong, head of fashion at The Telegraph for her tips on how to handle it.50 years since its humble beginnings in the East End of London, the Sylvia Young Theatre School has worked with and trained the likes of Dua Lipa, Daniel Kaluuya and a ‘very naughty’ Amy Winehouse. Now 82, Sylvia Young tells us how the school got its name, why she expelled her own daughter and offers a few insights into her long list of notable alumni.It’s been just over a year since the former husband of ITV presenter Ruth Dodsworth was jailed for coercive controlling behaviour and stalking. In a new ITV Tonight programme ‘Controlled by My Ex Partner? The Hidden Abuse', Ruth explores the crime of coercive control and what needs to be done to stop it.

As Anne Robinson announces she's stepping down as the host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown, Emma Barnett catches up with her. Robinson was the first female to ever host the show, with 265 episodes under her belt since she joined just a year ago. After a career as a national newspaper journalist, she found fame in 2000 hosting the BBC quiz show The Weakest Link. Her acerbic wit led to her becoming labelled the “Queen of Mean”. For months now the apparent increasing shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has caused uproar, igniting debates in Parliament and triggering the appointment of an HRT tsar. A Channel 4 documentary earlier this week on the subject also talked about the use of testosterone to help with some menopausal symptoms. Dr Paula Briggs, Chair Elect of British Menopause Society and Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health at Liverpool Women’s Hospital discusses her concerns and unpicks the potential impact of using testosterone.The homelessness charity Shelter has found that nearly 230,000 private renters in England have been served with a formal no-fault eviction notice, known as a 'Section 21 eviction' in the last three years, since the Government first committed to scrap this form of eviction in April 2019. The charity has also found that while women and men are equally served these kinds of evictions by their landlords, they impact women more. Shelter is calling for the government to ban these kinds of evictions. Its Chief Executive Polly Neate joins Emma as does Lily, who was served a no-fault eviction notice in January 2022.Do you grow flowers in your garden? Have you ever thought about specifically growing flowers like you’d grow vegetables - in rows so you could pick them in order to have flowers for your home? It's a trend which has grown over the past 10 years amongst gardeners. Growing your own flowers means you can enjoy seasonal bouquets at a fraction of the cost of shop-bought blooms. Emma finds out more from Milli Proust, writer and floral designer in West Sussex , whose book Seed to Bloom is out in June, and Georgie Newbery - a flower farmer and founder of Common Farm Flowers in Somerset.Increasing numbers of women are reporting problems after having thread lift treatments, often known as “lunchtime facelifts”. Save Face, a national register of accredited practitioners of non-surgical cosmetic treatments, which campaigns to improve safety standards, says the number of complaints about the treatments by unregulated practitioners have more than doubled in the past year. Emma talks to its Director Ashton Collins.Presenter - Emma Barnett Producer - Alison Carter

Candice Carty-Williams described her very successful first novel Queenie as 'the black Bridget Jones'. In the opening chapter of her new novel People Person absent father Cyril climbs into his gold jeep and drives around London collecting the five half-siblings he has sired, introduces them all for the first time and buys them an ice-cream. Candice has called this her ‘daddy issues’ book and in it she celebrates families of all sorts. Her aim, she says, is to make visible the people she knows and the experiences she has had. She joins Emma in the studio. Overnight - according to a leaked draft of a court document - we learnt that the US Supreme Court could be about to overturn the nationwide right to an abortion. The New York Times writer Amanda Taub tells us what this means for women in America. Despite laws preventing protest or even coverage of the war, many women and female-led groups in Russia have found a way to express their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. One of them is the Feminist Anti-War Resistance, which has over 32,000 followers on the social media app Telegram. We’re joined by one of their founders, Ella Rossman, who also researches Russian feminist activism at UCL. The latest in our series 'Threads' about the feelings and memories associated with the clothes we just can't part with. Listener Vanessa joins Emma to tell her story.A new 3D female anatomy model is being used to better treat women. The new digital tool will provide a better understanding of the female anatomy and help to prevent women getting incorrectly diagnosed. Professor Claire Smith is using it with her students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

