Woman's Hour

Some women and trans men are reporting unusual symptoms after having their Covid vaccinations – ranging from menstrual irregularities to bleeding post menopause. We talk to the reproductive immunologist Dr Viki Male from Imperial College in London to find out what’s behind these symptoms and also consider the issue of vaccine hesitancy amongst young women, vaccination during pregnancy and the impact of Covid and the vaccine on breast feeding mums. Of the twelve judges on the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land – all are white and only two are women. So what needs to be done to increase diversity within the UK judicial system, and what obstacles remain in place today? Vicky Fox, the Chief Executive of the Supreme Court, and Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society discuss. Paris Lees is a journalist, anti-bullying campaigner, and a Contributing Editor at British Vogue. She was the first openly trans woman to present on BBC Radio 1, and also the first to appear on Question Time. She’s written a memoir called What it Feels like for a Girl, which covers the period aged 13 to 18 – a turbulent, heady time full of adventure and disaster. Nero was the 5th Emperor of Rome and one of its most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and eccentricity. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome and Boudica’s rebellion in Britain. He allegedly killed his mother and his two wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire. The writer and classicist Natalie Haynes has been to see a new exhibition of Nero at the British Museum in London and tells us how the women in his life shaped his reign.We asked listeners to tell us about the groups of friends they were desperate to meet up with when Covid regulations allowed. Chris from Cardiff wanted to celebrate the women she's known for more than 50 years as they planned a big night out together and our reporter Jo Morris eavesdropped on the banter and the memories.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

Karen Hadaway was one of two little girls murdered in the Babes in the Wood case. Her mother, Michelle, tells us about giving her daughetr's clothes to Martin Bashir in 1991 to get DNA tested. She still hasn't got them back. He says he can't remember the exchange. Michelle describes her feelings in light of the Dyson investigation. Should the mass destruction of nature, also known as ecocide, be a crime? At the moment there are four crimes covered by the International Criminal Court - genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Now campaigners are pushing to have ecocide added to the list. We're joined by Jojo Mehta, the co-founder of Stop Ecocide International and barrister Philippe Sand. Seven years ago “Eva Carter” saved her partner's life. She tells Emma how the experience of that night and her feelings at the time and afterwards fed into her novel How To Save A Life.In recent days there has been a huge outpouring on social media of women sharing their experiences of sexism working in the craft beer industry. An online conference will be held next month to discuss he problem. Emma is joined by Charlotte Cook, head brewer at Coalition Brewing and Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of The Little Book of Craft Beer.Note: This podcast has been edited from the original programme. In this programme reference was made to a journalist called Eileen Fairweather, who Michelle Hadaway says witnessed the handing over of her daughter’s clothes to Martin Bashir. Eileen worked with him for several months in 1991, researching a possible BBC documentary. Eileen Fairweather has confirmed to us that her contract ended immediately after that meeting and she never saw Bashir again. She repeatedly tried to find out from Martin Bashir and his team what happened to the clothes and has previously tried to alert the BBC to this issue. She has raised this issue in several newspaper articles and supports Michelle’s fight for the truth about what Bashir did with this evidence. Eileen Fairweather is an award-winning freelance journalist who has specialised for decades in exposing child abuse and institutional cover-ups, including the mass abuse in Islington's children's homes. Her ground breaking work has won the Catherine Pakenham Award for women journalists and two British Press Awards.

Gemma Arterton’s latest acting role is in a play called Walden. It's on in London’s West End and it's the story of estranged twin sisters: one's a botanist for Nasa and the other's a former architect for Nasa. They meet up in a remote cabin in the woods sometime in the future, when the earth’s situation is looking bleak.We take a look at some of claims made yesterday by Dominic Cummings about care homes with Gisella Casciello Rogers whose 85 year old father died in one last year. And we also have Helen Wildbore from The Relatives and Residents Association. Prof Catherine Heymans, astrophysicist and world-leading expert in the so-called dark universe, is now the Astronomer Royal of Scotland. She's the first woman to hold this prestigious role, but the problem is she's still not entirely convinced she should have the job. She suffers from impostor syndrome, but we know she shouldn't! She talks to Emma about challenging the status quo and dealing with aggressive criticism.And we have Annie Macmanus (formerly known as Annie Mac, the DJ) and Esther Freud talking about their new novels which have common themes: motherhood and the risk of losing yourself.

