Woman's Hour

On Saturday Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed after Israel and the US launched a "massive" and ongoing attack against Iran's leadership and military. US President Donald Trump urged Iranian forces to lay down their arms, and for Iran's people to rise up against its government. Iran has responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region. Whilst huge questions still remain about what will happen next in this conflict, on Woman's Hour today we ask what this moment might mean for women in Iran. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC Persian reporter Ghoncheh Habibiazad and international human rights lawyer Azadeh Zabeti, Co-President of the Committee of Anglo-Iranian Lawyers.Mary Ann Evans is better known by her pseudonym George Eliot. She's the author of many important novels including Middlemarch, Silas Marner, and Mill on the Floss, which brings the issue of women’s education to the fore. A new play, Bird Grove, the name of George Eliot's home, has just opened at the Hampstead Theatre in London. When we meet Mary Ann she has not yet started writing fiction, but beginning to have her mind opened to progressive new ideas. Nuala finds out more with the play's director, Anna Ledwich, and actor Elizabeth Dulau who plays Mary Ann Evans. According to the NGO International Justice Mission, child sexual abuse that takes place on social media and other online platforms is one of the fastest‑growing yet least‑detected types of child abuse globally. Offenders pay to direct the real‑time sexual exploitation of children via any internet‑connected, camera‑enabled device. Most identified victims are in the Philippines and the UK is among the top three countries consuming this material, with the United States at number one. Nuala is joined by Molly Hudson from the International Justice Mission, and Sharon Pursey, co‑founder of SafeToNet, a British online safety technology company.Kate Pickett is Professor of Epidemiology at the University of York. Her new book is The Good Society and How We Make It and in it she looks at ideas she believes will build a better society and says we “can’t afford to nibble” when it comes to solving some of the big issues we are facing. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

A 40-year career retrospective of Dame Tracey Emin’s work has opened at the Tate Modern in London, featuring many of the artist’s most iconic pieces, from her controversial, Turner Prize shortlisted My Bed (1998) to her neon artworks, textiles, bronze sculptures, photos, and paintings. Called A Second Life, it explores the connections and tensions between her early career and the work she’s created since 2020, when she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a huge operation. Tracey joins Anita Rani to discuss her body of work.Student midwives have contacted us to say many of them are struggling to find jobs despite a serious shortage of midwives in the NHS. A new survey from the Royal College of Midwives finds 31% of newly qualified midwives are still not employed in the role, and the majority of those who have found employment are on fixed-term contracts. Nuala McGovern hears from Safia, who is in her final year of midwifery training, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives.Molly vs the Machines is a new feature-length documentary that tells the story of Ian Russell and his fight for online safety after his daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 following months of viewing content relating to self-harm and suicide on social media. Molly’s friends Charlotte Campbell and Sophie Conlan tell Anita why it was important for them to take part in the film.In collaboration with our Send in the Spotlight podcast, Nuala speaks to Schools Standards Minister Georgia Gould about the government's proposed SEND reforms.Writer and actor Kyla Harris joins Clare McDonnell to discuss reframing disability with her acclaimed BBC comedy We Might Regret This, which she co-created.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

A 40-year career retrospective of Dame Tracey Emin’s work has opened at the Tate Modern in London, featuring many of the artist’s most iconic pieces, from 1998’s controversial Turner-Prize nominated My Bed (1998) to her neon artworks, textiles, bronze sculptures, photos and paintings. Called A Second Life, it will explore the connections and tensions between her early career and the work she’s created since 2020, when she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a huge operation. Tracey joins Anita Rani to discuss her body of work and her journey from controversial 90s YBA to national treasure.Anita speaks to Dr Danielle Einstein - a clinical psychologist specialising in anxiety and our use of tech and screens, whose research was integral to Australia’s social media ban for under 16s. We take a scientific look at menstrual blood - one of the few easily produced bodily fluids not regularly used for medical testing. We ask why and speak to scientists currently working in this field. Renate van der Molen is from Radboudumc in The Netherlands and Christine N Metz, from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research New York.And, Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, has become the first Green Party candidate to win a Westminster by-election - and the party's first Green MP in northern England - after taking the seat for Gorton and Denton with more than 40% of the vote. Reform came second, pushing Labour, who previously received more than 50% of the vote in the 2024 general election, into third place. Anita asks the Times political Reporter Daisy Eastlake: who is Hannah Spencer? Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

An interim report from Baroness Amos, who is leading a government-commissioned review into NHS maternity care in England, says maternity services are failing "too many" families, with problems "at every stage" of the maternity journey. Six factors were highlighted including racism, staffing and accountability issues. To give their reactions, Anita Rani is joined by the film-maker and activist Pippa Bennett-Warner and Theo Clarke, parent and campaigner and formerly a Member of Parliament, who suffered from birth trauma and gave evidence to Baroness Amos' investigation this week. Molly vs the Machines is a new feature-length documentary that tells the story of Ian Russell and his fight for online safety, after his daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 following months of viewing content relating to self-harm and suicide on social media. The film recreates the inquest where Ian was told the online images were safe and follows twin narratives – the story of what happened to Molly in the lead-up to her tragic death, and the broader economic logic behind AI and giant tech companies as they continue to shape and influence lives. Molly’s friends Charlotte Campbell and Sophie Conlan tell Anita why it was important for them to take part in the film.Last week the Taliban published a new penal code and women's rights groups have said that women and girls in particular are set to suffer at the hands of the courts in Afghanistan. Anita is joined by Mahjooba Nowrouzi, a senior journalist for the BBC’s Afghan Service and Manizha Bakhtari, who was the Afghan Ambassador to Austria until the Taliban took control in 2021. She continues to be an Ambassador, but without a country, representing the Afghan people against the Taliban's order. She remains accredited in Vienna, and works with a renewed focus on advocating for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. She's the subject of a new documentary The Last Ambassador. Fantasy fiction author Saara El‑Arifi’s new novel Cleopatra is a bold re-imagining of one of history’s most iconic women, Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC, a woman celebrated for her beauty and her love affairs with the Roman warlords Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. El-Arifi's Cleopatra is not confined by the limits set by men or society. She reclaims Cleopatra’s story through the perspective of a Black woman and gives voice to the queen behind the myth.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

A baby boy has become the first to be born in the UK to a mother with a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Grace Bell, who is in her 30s, delivered her baby boy, Hugo, in December. Clare McDonnell is joined by transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga who completed the transplant in collaboration with Professor Richard Smith and colleagues at Oxford University Hospital and Imperial College, London, and established the first uterus transplant programme in the UK.Today is the day Season 2 of the TV series We Might Regret This is released. Its creator and star, Kyla Harris, discusses how she has drawn on her experiences as a disabled person to create this funny and unflinching look at life with disability. The first results from the University of Exeter's Women in Farming health and wellbeing study are in, and they paint a concerning picture of the wellbeing of women in farming across the UK.Alev Scott’s latest book, Cash Cow, investigates the global fertility industry, exploring how much the female body is being commodified, and its impact on women across the world. Who should make money from the maternal body - only the women themselves, anyone or no one? Going undercover, she explores the breast milk black market, the trade in harvesting eggs, and the women who are surrogates for others. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Woman's Hour in collaboration with our SEND in the Spotlight podcast brings you a special programme on the impact of the government's SEND reforms in England.Whether you’re a parent, a young person, a teacher or someone who works in the wider system we find out what the changes mean for you - and help you decode the new language - whether it's IB, ISP, Targeted, Targeted Plus, or SPP. Nuala McGovern speaks to parents, teachers, charities, the School Standards Minister and the Children’s Commissioner for England. We also hear from SEND in the Spotlight podcast regulars - actors Anna Maxwell Martin and Kellie Bright.Search for the SEND in the Spotlight podcast on BBC Sounds.Contributors: Georgia Gould MP, Schools Standards Minister Marsha Martin, founder of Black SEN Mamas Katie Ghose, CEO of Kids charity and Disabled Children's Partnership Margaret Mulholland, Association of School and College Leaders Kate McGough, BBC Education reporter Eleanor Wright, solicitor at SOS!SEN Ramandeep Kaur, SEND parent Carrie Grant, SEND parent and broadcaster Katie Nellist, SEND ambassador Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for EnglandPresenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Crawley, with Carolyn Atkinson Digital producer: Olivia Bolton Editor: Karen Dalziel