This May bank holiday Emma looks at women and the tradition of folk music. You may have a stereotypical image of a woman in a floaty dress walking through a flower meadow - but we want to challenge that. From protest songs and feminist anthems - it's not all whimsy in the world of folk. Emma talks to Peggy Seeger who has enjoyed six decades of success with her music. Peggy was married to the singer Ewen McColl. He wrote the song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for her. Together they revitalised the British Folk Scene during the 50s and 60s, working on the BBC Radio Ballads; ground-breaking documentaries - which wove a story from the words of real people working in the mining and fishing industry or building the M1 motorway with sound effects, and songs. Now 86 years old, Peggy's own songs have become anthems for feminists, anti-nuclear campaigners and those fighting for social justice.Emma examines the uncomfortable elements of folk music, and how artists are finding ways of reinterpreting old songs, or writing new ones to represent missing narratives and stories. Who were the female tradition-bearers, writers and performers and the often forgotten collectors - those who would record and notate traditional songs handed down orally from generation to generation? And what is being done to improve the gender equality and diversity in folk music? Emma is joined by: Peggy Seeger http://www.peggyseeger.com/about Fay Hield https://fayhield.com/about.html Anne Martin https://www.annemartin.scot/ Amy Hollinrake https://www.amyhollinrake.com/about Rachel Newton http://www.rachelnewtonmusic.com/about.html Grace Petrie https://gracepetrie.com/ Angeline Morrison https://linktr.ee/angelcakepiePeggy Seeger and Grace Petrie will be playing at Norfolk & Norwich Festival's 250th anniversary later this month.

The TV presenter Julia Bradbury on her TV documentary and life after her breast cancer diagnosis. The longest serving MP, Dame Margaret Beckett on standing down as an MP in the next election.The "aunties" - the older women in the community who we should respect but for some may be judgemental as well as motherly. Podcaster and writer Tolly Shoneye and Anchal Seda discuss. The Attorney General and cabinet member Suella Braverman on the allegations that an unidentified Conservative MP has been accused of watching porn in the House of Commons. BMX Olympic and world champion Bethany Shriever on being named Action Sportsperson of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Music journalist Jude Rogers on her new book The Sound of Being Human, part memoir, part exploration of how music is interwoven into our lives from before birth to beyond the grave. Presenter:: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Maya Sondhi has made a name for herself in television dramas like Silent Witness and Line Of Duty. But now she's in the writer’s chair, and she's behind a new police drama called DI Ray. It follows DI Rachita Ray who's promoted to join a ‘Culturally Specific Homicide’ investigation. Rachita suspects there's something else going on here.Rebecca Hilsenrath from The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman talks about failings of the Foreign Office when dealing with a 2018 rape complaint in Turkey. She describes how a British woman who was raped when she was on holiday went to the Consulate for help but was told, "Carry on with your holiday and enjoy it." The woman, who's remaining anonymous, first complained about the response she got from Consulate officials, and then how the Foreign Office dealt with it. Her complaint’s been upheld. We have our last part of Life After Divorce. Today we're hearing from Sita who talks about getting divorced from her wife. They didn't have children or shared assets but, she says, in a way that made the split harder to deal with.And we talk about the "aunties". You know: they're the older women in the community who we should respect. But to be honest, they might be suffocating and judgemental as well as motherly. We speak to podcaster and writer, Tolly Shoneye who honoured her Nigerian aunties in her book, Keep the Receipts, and Anchal Seda who's a podcast host and author of What Would The Aunties Say.