A former senior Army officer is calling for the military to have a “#MeToo moment” and is claiming that hundreds of female troops have been raped and sexually abused by colleagues. Lt Col Diane Allen, who served for 37 years, says the Armed Forces are being run by “a toxic group of privately-educated white senior officers” We talk to Diane Allen and also hear from the Defence Minister Baroness Goldie. Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s former chief advisor, will today face questions from senior MPs over the government’s response to the pandemic. Cummings is a controversial figure in Westminster, and since leaving his position as Boris Johnson’s top aide, he has not gone quietly, making a series of damning claims against the Prime Minister and government. But would the media and political coverage have been the same had he been a woman? Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, joins us to discuss. Art historian Catherine McCormack has just published an impassioned book, Women in the Picture: Women Art and the Power of Looking. She argues that women's identity has long been stifled by dodgy narratives and a limited set of archetypes. For art history to remain relevant, she says, we need to look again and reconsider many of the classics displayed in art galleries.What generation do you define as? The term 'geriatric millennial' went viral last week, after writer Erica Dhwan used it to describe the micro-generation born between 1980 and 1985. Erica believes they make particularly good employees due to their experience of life before the digital world. Rosa Silverman, a senior features writer at the Telegraph, says she is proud to self-define as one of the around 5 million UK geriatric millennials in the UK.

On Woman's Hour today Emma Barnett talks to the best selling author Holly Smale about being diagnosed with autism at age 39. The author of the "Geek Girl" series has said she feels relief that she now has an explanation for why she’s felt she’s never “ fitted in”.We speak to the journalist Rosamund Urwin about her scoop on the Martin Bashir story and also to the Digital Minister Caroline Dinenage MP about what’s in the new Online Safety Bill.In a few weeks, a French woman will stand trial for killing her husband, but she's got the support of thousands of people in France who've signed a petition and want her pardoned. Valerie Bacot was with her older husband for decades. Valerie's now 40, but she knew her husband since she was 12. From then on he molested her, beat her, raped her and used her as a prostitute. We talk to Ursula Le Menn is from Osez le feminisme! a French feminist campaigning organisation and she knows family and friends of Valerie and also to Anne-Elisabeth Moutet a journalist based in Paris.A new UK study suggests having Coronavirus around the time of birth may increase the chance of stillbirths and premature births. Scientists say while most pregnancies are not affected their findings should encourage pregnant women to have jabs as soon as they are eligible. We hear from Professor Asma Khalil who was the co-author of the research paper and also Dr Mary Ross Davie the Director of Professional Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineers: Bob Nettles, Duncan Hannant.

A TV comedy series featuring funny and bold Muslim women – ‘We Are Lady Parts’ is a new six part comedy series for Channel 4. It follows the highs and lows of the female punk band Lady Parts. Anita speaks to Anjana Vasan and series writer Nida Manzoor.The Government has announced a range of measures to protect the environment, from banning peat in garden centres to increasing the rate of tree planting and reversing the loss of species diversity. A 10p charge on single-use plastic bags came into force in England on Friday. But what difference will these policies - and others made in the run-up to COP26 - make to the crisis facing nature and the climate? Emma speaks to Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.Listener Clementine Baig was diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency last year, and got in touch to share her experiences with infertility. She's joined by the Podcaster Noni Martins, whose husband was diagnosed with Male Factor Infertility in 2019, to explore how an infertility diagnosis can impact families, relationships and self-image.Since a supercomplaint was made last year about domestic abuse by police officers, dozens more women have come forward to say they are affected. The centre for women's justice is still waiting for an outcome to its complaint. But wants the way these cases are dealt with to be drastically changed. We talk to a woman who suffered abuse from her police officer husband. The terms polyamorous and consensually non-monogamous are increasingly normalised when it comes to relationships and dating. For some people, monogamy just doesn’t work for them. We hear from three people who all describe themselves as non-monogamous.Twenty year old Griff is the recipient of this year’s prestigious BRITs Rising Star Award, following past winners such as Celeste, Sam Smith and Adele. Griff has also been nominated for an Ivor Novello award and ended 2020 by singing the sound-track for Disney's Christmas advert. She performs a special version of her song Black Hole for Woman’s Hour.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