Irish author Marian Keyes has sold over 30 million copies of her books worldwide over the past three decades. From her 1995 debut Watermelon to Rachel's Holiday and last year's 'menopause romance' My Favourite Mistake, she’s championed telling ordinary women's stories in all their glory, with plenty of humour thrown in. Now some of her most-loved books and characters have been adapted into a TV series called The Walsh Sisters which has just debuted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Marian and the show’s co-creator Stefanie Preissner talk to presenter Nuala McGovern about bringing Rachel and her sisters to life on screen. As the Government prepares to unveil its plans for a major overhaul of the SEND system, we hear from BBC Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth on what's been said so far and what's expected. The government has said it will spend billions to make English mainstream schools more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with Sir Keir Starmer saying that the experience of his late brother, who had learning disabilities, makes him "determined to change Britain so that it is truly built for all." The number of people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) up to the age of 25 in England has doubled in a decade. Student midwives have contacted us to say many of them are struggling to find jobs despite a serious shortage of midwives in the NHS. A new survey from the Royal College of Midwives echoes that finding. It says 31% of those newly qualified midwifes are still not employed in the role and the majority of those who have found employment are on fixed term contracts. This comes a year after the government announced it's Graduate Guarantee pledging that every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England would have the opportunity to apply to join the NHS workforce. We hear from Safia, who is in her final year of midwifery training, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives. Award-winning British Nigerian fashion designer Tolu Coker joins Nuala in the studio fresh from kicking off London Fashion Week with King Charles in the front row. Her latest collection, Survivor’s Remorse, is inspired by grief, nostalgia and childhood memories and is a joyful celebration of growing up in 1990s London and the community that shaped her. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Rosamund Pike, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is known for standout roles in Saltburn, her Oscar nominated lead in Gone Girl, and Made in Dagenham. Next month she stars on the West End stage, coming back to the role of Jessica Parks, the maverick judge at the heart of the National Theatre’s hit play Inter Alia, also filmed for NT Live screenings. She joined Anita Rani to discuss her role that explores motherhood, masculinity and the complexities of justice.It’s more than a decade since Nadiya Hussain became a household name after winning the Great British Bake Off. Since then, she’s fronted her own cookery shows, written more than a dozen cookbooks and a series of children’s books. Her latest collection of recipes is called Quick Comforts, and Nadiya joined presenter Clare McDonnell to talk about finding comfort in food, her career so far and lots more.In December 2024, Dominque Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisèle. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Dominque had drugged Gisèle with medication without her knowledge, raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. At least another 20 men who took part in these rapes could not be identified. Waving her right to anonymity, Gisèle Pelicot declared that shame has to change sides. Despite her becoming a household name, not only in her native France but around the world, very little was known about Gisèle herself. She has written her memoir, A Hymn to Life, with writer Judith Perrignon and Judith joins Nuala McGovern to discuss.Dr Punam Krishan is a Glasgow based NHS GP and the resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme. Back in 2024 she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing where she was the first dancer to perform a Bollywood routine. But six months ago, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has since gone through treatment. She has recently written about how being a doctor didn’t prepare her for the experience of being a patient. Dr Punam joined Anita to discuss.Ketamine has become a worryingly popular recreational drug among young people, and the consequences can be devastating. That's according to a specialist NHS clinic which reports that some teenagers suffer such severe bladder damage from taking it, that some rely on incontinence pads. To discuss the implications, Anita was joined by Dr Alison Downey, Consultant Urologist at Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust, who is treating young people with ketamine related bladder problems. Also joining them is Eva, who has stopped using ketamine and is receiving support from the hub.The award-winning internationally renowned Welsh harpist and composer Catrin Finch first came to prominence in her early 20s as the official Royal Harpist to King Charles, the-then Prince of Wales. She achieved chart success with her No. 1 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Catrin, who began playing the harp at just six years old, has a new album, Notes to Self, a series of reflective and deeply personal new tracks she has composed for Katy, her 13-year-old-self. She joined Nuala and performed live in the studio. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells

Rosamund Pike, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is known for standout roles in Saltburn, her Oscar nominated lead in Gone Girl, and Made in Dagenham. Next month she stars on the West End stage, coming back to the role of Jessica Parks, the maverick judge at the heart of the National Theatre’s hit play Inter Alia, also filmed for NT Live screenings. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her role that explores motherhood, masculinity and the complexities of justice. Ketamine has become a worryingly popular recreational drug among young people, and the consequences can be devastating. That's according to a specialist NHS clinic which reports that some teenagers suffer such severe bladder damage from taking it, that some rely on incontinence pads. To discuss the implications, Anita is joined by Dr Alison Downey, Consultant Urologist at Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust, who is treating young people with ketamine related bladder problems. They are also joined by Fay Maloney, Director of The Lifeboat Recovery Community Hub, along with Eva, who has stopped using ketamine and is receiving support from the hub. The American writer Madeline Cash has just published her debut novel Lost Lambs — already an instant bestseller — and she’s only 29. She won high praise from Lena Dunham, who has called her ‘a voice like no other’. Lost Lambs follows the Flynn family — parents Bud and Catherine and their three teenage daughters — whose decision to open their marriage plunges the household into chaos. As the Winter Olympics comes to a close, BBC sports reporter Katie Falkingham joins Anita to discuss the standout female athletes and record breaking performances.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Children with special education needs and disabilities - known as SEND - in England will have their support reviewed as they move into secondary school, according to leaked government plans. Anita Rani speaks to Catriona Moore, policy manager from IPSEA, and SEND parent and campaigner Rachel Filmer.It's 150 years since the death of George Sand, the pen name of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin who, by the time she was thirty, was one of the most famous writers in the world. Born in 1804, her works became extremely popular in French and in translation, outselling Hugo and Balzac in Britain. She wrote more than 70 novels, countless plays, political essays, and an autobiography as well as launching a literary review, two local newspapers and two national republican political journals. She dressed as a man, smoked cigars, and had what was said at the time to be a promiscuous private life. Her biographer, Fiona Sampson tells her story to Anita. Dr Punam Krishan is a Glasgow based NHS GP and the resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme. Back in 2024 she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing where she was the first dancer to perform a Bollywood routine. But six months ago, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has since gone through treatment. She has recently written about how being a doctor didn’t prepare her for the experience of being a patient. Dr Punam joins Anita to discuss.We hear from the creators of a brand new opera exploring the Divine Feminine, its relevance in the modern world and the enduring archetype of the Goddess across different cultures. Soprano Emma Tring from the BBC Singers, composer Shiva Feshareki and award-winning poet Karen McCarthy Woolf join Anita to discuss their empowering, futuristic opera, which has been commissioned by Radio 3 to celebrate International Women’s Day next month. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

The woman tipped to be the next head of the UK Civil Service has faced multiple bullying complaints according to reports this morning. The Times newspaper says "there is more than a whiff of misogyny" in the briefings against her. Nuala McGovern hears more about the debate over the possible appointment of Dame Antonia Romeo with Kitty Donaldson, the Chief Political Commentator for the i Newspaper, and Caroline Slocock. Caroline was the first female private secretary to a British Prime Minister when she served alongside Margaret Thatcher.Belle Burden is a former corporate lawyer, a pro bono immigration lawyer, a Harvard graduate and a mother of three, born into American high society. When she got married in 1999, her wedding was announced in the New York Times. Two decades later she broke with convention and published her candid essay on the marriage’s sudden rupture, in the long-running New York Times Modern Love series. Now her book Strangers: A Memoir of a Marriage has become a New York Times bestseller. Belle Burden joins Nuala live from New York to discuss ghosting, grieving and getting on with life on her own terms.Tomorrow, the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will speak about the plight of women and girls in Sudan at the United Nations Security Council. Stories from the war-torn country are harrowing. Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces or RSF. More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Nuala is joined BBC’s Africa Correspondent, Barbara Plett Usher.Two years ago, Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s first Patient Safety Commissioner, published a report laying out a plan for compensation for women harmed by pelvic mesh implants. The Hughes report set a deadline for the government, which has just passed without action. Dr Hughes tell Nuala what action she wants to see from the government, and Kath Sansom, the founder of the Sling The Mesh campaign group, tells us how women’s lives have been affected.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

More than 141,000 children are in kinship care in England and Wales. According to new research from the charity Kinship, 40% of kinship carers are forced to claim benefits or increase their benefits when they step in to take on the care of a child from a family member. To explain why some kinship carers want the same parental rights as others in a parental role, like an adoptive parent, Clare McDonnell is joined by the CEO of Kinship, Lucy Peake and carer Nash, who took on the permanent care of her sister’s children after her sister died.Broadcaster, model and activist Ashley James says she’s always been underestimated and often written off as a ‘bimbo’. But now she’s reclaiming the word as the title of her new book, which explores many of the judgmental labels used to describe women and their life choices. From 'bossy' to 'mumsy' to 'silly girl', Ashley joined Clare to unpack the impact such words can have on women and girls and why she hopes opening up about her own experiences will inspire others to stop shrinking and shake them off.Team GB snowboarder Mia Brookes gave an amazing performance coming fourth in the women's snowboard big air final at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The 19-year-old had been hoping to become Great Britain's first gold medallist on snow. She went for a backside 1620 trick - featuring four-and-a-half rotations - and landed before she over-rotated and her heel edge caught in the snow. Mia's mum, Vicky Brookes, joined presenter Nuala McGovern on the line from her campervan in Livigno close to the Olympic venue.Deborah Douglas has written a memoir about her experience as a victim turned campaigner in one of the biggest scandals in British medical history. Her story sits at the centre of the case of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, jailed in 2017 for performing harmful and unnecessary operations on women who believed they were being treated for cancer. An inquiry in 2020 found both NHS and private hospitals missed repeated chances to stop him. Deborah joined Clare to discuss The Cost of Trust.A new exhibition at the Charles Dickens museum celebrates the women who influenced the great Victorian novelist's female characters, social commentary and campaigning to improve the lives of vulnerable women. But how does this sit alongside the other, darker narrative, that Dickens himself was a misogynist who mistreated his own wife? To sort the fact from the fiction, the exhibition curator Kirsty Parsons & the historian Professor Jenny Hartley joined Nuala to discuss.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Annette Wells