The presenter Julia Bradbury talks to Emma about her new documentary Breast Cancer and Me. Conservative Party Whips are conducting an investigation after two female MPs say they witnessed a colleague watching porn on his mobile phone in the House of Commons. The Attorney General Suella Braverman joined Emma, along with the feminist and activist Dr Helen Mott who's been involved in advising parliament in it's cultures of sexism and violence against women. Music journalist Jude Rogers has written a book, The Sound of Being Human, part memoir, part exploration of how music is interwoven into our lives from before birth to beyond the grave. She joins Emma to talk about the power of music.The ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme was introduced last month by the Government in an attempt to encourage UK citizens to sponsor Ukrainians who are fleeing the war. Judith Hutchinson is one such sponsor and has supported Oksana Melashchuk, a Ukrainian citizen, and her two children. Last week she drove them from Romania to Calais. A month on and Oksana still awaits her visa despite her children having been issued them, meaning she can't enter the UK -- she's currently waiting in Dunkirk. Emma spoke to Judith.Payal Mistry has made history as the first woman to play the role of Pi in the West End production of Life of Pi. Payal usually plays the role of Rani, Pi’s sister, but understudies the title role. She joins Emma to discuss the experience and why she thinks more shows should cast both men and women as understudies.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Bethany Shriever’s win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 gave the British Olympic team its first ever gold medal in BMX racing even though she had to launch a crowdfunding appeal to stand a chance of qualifying for the games. What does this latest award mean for her and BMX racing? In the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, Boris Johnson said he’d stop at nothing to jail more rapists’ and promised to fix the system which means just 1.3% of cases result in a charge. Our reporter Melanie Abbott has been investigating new guidelines on evidence gathering issued by the Crown Prosecution Service and Emma Barnett talks to Sian Ruddick who is an independent sexual advisor who works with victims of sexual assault.In 1958, The Great Leap Forward was a campaign led by the Chinese Communist Party to reconstruct the country and its economy which resulted in mass starvation and famine. Thousands of people fled to the neighbouring state of Hong Kong, which was a British colony at the time and many children – often girls - living in overcrowded Hong Kong orphanages were adopted by British families in the sixties. We hear from two of those children Katherine Gordon and Debbie Cook and their remarkable start to life.After the DJ Tim Westwood faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct - which he strenuously denies - we talk to Tamanna Rahman and BBC Producer Ruth Evans.Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is a funny novel about mental illness and families and love of all sorts. Martha Friel is loved and hilarious and clever but she sometimes cries for days. When she was 17 she had a breakdown which has shadowed her life since then. At 40 she finally gets a diagnosis which helps her to understand why she is as she is. So why did Meg Mason decide not to name Martha's illness in the book? She explains her decision to Emma. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Tim Heffer & Michael Millham

Dame Margaret Beckett is one of Britain's most celebrated and respected female politicians and will be talking to us about her decision to stand down as an MP at the next elections She was first elected in October 1974. and has been described by Keir Starmer the leader of her own party as a “legend” and a “trailblazer”. She talks about the highlights of her time in politics and her plans for the future.Job interviews can be intimidating at the best of times, but not knowing how to present yourself, what to expect and what to wear can be a huge barrier and it’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of failed interviews and unemployment. Over the last eight years the charity Smart Works has been providing outfits and bespoke coaching to help women re-enter the job market. Most of the referrals come from the Government funded employment agency JobCentre Plus. We talk to Mims Davies Minister for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions and Kate Stephens the CEO of the charityNow the Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has struck a deal to buy Twitter. Can he balance safety with free speech, and what does this mean for women? we hear from journalist Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic and former technoology columnist, who has recently left Twitter. And we hear from best selling author Susan Cain who's best known as the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Her new book is called Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. She tells Emma why she believes sadness can be a positive force in our lives.Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Beverley Purcell