New research shows that girls face unique and escalating risks as they turn 18. The transition from girlhood to adulthood could be an opportunity to get things right, but with little to no specialist support for young women as a group, it becomes a missed opportunity to prevent young women’s needs becoming more complex and entrenched. Anita is joined by Prisons and Probation Minister, Alex Chalk, Jessica Southgate, CEO of Agenda and by 21 year old, Dani, who, despite a chaotic childhood and being left with no support from 16, turned her life around.A new anthology has just been published called Women on Nature. It includes women from the 14th century to the present day, fiction writers, poets, biographers, gardeners, farmers, theologians, artists and many more. Anita talks to the editor, writer Katharine Norbury, about her selection and why she thinks her anthology provides a fresh vision of the natural world and an alternative to conventional nature writing.A TV comedy series featuring funny and bold Muslim women – a rarity you might say on our screens. Well ‘We Are Lady Parts’ is that rarity: a new six part comedy series for Channel 4 which began last night. It follows the highs and lows of the female punk band Lady Parts. We speak to Anjana Vasan and series writer Nida Manzoor.On Woman's Hour, we are always keen to hear your stories. One listener, Clementine Baig was diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency last year, and got in touch to share her experiences with infertility. She's joined by the Podcaster Noni Martins, whose husband was diagnosed with Male Factor Infertility in 2019, to explore how an infertility diagnosis can impact families, relationships and self-image.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Frankie Tobi

Since the beginning of the pandemic, shed sellers have seen a surge in demand - especially those that can be used as home offices. And existing summerhouses and garages have been commandeered, particularly by women, as a growing number expect to be working from home. Instagram is awash with images of so-called "She Sheds". Emma discusses the attraction with Joanne Harris who writes from her shed and Gill Heriz, author of A Woman's Shed.What does it say about society when protestors threaten to rape their enemies’ mothers and daughters? This is what happened in North London at the weekend when protestors waving Palestinian flags passed through a Jewish community in Finchley. Four men have now been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. We look at the wider issue of how rape is threatened as a common insult, used for revenge in gangs and in the wider context of war. Emma talks to the writer and feminist activist Julie Bindel and to the historian Sir Antony Beevor.This week the government has announced a range of measures to protect the environment, from banning peat in garden centres to increasing the rate of tree planting and reversing the loss of species diversity. A 10p charge on single-use plastic bags will also come into force on Friday. But what difference will these policies - and others made in the run-up to COP26 - make to the crisis facing nature and the climate? Emma Barnett speaks to Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.Five years after China scrapped its one-child policy in favour of allowing families to have two children, the country's population growth has slumped to the lowest levels seen since the early 1960s. What's behind China's falling birth rate? We hear from Dr Ye Liu, a senior lecturer in international development at Kings College London.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise CorleyImage by Nicolette Hallett © CICO Books, taken from A Woman's Shed by Gill Heriz

Since the first publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, the books have never been out of print and remain one of the most influential texts in the world. The Victoria and Albert Museum are opening their show Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser this Saturday, which explores why Alice is the ultimate female icon for our times, and how she continues to be such an enduring inspiration. The curator, Kate Bailey and artist and designer Kristjana Williams join Emma to discuss her appeal. In the past, open-relationships might have conjured up the vision of keys in a bowl at the end of the night. But today, the terms polyamorous and consensually non-monogamous are increasingly normalised when it comes to relationships and dating. They describe people who are involved in, or are looking for relationships with more than one partner, with the understanding that one person cannot always be expected to meet all of your needs. And for some people, monogamy just doesn’t work for them. We hear from three people who all describe themselves as non-monogamous, about whether as a society we are accepting of open-relationships. Since a supercomplaint was made last year about domestic abuse by police officers, dozens more women have come forward to say they are affected. The centre for women's justice is still waiting for an outcome to its complaint. But wants the way these cases are dealt with to be drastically changed. We talk to a woman who suffered abuse from her police officer husband. And to Nogah Ofer, the solicitor, woman who is leading the complaint.