In December 2024, Dominque Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisèle. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Dominque had drugged Gisèle with medication without her knowledge, raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. At least another 20 men who took part in these rapes could not be identified. Waving her right to anonymity, Gisèle Pelicot declared that shame has to change sides. Despite her becoming a household name, not only in her native France but around the world, very little was known about Gisèle herself.Today sees the publication of her much-anticipated memoir, A Hymn to Life. Nuala McGovern is joined by writer and journalist Judith Perrignon, who co-wrote the memoir with Gisèle, and Professor Manon Garcia, who watched the trial in Avignon and analysed its resonance in her book Living with Men, Reflections on the Pelicot Trial. The award-winning internationally renowned Welsh harpist and composer Catrin Finch first came to prominence in her early 20s as the official Royal Harpist to King Charles, the-then Prince of Wales. She achieved chart success with her No. 1 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Catrin, who began playing the harp at just six years old, has a new album, Notes to Self, a series of reflective and deeply personal new tracks she has composed for Katy, her 13-year-old-self. She tells Nuala about her first album of solo compositions in a decade.One of the children talking about their everyday achievements in our new podcast, SEND in the Spotlight, which features young people with special educational needs, is Henry. He's autistic, and school is not always easy. Things got even tougher when his grandma died. That's when Henry decided to raise money for the hospice which looked after her. We hear his story in his own words.With the Winter Olympics in full swing in Italy, how are sports like ice hockey faring here in the UK? And what are women doing on the ice rink? Joining Nuala are Ellie Wakeling and Abbie Sylvester, who both play alongside male players with the Romford Buccaneers.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

It’s more than a decade since Nadiya Hussain became a household name after winning the Great British Bake Off. Since then, she’s fronted her own cookery shows, written more than a dozen cookbooks and a series of children’s books. Her latest collection of recipes is called Quick Comforts, and Nadiya joins presenter Clare McDonnell to talk about finding comfort in food, her career so far and lots more.A series of stories in The Guardian this week are spotlighting the role that domestic abuse plays in suicides - they say the number of women's suicides that are being are linked to domestic abuse is being severely underreported in police statistics. Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council's Domestic Homicide Project have shown for the last two years that there were more victims of domestic abuse who took their own lives in England and Wales than were killed by their partner. Research by a suicide prevention programme in Kent led by Tim Woodhouse is suggesting the figures could be much higher. We hear from Tim and Dr Hannana Siddiqui, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Research at Southall Black Sisters.Actor Kate Fleetwood talks about her latest role as the angry, vindictive Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s fairy tale musical Into the Woods. She’ll be singing live and telling Clare about playing the villain, the challenges of this demanding singing role and why Shakespeare holds an important part of her life.Megan Boxall is running the coastline of Britain, hoping to complete 200 marathons in 200 days. She joins us live from the Scottish Highlands - the latest stage of her challenge - to update us on her progress so far and the people she has met along the way.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The Government yesterday published new guidance for schools in England on what to do when children question their gender. It says schools should not initiate steps towards social transitioning when pupils change their name or pronouns, and that toilets and changing rooms should be protected spaces, used according to biological sex. Branwen Jeffreys, the BBC's Education and Family Editor, joins Clare McDonnell to discuss this latest guidance.The one-child policy in China spanned a period of over 35 years. It led to large numbers of girls being abandoned by their birth mothers. And for many children, it’s had a lasting impact on their lives. Eva Brookes has been reflecting on what that policy meant for her as she was adopted from China as a baby. Her new podcast series, Made in China, is out this week. In it she delves into her life in the UK and speaks to transracial children like herself, along with her own parents, and explores how it has shaped her own identity.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers yesterday. Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13, has in recent months been pictured beside her father in high-profile events including a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad. BBC Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon tells Clare about how surprising this selection is and what we know about her.Covent Garden is nowadays a centre for high-end designer shops, theatres and award-winning restaurants. However back in the 1700s it was a hotspot for taverns, coffee houses and prostitution. This is the colourful backdrop for the fourth novel from Louise Hare. Called The House of Fallen Sisters, it follows the story of Sukey, a mixed-race girl and an orphan, who has recently moved to London to live with her guardian - the guardian also happens to be a madam who runs a brothel and Sukey knows that once puberty hits, she too will join the women earning their keep. Louise tells Clare what drew her to this story. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Andrea Kidd

A story gripping headlines across the United States is the disappearance of 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC News Today anchor Savannah Guthrie. Nancy was abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson, Arizona, in the USA more than a week ago, triggering a massive search and emotional appeals from her family. Clare McDonnell speaks to Claire Moses, a reporter from The New York Times, who has been following the story.Broadcaster, model and activist Ashley James says she’s always been underestimated and often written off as a “bimbo”. But now she’s reclaiming the word as the title of her new book, which explores many of the judgmental labels used to describe women and their life choices. From 'bossy' to 'mumsy' to 'silly girl', Ashley joins Clare to unpack the impact such words can have on women and girls and why she hopes opening up about her own experiences will inspire others to stop shrinking and shake them off.More than 141,000 children are in kinship care in England and Wales. According to new research from the charity Kinship, 40% of kinship carers are forced to claim benefits or increase their benefits when they step in to take on the care of a child from a family member. To explain why some kinship carers want the same parental rights as others in a parental role, like an adoptive parent, Clare is joined by the CEO of Kinship, Lucy Peake and carer Nash, who took on the permanent care of her sister’s children after her sister died.A few years ago, Saaniya Abbas was working as an art director in an advertising agency in Dubai. Today, she is a rising star of comedy, after finding stand-up comedy helped her deal with the end of her marriage. Her tour, Hellarious, has just hit London and she speaks to Clare about writing material based on her life so far.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Clare McDonnell speaks to Amy Wallace, the co-author of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl. Amy spent two years closely working with Virginia - one of the most prominent and vocal accusers of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and an advocate of justice for survivors of sex trafficking. We hear Amy’s reactions to the latest Epstein revelations.More than 1.7 million children in England have special needs and today, the government has announced that all secondary schools and colleges will be expected to have a dedicated Special Educational Needs and Disability - or SEND - base. Called an 'inclusion base' it would be a dedicated safe space away from busy classrooms where pupils can access targeted support that bridges the gap between mainstream and specialist provision. We speak to BBC education reporter Kate McGough and Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Deborah Douglas has written a memoir about her experience as a victim turned campaigner in one of the biggest scandals in British medical history. Her story sits at the centre of the case of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, jailed in 2017 for performing harmful and unnecessary operations on women who believed they were being treated for cancer. An inquiry in 2020 found both NHS and private hospitals missed repeated chances to stop him. Deborah joins Clare to discuss The Cost of Trust. The classical concert pianist Alexandra Dariescu performs in studio, and tells us why she is so dedicated to promoting the works of female composers.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Team GB snowboarder Mia Brookes gave an amazing performance last night coming fourth in the women's snowboard big air final at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The 19-year-old had been hoping to become Great Britain's first gold medallist on snow. She went for a backside 1620 trick - featuring four-and-a-half rotations - and landed before she over-rotated and her heel edge caught in the snow. Mia's mum, Vicky Brookes, joins presenter Nuala McGovern on the line from her campervan in Livigno close to the Olympic venue. A musician who sent lewd images of himself to two women he had never met has been given a 12-month suspended sentence for cyberflashing. Ben Gunnery, 46, sent his victims unsolicited images of his genitals and videos of him masturbating. As the scale of his offending is revealed by a BBC Investigation, we hear from BBC Midlands Investigations' senior reporter Nicola Goodwin. A new exhibition at the British Museum, Samurai, reveals the untold history of Japan’s Samurai class, including the fact that half of them were women. Known as onna bugeisha, these women trained, fought, governed and defended their communities and shaped the samurai legacy. We explore the image and myths of these iconic warriors over the past 1,000 years with exhibition curator Dr Rosina Buckland and Jennifer Coates, Professor in Japanese Studies at Sheffield University. New research suggests that almost 70% of NHS areas in England now offer only one cycle of IVF for women under 40— despite official guidance saying three full cycles should be offered. A fertility charity says the situation is having a devastating impact on people struggling to conceive. We hear from Sarah Norcross, director of the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust. Three in five people over the age of 50 think that sex is important in a relationship, yet many struggle to talk about it. That's according to new research from Age UK, which discovered many of the people they spoke to felt their sexual wellbeing was being sidelined by healthcare professionals, and a quarter wanted more information. As the charity publishes a new guide on sex and intimacy, we speak to Dr Lis Boulton from Age UK, and psychologist Jo Hemmings about intimacy in our later years. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

At the end of January, the US government released new files from its investigation into the sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The latest drop of material consists of three million pages, and thousands of images and videos. But why has the focus of the coverage been on the political fallout, appearing to show exchanges with high-profile men? What does this say about society’s attitude to women more broadly? Some have already been voicing their concerns. Nuala McGovern is joined by Times journalist Helen Rumbelow and Penny East, Chief Executive at the Fawcett Society.At 41, Lindsey Vonn was hoping to become the oldest athlete to win a downhill skiing medal. The American skier has dominated the sport winning 84 World Cup races along with her three Olympic Winter Games medals. Having already suffered an ACL injury ahead of the Games, but still determined to compete, during the downhill event yesterday she crashed just a few seconds into her race. She had to be airlifted off the course. To find out more, we speak to two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller.Tonight BBC’s Panorama focuses on the murder of two teenage boys in South London, Daejaun Campbell and Kelyan Bokassa, killed in 2024 and 2025 - both victims of child criminal exploitation and groomed by local gangs. Nuala speaks to Jodian Taylor, Daejaun’s mother, and BBC’s Frankie McCamley, the documentary’s reporter.A new exhibition at the Charles Dickens museum celebrates the women who influenced the great Victorian novelist's female characters, social commentary and campaigning to improve the lives of vulnerable women. But how does this sit alongside the other, darker narrative, that Dickens himself was a misogynist who mistreated his own wife? To sort the fact from the fiction, the exhibition curator Kirsty Parsons & the historian Professor Jenny Hartley are in the Woman's Hour studio.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry started again this week. It is believed at least 50 women were duped into intimate relationships with undercover officers over decades. Alison, not her real name, spent five years living with a man she knew as Mark Cassidy, who was in fact a married undercover Police Officer whose real name was Mark Jenner. She joins Nuala McGovern along with BBC London journalist Ayshea Buksh, who has been following this inquiry.The government has announced plans to relax fostering rules and create 10,000 new places for vulnerable children in England. Roxy and her mum Judy, from the BBC’s recent Traitors series, join Nuala to discuss. Roxy was fostered until the age of five before being adopted by Judy. They are also joined by Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network.Paula Varjack talks to Anita about her show Nine Sixteenths. It examines the fallout from the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident at the 2004 Superbowl and the backlash that almost ruined Jackson’s career. The play questions what this says about the demographics of who controls the media, the scrutinising of black women in the public eye and asks if anything has changed.We hear a lot about ‘mum guilt’, but what about the guilt that can come along with not becoming a mother? Writer Ellen C Scott is child-free by choice but has recently experienced guilt towards her parents because she won’t be providing them with grandchildren. She recently explored the topic for Stylist magazine and was surprised by how much it resonated with other women. Ellen and psychotherapist Professor Hannah Sherbersky discuss.AI companions are becoming increasingly common, with one in three adults now using them for conversation, advice and support. Now recent research from Bangor University has shown that many teen AI companion users believe their bots can think or understand. That research prompted Nicola Bryan, a reporter for BBC Wales News to investigate and acquire an "AI boyfriend" of her own in the process. Nicola talks to Anita about what happened next.The Puppini Sisters are celebrating 20 years of their antique pop, neo-burlesque swing music. Their new album The Birthday Party marks two decades since their debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, spent almost a year on the Billboard chart in the US. It became the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history, with their fans including Robbie Williams and King Charles. They join Nuala to discuss their music.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

The cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has been nominated for an Academy Award for “Sinners," an American horror film nominated this year for a record sixteen Oscars and thirteen BAFTAs. It's a period drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in the 1930s South, with a supernatural twist. Autumn’s previous credits include The Last Showgirl and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Anita talks to Autumn about her career so far and becoming the first woman of colour - and only the fourth woman ever - to be recognized in the Oscars cinematography category.Following the summer riots in 2024, the Women and Equalities Committee examined the impact of increasing tensions on women in Muslim communities across the UK and reported that the online, verbal and physical abuse and discrimination faced by Muslim women was having a ‘deeply damaging impact on individual lives and a corrosive effect on community cohesion’. Baroness Shaista Gohir OBE, CEO of the Muslim Women’s Network and Iman Atta, CEO of Tell Mama join Anita to discuss the WEC’s findings.AI companions are becoming increasingly common, with one in three adults now using them for conversation, advice and support. Now recent research from Bangor University has shown that many teen AI companion users believe their bots can think or understand. That research prompted Nicola Bryan, a reporter for BBC Wales News to investigate and acquire an "AI boyfriend" of her own in the process. Nicola talks to Anita about what happened next.Autism probably affects girls and boys equally, according to a long term study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The new research challenges previously held assumptions that autism is more common among males; it found that by the age of twenty, the male-to-female ratio of diagnoses was equal. But in children aged under ten, four boys are diagnosed for every one girl. To discuss the findings, Anita is joined by Doctor Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society and Betsey, an autistic 18-year old university student.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

New research which has just been published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that testing menstrual blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate way of screening for the disease. The BBC's Health Correspondent, Sophie Hutchinson, and Fiona Osgun, Head of Health information at Cancer Research UK join Anita Rani to talk about this new area of research and discuss the options currently open to women. English actor Imogen Poots is back on our screens taking on a challenging role in Kristen Stewart’s first feature film, The Chronology of Water. It’s a creative adaptation of an acclaimed memoir by American writer Lidia Yuknavitch which centres on her coming to terms with being abused as a child, battling pain and loss, and her ongoing healing journey. Imogen Poots joins Anita in the studio.The Kurdish-led self-administration in the north east of Syria is a territory where for years women have sat at the centre of political life, security and decision-making. But many are worried that the system is now under pressure following a new agreement between Kurdish authorities and the Syrian government, which will integrate the region into the Syrian state being rebuilt after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Anita is joined by Lina Shaikhouni, journalist at the BBC World Service and Dilar Dirik, Kurdish writer and author of The Kurdish Women’s Movement: History, Theory, Practice.Paula Varjack talks to Anita about her show Nine Sixteenths. It examines the fallout from the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident at the 2004 Superbowl and the backlash that almost ruined Jackson’s career. The play questions what this says about the demographics of who controls the media, the scrutinising of black women in the public eye and asks if anything has changed?Presenter: Anita Rani Producer : Corinna Jones

The government has announced plans to relax fostering rules and create 10,000 new places for vulnerable children in England. Roxy and her mum Judy, from the BBC’s recent Traitors series, join Nuala McGovern to discuss. Roxy was fostered until the age of five before being adopted by Judy. They are also joined by Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network.Golden Globe–winning actor and film director Romola Garai discusses her latest role in the ITV drama series Betrayal. She also talks about the importance of supporting caring responsibilities within the industry and the lack of female directors.Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s Minister for Business, Mineral Resources, Energy, Justice and Gender Equality, and a member of the pro independence Inuit Ataqatigiit party, joins Nuala to discuss the challenges facing Greenlandic women.What is the online world doing to our health? Science and health journalist Deborah Cohen explores this question in her new book Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor

Sarah Ferguson's charity, Sarah's Trust, has announced it will close "for the foreseeable future" after new details emerged from documents released by the US Department of Justice about the former Duchess of York's friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A spokesman for the foundation said the decision comes after "some months" of discussion. BBC News Correspondent Ellie Price and Dr Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, join Nuala McGovern.We hear from BAFTA Breakthrough British actress & comedian Susan Wokoma. Best known for playing Edith in the Enola Holmes films and her tv roles in Chewing Gum, and Cheaters, she’s just written a brand new 'baroque and roll' musical for the National Youth Theatre as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations. There are renewed calls for better public education on the UK’s complex legal system to help ensure potential victims, particularly women, have a clearer understanding of how it works. Family law barrister Samantha Singer joins Nuala to discuss her online platform designed to empower those facing legal challenges, alongside Jo Silver from the charity Safe Lives.We hear a lot about ‘mum guilt’, but what about the guilt that can come along with not becoming a mother? Writer Ellen C Scott is child-free by choice but has recently experienced guilt towards her parents because she won’t be providing them with grandchildren. She recently explored the topic for Stylist magazine and was surprised by how much it resonated with other women. Ellen and psychotherapist Professor Hannah Sherbersky discuss how to navigate these feelings.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry starts again today, having already uncovered "appalling practices in undercover policing" over the past 50 years in England and Wales, since the inquiry was first established in 2015. It is believed at least 50 women were duped into intimate relationships with undercover officers over decades. Alison, not her real name, spent five years living with a man she knew as Mark Cassidy, who was in fact a married undercover Police Officer whose real name was Mark Jenner. She joins presenter Nuala McGovern along with BBC London journalist Ayshea Buksh, who has been following this inquiry.A hidden detail has been found in one of the most famous portraits of Anne Boleyn, which historians argue proves it was painted as a rebuttal against accusations of witchcraft. In Anne Boleyn’s Hever “Rose” portrait she wears her “B” pendant and holds a red rose in her right hand and it's the hand that's holding the rose which people are saying is significant. Scientific analysis of the painting at Hever Castle, her childhood home in Kent, has uncovered evidence that an Elizabethan artist sought to create a visual rebuttal to claims she was a witch with a sixth finger on her right hand. Nuala is joined by historian and author Tracy Borman to find out more. A BBC investigation has found that some social media accounts which are claiming to document the nightlife of cities are instead focussing on women in dresses and skirts, filmed from angles that at times show intimate body parts. The BBC has identified 65 YouTube accounts posting these videos, with a combined total of more than three and a half billion views. BBC Reporter Shona Elliott shares what she has found, along with Rebecca Hitchens from the End Violence Against Women Coalition.The Puppini Sisters are celebrating 20 years of their antique pop, neo-burlesque swing music. Their new album The Birthday Party marks two decades since their debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, spent almost a year on the Billboard chart in the US. It became the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history, with their fans including Robbie Williams and King Charles. The Puppini Sisters are Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins and Rosanna Schura and join us in the studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

Last week a report from the Welsh Health and Social Care Committee revealed that women in Wales felt that they were being failed by gynaecological cancer services, with many facing long waiting lists to see a specialist or start treatment. Anita speaks to Jess Mason who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2022, Lowri Griffiths, Director of Policy, Research and Insight at Tenovus Cancer Care and Aarti Sharma, Consultant Gynaecology Oncology Surgeon, University Hospital of Wales.Politicians in France have moved to abolish so called "conjugal rights," the concept of a marital duty to have sex with your partner. A bill approved on Wednesday in the French National Assembly adds a clause to the country's civil code, which currently defines the duties of marriage as "respect, fidelity, support and assistance," and says couples commit themselves to a "community of living." The proposed law makes clear that "community of living" does not create an "obligation for sexual relations." Anita is joined by the French journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet.Across Wales more than 700 women volunteers regularly bring faulty toasters, ripped jeans, wobbly chairs and other broken stuff back to life for free. They are part of Repair Café Wales, a charity that spans 134 locations. They are launching 'Fix It February', a month-long campaign to inspire people to repair one broken item instead of replacing it. Anita is joined by Repair Cafe Wales director Phoebe Brown and Lucy Harris, one of the volunteers.The writer and performer Paris Paloma has a new single out today about women’s bodies called Good Girl. Paloma joins Anita to sing and talk about her music, including her 2023 track Labour about women’s unpaid work which started a social media trend as women around the world related the song to their own experiences with sexism.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