Only Fools and Horses stars Tessa Peake-Jones and Gwyneth Strong will perform together in a touring stage adaptation of Ladies of Letters. The pair famously played Raquel and Cassandra - the wives of Del Boy and Rodney. They join Emma to discuss the stage show, working together again, and of course, the iconic sitcom.The Prime Minister has been in touch with the Labour Deputy leader, Angela Rayner -- to make it clear he regards claims about her reported in yesterday's Mail on Sunday as misogynistic. The paper said some Tory MPs had suggested she tried to distract the Prime Minister in the Commons by crossing and uncrossing her legs. Emma gets the reaction to the story of Conservative MP and Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, Caroline Nokes,Today the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System publishes a report on women’s health and well-being in prison. Co-chair of the group, Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price talks exclusively to Woman’s Hour about the steps needed to improve to the health of women offenders, and prevent increasingly high levels of self-harm. Why despite many reports over the last fifteen years are these needs still not being met?How has the pandemic impacted the prevalence of child sexual abuse imagery online? Emma discusses the findings of the upcoming Internet Watch Foundation annual report with BBC Look East reporter Jon Ironmonger, who has been given exclusive access before its publication on Tuesday.In our series Threads we have been finding out the stories behind the items of clothing that women can't bear to part with. Today. Lisa on a black and white checked jacket which her Mum bought for her first trip abroad in 1967 and which Lisa commandeered years later for a job in an upmarket department store.

A professional woman who was continually called "good girl" by her boss has won an employment tribunal. Frances Fricker was told by her boss which photo to put on her work profile because HE thought it was the most attractive. The judge in the tribunal found that Frances, an accounts executive with a consultancy company called Gartner, had been sexually harassed at work, and because she fought against the harassment by taking a grievance, she was treated even worse. He also described the culture where she worked as laddish and toxic. She joins us on Woman’s Hour.The footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez have announced the death of their baby boy at birth. The couple were expecting twins. Their baby girl survived. We speak to Clea Harmer is CEO of the charity Sands and Katie Harris, who lost one of her twin daughters, Abikara, during pregnancy.We meet Rhian from Wet Leg, the indie rock band whose debut album shot straight to number 1 last week.We explore the Metaverse; a fast-growing sector that isn’t covered by the Online Safety Bill. We talk to Carol Voredmon MBE, who has campaigned for online safety for 20 years as well as Catherine Allen, CEO of Limina Immerse.We hear from Maria Konnikova, author of ‘The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It Every Time’ on the psychology of the female con artist.Can boxing transform lives? We speak to Chanika, one of the young women taking part in Idris Elba’s Fight School, a television series currently airing on BBC and available on iplayer. We also hear from Rachel Bower, one of the boxing coaches on the show. Rachel is a former National Boxing champion and a Metropolitan police sergeant.

The indie band Wet Leg went straight to number 1 last week with their debut album. Their songs are witty: all about love, sex, parties and breakups. We speak to one of the band members, Rhian Teasdale.When it comes to losing weight why is the word “diet” used less and less these days? The diet industry is worth billions, but lots of people think the word itself is unhelpful. We talk to Dr Saira Hameed, an NHS Consultant who specialises in obesity medicine at Imperial College London. She's also the author of The Full Diet. And we also have Rhiannon Lambert, who's a Nutritionist.Can boxing transform lives? The actor Idris Elba thinks it might and he's got a series called Fight School which is currently on BBC 2. He’s recruited a group of eight young men and women, giving them an intensive boxing course with the aim of improving confidence and resilience. There's another goal which is to compete in an amateur fight. Chanika is one of the young women taking part, and Rachel Bower is one of the boxing coaches on the show. Rachel is also a former National Boxing champion and a Metropolitan police sergeant. They come into the Woman's Hour studio to speak to Anita.When it comes to getting HRT, MPs have been accused, once more, of betraying millions of menopausal women by failing to improve access to it as they promised. In October ministers announced a 'menopause revolution' but the plan to cut the cost of HRT doesn't come about until next April and now tens of thousands of women are suffering because of a nationwide shortage. But what's the impact of not having your gel or patch? Anita is joined by Dr Nighat Arif, a GP, plus author and documentary maker Kate Muir.