Despite a long and courageous history of female spies, the UK's secret intelligence agencies - MI5, MI6 and GCHQ - are still overwhelmingly dominated by men. The head of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, has committed his agency to up its efforts to 'attract talented women' as part of a wider focus on increasing diversity and inclusion. But will more women in the intelligence services make us safer? Not necessarily, says Sally Walker, who was until recently one of the most senior women at GCHQ and the creator of the UK's National Cyber Force. She talks to Emma about her take on diversifying the world of spies, and what's really needed to keep us safe from the constant, often invisible threats to the UK's national security. This week we're allowed to do more and more, as lockdown eases further. Hug with caution, have a meal inside a restaurant, a drink inside a pub and go to the theatre. One theatre that pulled up the curtain last night is the Bush Theatre in London with a play called Harm. It's a monologue, and the actress who carries it is Kelly Gough. She joins Emma to explain how it felt after such a long imposed break from treading the boards.A 29 year old Scottish law student says she’s being investigated by her University because of comments she’s made about men and women. In her University lectures - done online - she's said women are weaker than men, and women are women because they have reproductive organs. Lisa Keogh is in her final few days at Abertay University in Dundee where she's been studying law for four years. She speaks to Emma.The number of children in care in England is at its highest since 1985 and it's rising. A mother's addiction to drugs and alcohol is often one of the issues and domestic violence is a factor in many cases. The reporter and DJ Milly Chowles became a mum at 40 last year, she’s in recovery from addiction and feels she was given lots of chances to change. Her fear is that women now aren’t getting those opportunities and the impact on them, their children and society is devastating. Today, the story of a woman who has come full circle - there are references to suicide.Back in March 2020, during the first lockdown, abortion regulations were relaxed in England, Scotland and Wales to allow telemedical early medical abortion care, before ten weeks’ gestation. This has meant that women have been able to continue to access abortion care during the pandemic by having medication posted to them following a telephone consultation with a qualified nurse or midwife. And more than 100,000 women have done so. Before this women had to go to a clinic for a face-to-face consultation before an early abortion. Charities and medical bodies working across sexual and reproductive health have now signed an open letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, calling for these temporary measures to be made permanent in England. Lesley Regan, Past President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and signatory to the letter, joins Emma to discuss.

Replacing traditional male only or female only toilets with gender neutral facilities has increased in recent years. Theatres were some of the first venues to hit the headlines. Many businesses and companies followed suit, partly as a way of making toilets easier to use for people identifying a gender different to the one assigned at birth, but also in an attempt to reduce the long queues outside women’s loos. But now Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick is to rewrite planning regulations forcing public buildings to have separate male and female toilets. Is this change a step forward or back? Emma discusses the issues with Sarah Ditum, critic and columnist and the author Caroline Criado Perez.Described as “A fierce and distinctive talent” 20 year old Griff was recently announced as the recipient of the prestigious BRITs Rising Star Award, following past winners such as Celeste, Sam Smith and Adele. Griff has also been nominated for an Ivor Novello award and ended 2020 by singing the sound-track for Disney's Christmas advert. She performs a special version of her song Black Hole for Woman’s Hour. She tells Emma about her 'bedroom pop', new mixtape One Foot in Front of the Other, and how she literally learned to walk a tight rope.The Windrush scandal first came to light in April 2018. Despite living and working in the UK for decades, many were told they were there illegally because of a lack of official paperwork. A year later the Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched. Last week it announced that it has now paid out more than £14 million in compensation and has offered a further £12 million. Jacqueline McKenzie is a lawyer representing 200 victims. She says the big scandal is that so few people who are eligible for compensation are actually coming forward.Ece Temelkuran is an award-winning Turkish novelist and political commentator. Her last book, How to Lose a Country: the 7 steps from Democracy to Dictatorship, describes the rise of populism and authoritarianism in Turkey and other countries with a refrain to western countries not to be complacent about their own democracies. Now she has a new book out, Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now. Ece joins Emma to talk about why she thinks our current systems are in crisis but why she still has faith that humans are capable of reinventing themselves & the world around them.“Typo-squatting” is when a website address is deliberately misspelled, in order to mimic another URL. It’s often used in cyber-fraud and for counterfeit goods. Kim McCabe, who runs a not for profit website offering safety advice to young girls, got in touch. She’s found multiple websites with almost identical domain names to hers, all containing pornography. The government’s upcoming Online Safety Bill is set to introduce new legislation to tackle harmful content online, but there is currently nothing to stop harmful typo-squatting. Why is it easier to stop a website selling fake designer bags, than deliberately leading children to pornographic material? Emma talks to Kim and hears more on the issues from Dr Victoria Baines, a cybercrime and online safety researcher.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