There's been a stark warning to MPs about the number of women pensioners living in poverty. The House of Commons Work and Pensions committee has been hearing the pension system is dysfunctional, and contributing to more gender disparity, that's according to the feminist economic think tank the Women's Budget Group, which gave evidence this week. Anita Rani is joined by their incoming director Dr Daniella Jenkins and Sarah Pennells, consumer specialist at Royal London finance company.It's less than a week to go until the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy. With a record 47% of female athletes competing, the games will be the most gender-balanced in Winter Olympic history. Two women who are gearing up to cover every twist and turn of these Games are former two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller and Jeanette Kwayke, who'll be fronting the BBC's coverage as part of an all-female line up alongside Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine.The writer and performer Paris Paloma has a new single out today about women’s bodies called Good Girl. Paloma joins Anita to sing and talk about her music, including her 2023 track Labour about women’s unpaid work which started a social media trend as women around the world related the song to their own experiences with sexism.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

There's been a stark warning to MPs about the number of women pensioners living in poverty. The house of commons work and pensions committee has been hearing the pension system is dysfunctional, and contributing to more gender disparity, that's according to the feminist economic think tank the Women's Budget Group, which gave evidence yesterday. Anita Rani is joined by their incoming director Dr Daniella Jenkins and Sarah Pennells, consumer specialist at Royal London finance company.New figures revealed in a super-complaint suggest tens of thousands of sexual offence investigations are taking years to complete with some stretching beyond seven years to complete. Campaigners say excessive police delays are causing serious harm to survivors leaving them in limbo and may even be breaching their human rights. The complaint has been submitted by a coalition of legal and support organisations including Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre. Anita is joined by one of the co-authors, Ellie Ball, an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Manager, who’s helped survivors of sexual violence navigate the criminal justice system for over a decade.Madeleine Gray’s first book Green Dot was a big hit and she's just published her second novel – Chosen Family. She joins Anita to discuss her fairy tale debut novel story, how then writing a second was daunting and why your ‘chosen family’ is so important.Is there a gender gap when it comes to using AI? Journalist Olivia Petter says the men she meets are obsessed with using it but believes that women are far more cautious. Studies show women are less likely to use AI in the workplace. As the government rolls out free AI training for every UK adult, the question is: what happens if women don’t feel equally confident or equally protected in this new AI driven world? Olivia and Prof Gina Neff from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge join Anita to discuss. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

Pornhub has announced it will restrict access to its website in the UK from next week, blaming the tougher age checks which have been introduced for explicit sites. Back in October, their parent company Aylo said the law change, which was made under the UK's Online Safety Act, had caused traffic to their website to fall by 77%. As of next week, only people who have previously made a Pornhub account will be able to access its content. Nuala McGovern discusses the implications of these changes with Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, the author of Women On Porn and Professor of Sexual Violence and the Co-Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University.The decision by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to suspend home birth services is to be challenged in the High Court. The suspension was announced back in November after the trust cited safety concerns raised by their staff and dealing with more complex births. Now a coalition including the charity Birthrights is taking the trust's leaders to judicial review asking them to reconsider the suspension. Nuala is joined by Birthrights' legal lead Laura Mullarkey and Matthew Hill, Health Correspondent for the BBC in the South West.This weekend gamers and music fans alike will be headed to 'BAFTA Games in Concert' which is starting its tour in London. It's celebrating two decades of BAFTA-nominated and award-winning games music and the composers behind these hugely popular gaming soundtracks. One of those composers is Jessica Curry. Ten years ago her score for the videogame 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture' won a BAFTA Games music award, the first for a solo woman. Jessica tells Nuala why her music channels grief, love, and loss and the impact music can have on gamers. It's a week to go until the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy. With a record 47% of female athletes competing, the games will be the most gender-balanced in Winter Olympic history. Two women who are gearing up to cover every twist and turn of these Games are former two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller and Jeanette Kwayke, who'll be fronting the BBC's coverage as part of an all-female line up alongside Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

A large UK study of nearly 125,000 women has found that the menopause can cause a loss of grey matter in women's brains affecting memory and emotions, similar to that seen in Alzheimer's. Published in the journal Psychological Medicine, the researchers say it may help explain why we see almost twice as many cases of dementia in women than in men. Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology Barbara Sahakian, from the University of Cambridge and the senior researcher on the study and Dr Paula Briggs, Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health at Liverpool Woman’s NHS Foundation Trust, discuss the findings with Nuala McGovern.There’s been much discussion about the benefits of singing, but with less singing happening in schools - over half of state secondary school teachers have said that their pupils never sang together in assembly - how do you encourage children and young people to sing and what are the benefits? As the BBC launches Get Singing, a Nationwide music education initiative, we talk to Julia Fraser, the head of Luton Music Service, and Baz Chapman from the Sing Up Foundation.Laura Dickerman’s first novel Hot Desk is set against the backdrop of the publishing industry over two generations. A couple of editors share a desk in a new office – and eventually fall in love. Laura talks about bookish characters, the romance of women’s friendships and getting published for the first time, aged 62.Global attention has been focused on Greenland since President Donald Trump repeatedly said the United States should take control of the self-governing region within the Kingdom of Denmark. Despite being around nine times the size of the UK, Greenland has a population of just 57,000 people, with the majority being indigenous Inuits. But beyond the heated geopolitical debates, we want to find out what is life like for women in Greenland today? Tillie Martinussen, a former MP in Greenland, tells us about women's position historically and the issues they face now.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott

Tens of thousands of children in England have spent more than a year waiting for NHS community care, such as hearing services, speech and language therapy and disability support, the BBC has found. Nick Triggle, BBC News Health Correspondent and Harriet Edwards, Strategy Lead at the national disability charity, Sense, join Nuala McGovern to discuss the findings. Author, economist and politician Yanis Varoufakis joins Nuala to discuss being, as he describes it, raised a misogynist. He also talks about the women in his life that helped change that and what he believes lies behind the growth in misogynist attitudes.A new ITV crime documentary, Killer in the House, traces the story of one of the most notorious double murder stories in recent UK history, where a respected Northern Irish dentist, Colin Howell, murdered his wife and his lover’s husband, staged it as a double suicide, and evaded justice for nearly twenty years. Howell was never suspected for the murder of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan, until his confession in 2007, implicating his former lover, Hazel Stewart. Lauren Bradford-Clarke, daughter of Lesley and Colin, talks to us about the impact this crime had on her family.Bonnie Langford has been a British household name for more than 50 years, singing and dancing across many stages in countless musicals, as well as memorable TV roles in EastEnders and Dr Who. Now she's playing Mrs Bird in the much-acclaimed Paddington The Musical in London's West End. She joins Nuala to discuss the joys of treading the boards with that much-loved, life-sized bear. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Simon Richardson

Should the UK follow Australia in bringing in a social media ban for under 16s? Nuala McGovern discusses the issue with Hannah Ortel from the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, and Dr Fiona Scott, Senior Lecturer in digital literacies at the University of Sheffield.Double Olivier award-winning actress Denise Gough joins Anita Rani to talk about her latest role as Amy Fowler in a new play based on the famous western High Noon. She also discusses what it’s been like to find her singing voice for the first time in 30 years.Women dominate this week's BRIT Award nominations. Best Pop Act is an all women shortlist: RAYE, Lily Allen, Lola Young, Olivia Dean and JADE. Lola Young and Olivia Dean have the most nominations, both up for Artist of the Year, alongside Lily Allen, JADE, Little Simz and PinkPantheress. Nearly two thirds of the nominations feature women as solo artists or in mixed gender group - the highest representation yet. So why are women riding high in the music industry at the moment? Anita talks to Roisin O'Connor, Music Editor at The Independent.Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of the Beckhams, has said that he is not in touch with his family and does not want to reconcile with them. How do you know when you’ve reached the point when the right thing to do could be to walk away? Writer Eilidh Dorgan and Psychotherapist Dr Sara Young discuss.Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates, x) is the acclaimed comedy show from Jade Franks. A sharp, funny take on class privilege, it follows Jade’s first term at Cambridge after swapping life in a Merseyside call centre for one of the UK’s most elite universities. After a smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show is now being developed for TV.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

A study led by the University of Oxford shows a 20-fold rise in the proportion of women over 25 using ADHD medication in the UK. The study looked at 5 countries - Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK - showing use has more than tripled in 13 years - the UK having the highest relative increase. To unpick this, Anita Rani is joined by Amanda Kirby, former chair of the ADHD foundation and Emeritus Professor of neurodevelopmental disorders at the University of South Wales and Kat Brown, author of It's Not a Bloody Trend, who was diagnosed with ADHD aged 37 and uses medication.The Oscar nominations are out and to celebrate we revisit our recent interviews with nominees, Hamnet director Chloe Zhao and Kate Hudson, who's up for best actress for her film Song Sung Blue. Author Claire Lynch discusses her debut novel, A Family Matter, which recently won the Nero Book Award's prize for debut fiction. Having spent her career teaching literature in universities, the author of non-fiction book Small: On Motherhoods, was inspired by her discovery that 90% of lesbian mothers in 1980s’ divorce cases lost legal custody of their children. The novel alternates between 1982 and the present day and explores love and loss, intimacy and injustice, custody and care.Miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy is common. But clinical NHS practices for disposal of pregnancy tissue following an early stage miscarriage can sometimes appear to be at odds with some women’s wishes and are not conducive to inclusive care. That’s according to a new study published in Social Science and Medicine and reported in the British Medical Journal. Susie Kilshaw, Professor of Medical Anthropology at University College London, spent nearly two years observing miscarriage care inside one of England’s NHS Foundation Trusts and interviewing women about their experiences. Susie explains how she found that the choices available often didn’t match what women want.Can video games be used for good? From reducing our environmental impact to fundraising for access to education for all, Jude Ower from not-for-profit gaming platform PlanetPlay has spent the last two decades creating initiatives to do just that. Jude has now been named by the Aurora awards as one of ten women to watch, who are shifting the dial in the gaming industry. She joins Anita in the studio.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

NB: The music in this broadcast has been removed from the podcast for rights reasons.Anita Rani talks to double Olivier award winning actress Denise Gough about her latest role as Amy Fowler in a new play based on the famous western High Noon. She’ll be discussing how her character reflects the early feminist movement and what it’s been like to find her singing voice for the first time in 30 years.Elite British gymnast Alice Kinsella won Olympic bronze in the team event at Tokyo 2020 and is a two-time European champion. Now she’s seeking to become the first British artistic gymnast to return to elite competition after giving birth. Returning to elite sport after having a baby is becoming more visible in some areas – but in gymnastics, it’s still extremely rare. Anita talks to Alice alongside Julie Gooderick, a sports scientist based at the University of Kent, who is closely studying Alice’s return. We speak to Sanju Pal who has won her high court Employment Appeal Tribunal against the global consulting firm where she worked for 10 years. She has endometriosis and claimed she was unfairly dismissed. Sanju Pal and Emma Cox, Chief Executive of Endometriosis UK, joins Anita to discuss the understanding of endometriosis in the workplace, and what this judgement could mean for other women. The BRIT Award nominations were out last night and women dominate. Best Pop Act is an all women shortlist: RAYE, Lily Allen, Lola Young, Olivia Dean and JADE. Lola Young and Olivia Dean have the most nominations, both up for Artist of the Year, alongside Lily Allen, JADE, Little Simz and PinkPantheress. Nearly two thirds of the nominations feature women as solo artists or in mixed gender group - the highest representation yet. So why are women riding high in the music industry at the moment? Anita talks to Roisin O'Connor, Music Editor at The Independent.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

Should the UK follow Australia in bringing in a social media ban for under 16s? The government has announced a consultation on the issue and peers debate the question as the former Conservative schools minister Lord Nash has tabled an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It would require social media platforms to stop children under 16 from using their platforms within a year of the Bill passing. Nuala McGovern discusses this with Hannah Ortel from the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, and Dr Fiona Scott, Senior Lecturer in digital literacies at the University of Sheffield.How safe are the beauty treatments many women routinely use? MPs on the Science, Technology and Innovation Committee are investigating whether UK regulation is keeping pace with the scientific evidence behind products used by millions of women, from botox to hair relaxers, the latter predominantly used by Black women. Nuala is joined by the chair of the committee, Labour MP Dame Chi Onwurah, to discuss what the inquiry hopes to uncover.Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates, x) is the acclaimed comedy show from Jade Franks. A sharp, funny take on class privilege, it follows Jade’s first term at Cambridge after swapping life in a Merseyside call centre for one of the UK’s most elite universities. After a smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show is now being developed for TV.Women who coach sports are twice as likely to suffer bullying and harassment as men, according to new research from the charity Women in Sport, which calls coaching in the UK a “hostile environment” for women. They spoke to 2,000 coaches about their experiences and found women are operating in a deeply unequal system, from pay and progression through to discrimination. They say many have quit, feeling unheard and undervalued. Lisa West from Women in Sport and Yasmin Clarke, a former pro tennis player and coach discuss.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott

We are a year into US President Trump's second term. He says he will tell European leaders "we have to have" Greenland at this week's forum in Davos, Switzerland and impose tariffs if they oppose him. Trump regularly hailed himself as the anti-war president on the campaign trail - and he's described himself since as the "president of peace" - but there are some who accuse him of waging a "war on women" since taking office. So, after a year back in the White House, how have the policies of President Trump’s administration impacted women? Nuala McGovern is joined by Anne McElvoy, an executive editor at Politico and Jennifer Ewing, Spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK. Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of the Beckhams, has said that he is not in touch with his family and does not want to reconcile with them. We don’t all live our family lives on social media, but most of us do have moments when we question whether our relationships with them are good for us. How do you know when you’ve reached the point when the right thing to do could be to walk away? Eilidh Dorgan and psychotherapist Dr Sara Young discuss. More than 90% of medicines have never been tested in pregnancy, leaving millions of women worldwide facing an impossible choice, go without treatment, or take medication you’re not certain is safe for your baby. The World Health Organisation is preparing to work with scientists, doctors and drug developers on what could be the biggest shift in decades, rethinking whether pregnant women should take part in drugs trials. Nuala talks to Martina Penazzato from the Science for Health Department at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Dr Teesta Dey, Maternal Technical Consultant at the World Health Organization and a Maternal Health Researcher at the University of Liverpool.Caroline Mitchell spent almost 10 years working for the police, including as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Department, before becoming a full-time writer. Her latest novel, The Ice Angels, has tinges of the Nordic-noir genre and is the first of a series featuring Elea, a Finnish detective whose daughter went missing 10-years earlier. She tells Nuala about the importance of writing for her and why the cityscape of Lincoln and Finland feeds into her work. This programme has been edited since broadcast.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

New research will bring hope to the thousands of women in the UK living with secondary breast cancer. A simple blood test will be able to tell how well they will respond to treatment, even before it starts. This research could mean being moved to more efficient treatments earlier. Nuala McGovern hears from Dr Iseult Browne, one of the researchers on the study. The Grammy award-winning American R&B singer/songwriter and actress, Andra Day, made her acting debut with her portrayal of Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Her emotionally raw and transformative performance made her only the second black actress to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress. Her voice first reached a global audience with her anthem Rise Up which earned two Grammy nominations. She joins Nuala to talk about her latest role, as Christine, in the film - Is This Thing On?An employment tribunal ruled on Friday that the dignity of a group of female nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital was violated because they had to share single-sex changing rooms with a transgender colleague, who was born male but identifies as a woman. BBC's Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes explains further.Today another episode of our SEND in the Spotlight podcast drops, and this one is all about the local authority's role in the SEND system. They come in for a lot of criticism from some of our guests, who feel they need to go to battle with their council in the attempt to get their children's needs met. Rebecca is a SEND mum who is also a SEND caseworker for a local authority. She got in touch because she wanted to talk about the realities of her job. Mattel have just released autistic Barbie. It’s the latest in their range of dolls which have included wheelchair and Downs syndrome Barbies. So how do brands use socially conscious products to appeal to consumers, and how much are they targeting women with issues they care about? To discuss Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO of the marketing agency Get Savvy and Dionne Nickerson, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia join Nuala.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Parents of under-fives in England are to be offered official advice on how long their children should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens. It comes as government research shows about 98% of children under two were watching screens on a daily basis - with parents, teachers and nursery staff saying youngsters were finding it harder to hold conversations or concentrate on learning. To discuss this further Nuala McGovern is joined by Kate Silverton, child counsellor and parenting author, and Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics and author of Parenting for a Digital Future. In 2025 alone she walked at Paris Fashion Week, spoke at the United Nations about face equality and won 'Fashion and beauty influencer of the year' at the the UK and Ireland TikTok awards, all while managing a chronic illness. Nikki Lilly is a Bafta and Emmy award-winner, an influencer and a campaigner and she joined Anita Rani in the studio.The latest series of The Traitors has sparked controversy after two black women, Netty and Judy, were the first to leave – one ‘murdered’ by the Traitors and the other banished at the roundtable. The debate goes beyond the game - is it exposing unconscious bias and raising bigger questions? Do reality TV shows like this hold up a mirror to society, revealing uncomfortable truths around racism, misogyny, and ageism? Author and arts columnist at the Independent Micha Frazer-Carroll and freelance writer Chloe Laws, who have both written on this topic and are both fans of the show, discuss.What happens if the person you’re in a relationship with doesn’t quite meet all the qualities you look for in a long-term partner? Do you stay anyway? Journalist Eve Simmons has recently written about this in her new book, ‘What She Did Next’, which looks at why millennial women might settle for what she calls ‘subpar’ relationships. Nuala was also joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford who believes it may not just be women settling for less.Miss Marple and Poirot have been household names for decades but now one of Agatha Christie’s lesser-known sleuths – Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - is finally getting her time in the spotlight. The fearless young amateur detective is the focus of new Netflix mystery series Seven Dials. Mia McKenna-Bruce is the award-winning actor bringing ‘Bundle’ to the screen, alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman, and Mia joined presenter Nuala live in the studio.The Ayoub Sisters are Scottish Egyptian siblings Sarah and Laura Ayoub who play cello and violin. Their debut album was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Their second album, Arabesque, was released independently and went to number one in the iTunes chart. They are about to undertake a UK tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary, which will include the premiere of their Arabic Symphony in a homecoming concert in Glasgow.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells

The number of abortions recorded in England and Wales has reached a record high, according to the latest government figures from the Department of Health. There were 277,970 abortions in 2023, the highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967 - which is 11 per cent higher than the previous year in 2022. Rachael Clarke is Head of Advocacy for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service - known as B-PAS, and tells Anita Rani about the findings. In 2025 alone she walked at Paris Fashion Week, spoke at the United Nations about face equality and won 'Fashion and beauty influencer of the year' at the the UK and Ireland TikTok awards, all while managing a chronic illness. Nikki Lilly is a Bafta and Emmy award-winner, an influencer and a campaigner and she joins Anita in the studio. January is one of the toughest times for managing finances - and this year the pressure is hitting harder than ever. In just the first week of 2026, more than 13,000 people turned to Citizens Advice for help with debt. Last January, over 50,000 people sought support, and they expect this year to be even worse. New polling commissioned by the charity over the last six months reveals one in three people in problem debt have gone without essentials like food and women are feeling the squeeze more than men, with nearly 40% of those seeking advice being impacted compared to 31% of men. To discuss, Anita is joined by principle policy manager at Citizens Advice, Emer Sheehy, and personal finance and consumer expert Sue Hayward.Grief over a pet's death can be as strong as that for a family member or close friend, new research shows. Anita talks to Philip Hyland who led the research on prolonged grief disorder. Actor Hayley Squires is currently on our screens in the long-awaited second series of BBC spy thriller The Night Manager. Her character Sally Price-Jones is second in command to Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine, as they navigate a dangerous world of international espionage, deception and moral ambiguity. Since her breakthrough in Ken Loach’s award-winning film I, Daniel Blake, Hayley’s won critical acclaim for a host of TV, film and theatre roles. She’s currently also appearing in the hit production of All My Sons in London’s West End. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

To track or not to track? Now that technology on our phones makes it so easy, many parents are tracking their children’s whereabouts. If children don’t have a smart phone, many people use a GPS tracker device do to the same thing. There are even children’s trainers available with a special slot to insert the device. But have we thought about the reasons why? What are the benefits or dangers of tracking children, and if you do track, at what point do you stop? Anita Rani is joined by Clare Fernyhough and Esther Walker.Some fat dissolving agents and skin rejuvenation treatments being injected into women currently have the ‘same regulatory classification as ball-point pens’. That’s according to evidence heard by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee as part of a new inquiry into the potential harms of hair and beauty products and treatments. Thousands of women could be potentially experiencing harm from these products and going undocumented. Ashton Collins, co-founder of Save Face, the register for safe medical aesthetic practitioners, and Victoria Brownlie, chief policy and sustainability officer at The British Beauty Council join Anita.The latest series of The Traitors has sparked controversy after two black women, Netty and Judy, were the first to leave – one ‘murdered’ by the Traitors and the other banished at the roundtable. The debate goes beyond the game- is it exposing unconscious bias and raising bigger questions? Do reality TV shows like this hold up a mirror to society, revealing uncomfortable truths around racism, misogyny, and ageism? Author and arts columnist at the Independent Micha Frazer-Carroll and freelance writer Chloe Laws, who have both written on this topic and are both fans of the show, discuss.A group of religious leaders and a Member of Parliament in The Gambia have tabled a bill seeking to overturn the country’s ban on female genital mutilation or FGM. The matter is now before the country’s Supreme Court and is due to resume later this month. The case follows reports that two baby girls bled to death after undergoing FGM in the country last year. Rights groups have condemned the move, describing it as a violation. One of those groups is the African Women's Rights Advocates - we hear from Mam Lisa Camara from the group, along with BBC Correspondent for West Africa Thomas Naadi, based in Accra. And we nod to Claudette Colvin, who helped end racial segregation in the US by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person in Alabama. She has died at the age of 86. Her protest and subsequent arrest was largely unknown until the details were included in a book in 2009. Far more well known is an event that happened nine months later when Rosa Parks famously defied the bus laws. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Reports say that the number of people killed in Iran after 18 days of protests is over 2000. We hear about the women on death row who are facing execution as there are fears of quick reprisals from the regime. Women are taking extraordinary risks to take part in protests as is demonstrated by the death of the fashion student Rubina Aminian, who was shot in the head during the protests, after taking to the streets to demand change and more freedoms. BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and human rights lawyer Azadeh Zabeti discuss with Nuala McGovern.A BBC investigation has found that more than half of the 16,000 children in drug treatment between 2024 to 2025 were 15 or younger. The BBC has found disparities in community care, gaps in strategy and a lack of state funded residential facilities for teenagers. Experts and grieving families say many are not receiving the help they need. Kate Roux, whose son Ben died in a homeless shelter at 16, and Dame Professor Carol Black, the government’s independent drugs adviser, discuss the systemic issues preventing children from getting the help they need and what is being done to create parity of care.What happens if the person you’re in a relationship with doesn’t quite meet all the qualities you look for in a long-term partner? Do you stay anyway? Journalist Eve Simmons has recently written about this in her new book, ‘What She Did Next’, which looks at why millennial women might settle for what she calls ‘subpar’ relationships. Nuala is also joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford who believes it may not just be women settling for less. After reading the coroner’s report on the tragic deaths of Jennifer Cahill and her daughter Agnes Lily in June 2024, midwife and author, Leah Hazard decided to investigate how long midwives across the country were expected to work at any one time. The many responses she received led her to set up a petition which has now garnered more than 19,000 signatures. She tells Nuala why she is asking for stricter legal protections on midwives’ working hours, and midwife Abigail Latif describes the pressures she feels under to work long hours.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott

Miss Marple and Poirot have been household names for decades but now one of Agatha Christie’s lesser-known sleuths – Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - is finally getting her time in the spotlight. The fearless young amateur detective is the focus of new Netflix mystery series Seven Dials. Mia McKenna-Bruce is the award-winning actor bringing ‘Bundle’ to the screen, alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman, and Mia joins presenter Nuala McGovern live in the studio.How do you spot misinformation online? BBC Bitesize has launched a new series for schools tackling the problem, after new research with more than 400 teachers highlighted their growing concern about teenagers’ relationship with online content. It shows most teachers believe critical thinking is now the most essential skill for young people, yet only a third feel able to teach it. Nuala is joined by psychologist Dr Martha Deros Collado and Pip Sanderson from the Center for Digital Information Literacy in Schools to discuss the issue and how to approach talking to teenagers about it. A new BBC investigation has been examining one of Russia's most covert war operations: the recruitment of foreign nationals as frontline soldiers for its invasion of Ukraine. A central figure of the documentary is a woman called Polina Alex-an-drovna Azarnykh. She's a former teacher turned recruiter who is now accused of misleading economically vulnerable men across the world into joining Russia's military. BBC documentary Into the Void: Putin’s Foreign Fighters follows Senior International Investigations Correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi as she exposes this shadowy system and the human cost behind it. She joins Nuala to discuss the story. Publishing "isn't taking the power of older women seriously" according to author Lesley Kara, in an article for industry bible The Bookseller. Lesley wrote about the number of older female authors, why there aren't enough books about middle-aged and older women and why she thinks the protrayals that do exist are often cliched. She joins Nuala along with book critic and journalist Alex Clark.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Parents of under-fives in England are to be offered official advice on how long their children should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens. It comes as government research shows about 98% of children under two were watching screens on a daily basis - with parents, teachers and nursery staff saying youngsters were finding it harder to hold conversations or concentrate on learning. To discuss this further Nuala McGovern is joined by Kate Silverton, child counsellor and parenting author, and Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics and author of Parenting for a Digital Future. Heather Rose's latest novel, A Great Act of Love, is set around a real-life vineyard in Tasmania in the early 19th century. This was at a time when Tasmania, or Van Diemen’s Land as it was called then, was still a British penal colony. It was while she was researching this book that Heather discovered her own family’s dark history and its connection to the land, which she has interwoven into the story. This year marks the centenary of the Adoption of Children Act 1926. It was the first legislation enabling the legal adoption of children in England and Wales, with equivalent legislation passed in Northern Ireland in 1929 and in Scotland in 1930. Joining Nuala to discuss the significance of the passing of this act is Dame Carol Homden, Chief Executive of Coram, Harriet Ward, Emeritus Professor at Loughborough University and currently writing a book about the history of adoption, and Zoe Lambert, who was adopted at five months old and is the founder of In-Between Lines, that works with adoptees, adoption agencies and advocacy groups. The Ayoub Sisters are Scottish Egyptian siblings Sarah and Laura Ayoub who play cello and violin. Their debut album was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Their second album, Arabesque, was released independently and went to number one in the iTunes chart. They are about to undertake a UK tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary, which will include the premiere of their Arabic Symphony in a homecoming concert in Glasgow. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

In our new series Going it Alone we hear from women about their experiences of having a child without a partner. These are women who are having donor conceived children, which is different to single mums who may have split up with the child’s father. Statistics show that more women than ever in the UK are choosing to become solo mums by choice. Lucy tells us her story. Nina Barnsley, Director of the Donor Conception Network and Clare Ettinghausen, a Director at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority join Nuala McGoven to discuss the legal and practical implications. A chemotherapy nurse is so concerned about the rates of breast cancer she has seen in women under 50 that she's started a parliamentary petition to get the age of mammograms reduced to 40 and for them to be annual. Currently women get their first screening between the ages of 50 and 53 and then get screened every 3 years. Anita Rani talks to nurse Gemma Reeves and to Dr Sacha Howell from the Christie Hospital in Manchester about how the breast screening programme could be improved.Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court, but that is not the end of the lawsuits. Next up, it's the Macrons against the controversial right-wing podcaster Candace Owens in a US civil court. They've accused her of mounting “a campaign of global humiliation”. Nuala hears from Sophie Pedder from The Economist, in Paris, and BBC journalist Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty.Chloé Zhao is only the second woman and first woman of colour to win an Oscar for Best Director. She returns with one of the year’s most anticipated films, Hamnet. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, it reimagines the lives of Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare, exploring how the loss of their 11-year-old son Hamnet shaped their marriage and inspired Hamlet. Chloe co-wrote and directed the film and speaks to Anita.The city of Leicester has seen a wave of all-female punk rock bands in the past five years, so how is it reshaping the local music scene? Around 27 all-female bands have grown from a movement founded by Ruth Miller. Called the Unglamorous Music Project, it’s enabled women to learn instruments and form bands together. Ruth died from breast cancer in 2023, but her aim to get more older women into the music industry and onto the stage has materialised. Janet Berry and Alison Dunne are two of the women involved. We hear their music and talk to them about their inspiration.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Iran has been in the news, with protests building over the last 13 days. Commentators say that what started as a protest about the economy has now turned into a call for regime change, and for women's rights. There are reports that young women are fearlessly taking to the streets, flouting compulsory hijab rules and risking arrest. Anita Rani talks to the BBC's Global Women's reporter Feranak Amidi, an Iranian who lived there until she was 30, and has been following events closely. Chloé Zhao is only the second woman and first woman of colour to win an Oscar for Best Director. She returns with one of the year’s most anticipated films: Hamnet. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, it reimagines the lives of Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare, exploring how the loss of their 11-year-old son Hamnet shaped their marriage and inspired Hamlet. Chloe co-wrote and directed the film and speaks to Anita.Kirsty Brimelow KC has been appointed Chair of the Bar Council and is the first to lead an entirely female senior leadership team. A specialist in human rights, criminal and public law, she takes on the role of representing around 18,000 practicing barristers in England and Wales. Anita asks about her plans for the role.ITV’s compelling action-aviation drama Red Eye is back for a second series with the actor Lesley Sharp playing the cool-headed MI5 boss, Madeleine Delaney. In this new conspiracy, Madeleine is flying in a small plane from Washington DC when she receives a message that there’s a bomb on board which will be detonated if certain conditions aren’t met. Lesley speaks to Anita about that role, and her acting career to date, including the new film Pillion.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

A chemotherapy nurse is so concerned about the rates of breast cancer she has seen in women under 50 that she's started a parliamentary petition to get the age of mammograms reduced to 40 and for them to be annual. Currently women get their first screening between the ages of 50 and 53 and then get screened every 3 years. Anita Rani talks to nurse Gemma Reeves and to Dr Sacha Howell from the Christie Hospital in Manchester about how the breast screening programme could be improved.Two serial rapists were among 131 officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police who committed crimes or misconduct after they were not properly vetted, a review by the Met has found. David Carrick, one of the UK's worst sex offenders, and Cliff Mitchell, who carried out a "campaign of rape" on two victims, were among the police officers who weren't properly checked. Zoe Billingham, former HM Inspector of Constabulary, gives us her reaction.The city of Leicester has seen a wave of all-female punk rock bands in the past five years, so how is it reshaping the local music scene? Around 27 all-female bands have grown from a movement founded by Ruth Miller. Called the Unglamorous Music Project, it’s enabled women to learn instruments and form bands together. Ruth died from breast cancer in 2023, but her aim to get more older women into the music industry and onto the stage has materialised. Janet Berry and Alison Dunne are two of the women involved. We hear their music and talk to them about their inspiration.Researchers at the University of Birmingham are working with the Gordon Moody gambling harms charity to establish whether there is a link between hormonal fluctuations in women - caused by periods, ovulation, menopause and childbirth - and gambling addiction. Some women are reporting that the urge to gamble when they ovulate is very strong with one saying she was betting online for more than 24 hours until she ran out of money. The four-year study will try to establish why and determine what kind of support can help. Dr Rosalind Baker-Frampton tells us more. Writer Alice Bell is a video games journalist and Editor of the Guinness World Records gaming edition. Her new novel, The Grapples of Wrath is Alice’s latest instalment in her ‘cosy crime’ series. Called ‘Grave Expectations’, it features medium turned private investigator, Claire Hendricks. She embarks on her first official case, set in the world of pro-wrestling, with the help of her ghost best friend, Sophie. But can she work out what’s real and what’s fake? Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Melanie Abbott

The Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has demanded urgent action from Elon Musk’s platform X, after it was found that its AI chatbot Grok is being used to create non consensual sexualised images of women and girls. The BBC has seen multiple examples on X of people asking the bot to digitally undress people to make them appear in bikinis without their consent, as well as putting them in sexual situations. The BBC's technology reporter Laura Cress joins Nuala McGovern along with Dr Daisy Dixon, lecturer at Cardiff University, who's online photographs have been sexualised through AI. In our series Going it Alone we hear from three women about their experiences of having a child without a partner. These are women who are having donor conceived children, which is different to single mums who may have split up with the child’s father. Statistics show that more women than ever in the UK are choosing to become solo mums by choice. Emily had her son Kim in the 1990's, and both join reporter Jo Morris to talk about Emily's decision to go solo and how it's impacted both of their lives 30 years on. 2025 was a great year for women’s sport — from the Lionesses successfully defending their Euros title and the Red Roses winning the Rugby World Cup on home soil, to the Netball Super League’s incredible growth. But despite that record visibility, there has been a sharp and deeply concerning collapse in girls’ sporting aspirations. That's according to new research from the charity Women in Sport which shows that just 23% of girls aged 13–24 now dream of reaching the top spots in sport, down from 38% the year before. Nuala talks to Steph Hilborne, CEO of Women in Sport, and Ceylon Andi Hickman, Deputy CEO, Football Beyond Borders, an education and social inclusion charity that uses the power of football to change the lives of young people. For more than a century, children have been moved between homes because of legal decisions that decided their fate. Yet child custody is curiously absent from history books according to Lara Fiegel, Professor of Modern Literature and Culture at King’s College London. Her new book, Custody: The Secret History of Mothers, examines what she describes as an often-fraught, complex territory. Drawing on thousands of cases not only in the UK but also Europe and North America, Lara says she is offering a new interpretation of how it evolved. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor

Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court, but that is not the end of the lawsuits. Next up, it's the Macrons against the controversial right-wing podcaster Candace Owens in a US civil court. They've accused her of mounting “a campaign of global humiliation”. Nuala McGovern speaks to Sophie Pedder from The Economist, in Paris, and BBC journalist Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty.Dr Miriam Stoppard has been writing books for five decades now - maybe one has helped you through a relationship, or a pregnancy, or with your parenting or your grand parenting, many of you will have loved her column as an agony aunt. Today she wants to talk about our sex lives as we grow older. Her new book is Sex, Drugs and Walking Sticks. In our new series Going it Alone, we are hearing from three women about their experiences of having a child without a partner. These are women who are having donor-conceived children, which is different to single mums who may have split up with the child’s father. Statistics show that more women than ever in the UK are choosing to become solo mums by choice. Today we hear Jay's story.Lynley is a new TV adaptation of Elizabeth George’s much-loved Lynley detective series novels on BBC One. Central to this four-part series is the relationship between Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley, played by Leo Suter, who is the son of an Earl, and the working class, no-nonsense Detective Superintendent Barbara Havers, who’s been assigned to work with him. Barbara Havers is played by actor Sofia Barclay, who joins Nuala in the studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

In our new series Going it Alone we are hearing from three women about their experiences of having a child without a partner. These are women who are having donor conceived children, which is different to single mums who may have split up with the child’s father. Statistics show that more women than ever in the UK are choosing to become solo mums by choice. Today Lucy tells us her story. We also hear a discussion about the legal and practical implications of this with Nina Barnsley, Director of the Donor Conception Network and Clare Ettinghausen, a Director at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.Today Delcy Rodriguez will be sworn in as Venezuela's president after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, who has been in charge of the country since 2013. And she is not the only woman in the spotlight following this weekend's events. Cilia Flores, who is the wife of Maduro and a political force in her own right, was taken with her husband and is now set to appear in a New York court in the coming hours. Attention is also on Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel peace prize winner. The BBC's South America correspondent Ione Wells and Professor Rebecca Jarman from Leeds University, an expert in Venezuelan politics and history, discuss.There are over 100,000 children who have at least one parent serving in the British military. Louise Fetigan was a serving army officer when she had her first child in her early 20s. She had been posted to Germany, was looking after a newborn and her husband had been deployed to Iraq. She has set up the charity Little Troopers to provide specific support for the children of military families. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Since her big break in Muriel’s Wedding 30 years ago, actor Toni Collette has graced our screens in a huge list of standout roles from The Sixth Sense to Hereditary, Little Miss Sunshine to Mickey 17. She joined Kylie Pentelow to discuss her latest film, Goodbye June. The emotional directorial debut from Kate Winslet tackles themes of love, loss and Christmas as a fractious family come together to sit vigil for the family matriarch, played by Helen Mirren.From the very beginning of the NHS in 1948, Irish women were actively recruited to staff British hospitals. By the 1960s, there were around 30,000 Irish-born nurses - making up roughly one in eight of all nurses – yet their contribution has often gone unrecognised. A new book aims to change that. Based on dozens of interviews, it tells the story of Irish nurses in their own words. We hear from co-author of Irish Nurses in the NHS: An Oral History, Professor Louise Ryan, who spent years researching Irish migration and from Ethel Corduff, who came to England to train as a nurse, a career she spent 40 years in.Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-S as it's known, was once framed as a concern only for elite athletes. But as running culture intensifies alongside weight-loss jabs and healthy eating trends, RED-S has become more widespread. It's often hard to spot, but the long-term consequences can be devastating, impacting immune function, growth and fertility. Sports dietitian Renee McGregor and Jodie Pearlman, who experienced the condition first hand, joined Kylie to talk about the condition.Why can adults seem to regress to childhood or teenage behaviours at Christmas? We discuss family dynamics and the kinds of behaviour that can re-surface with everyone under the same roof again. Guardian columnist Elle Hunt shares her own experience alongside Woman's Hour listeners, and psychotherapist Julia Samuel offers advice.It's 75 years since The Archers first launched. Woman's Hour broadcast from Ambridge to celebrate the female characters who have helped this programme tackle some of the most challenging, contentious and sensitive issues affecting women. Nuala McGovern joined Felicity Finch, who plays Ruth Archer, for a behind-the-scenes tour, along with Technical Producer Vanessa Nuttall.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Annette Wells