Egyptian-American writer and activist Mona Eltahawy believes women should start actively defying and disrupting the patriarchy now - with force if necessary. Mona explains why she wrote her new book ‘The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls’ with enough 'rage to fuel a rocket.'Tech entrepreneur, Tabitha Goldstaub who chairs the UK's AI Council and Carly Kind, director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, discuss concerns that because Artificial Intelligence algorithms are created from the data we give it, biases in society will be replicated and even amplified by it in the future. TV presenter Jan Leeming and dating expert Charly Lester share tips and advice on how to go about dating in your late 60’s. Scarlett Moffatt, famous for Gogglebox and winning I'm A Celebrity, has just become an ambassador for the Samaritans. She talks about how reality television has affected her mental health, and exchanges experiences with Montana Brown who appeared on Love Island. The last time the European Space Agency recruited for their Class of 2009, only 16% of applications came from women. One of the women chosen, Samantha Cristoforetti, talks about the ESA's latest recruitment drive and what skills are needed to make it in space.Iranian artist Mentrix talks about her new single and video '99 Names of God', a well-known Muslim chant, traditionally sung by men during Ramadan. Mentrix explains the ideas behind the accompanying video which has generated a lot of criticism, with some people describing it as offensive, disrespectful and sinful.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Kirsty Starkey

Last year the avant-garde Iranian artist Mentrix released the critically acclaimed album My Enemy, My Love. The tracks Walk and Nature had accompanying cinematic videos, that explored themes of womanhood, solidarity and spirituality, against the backdrop of the horizons of the Iranian desert. Mentrix has now released the single and video 99 Names of God - a well-known Muslim chant, traditionally sung by men during Ramadan, giving it a poetic and feminine context and challenging traditions that forbid women to unveil, dance and sing. The accompanying video is visually striking, but has generated a lot of criticism, with some people describing it as offensive, disrespectful and sinful. Mentrix joins Anita to explain the ideas behind it.This week the domestic abuse charity, Refuge launched a Tech Safety site to help women recognise signs of tech abuse. They say smartphones, tablets, laptops and other electronic devices provide abusers with a means to monitor, contact and stalk vulnerable women and girls, meaning even innocuous devices including games consoles and children’s connected toys can be control and isolate victims. Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge explains how. Aisha Gill, Professor of Criminology at Roehampton University, expert on violence against women & children in Black and minoritised communities joins her.A listener emailed us, wanting to know how she should go about dating in her late 60’s. So we discuss advice and tips for entering the dating world in older age, and post-lockdown, with dating expert Charly Lester and TV presenter Jan Leeming. Sam Roddick’s mother Anita founded the Body Shop chain in the 1970's, and her father Gordon joined what soon became a multi-million pound business. But the Roddicks famously gave away most of the money they made to causes they believed in, and they raised awareness too - in particular in the 1990’s highlighting the indigenous peoples of Brazil, whose land and way of life was under threat and who were fighting back. Anita Roddick died in 2007, and three years ago, having had her own successful career in business, Sam decided to take on her parents' legacy. She is now reviving their work with indigenous peoples, and in a new project called Choose Earth is focusing funds on female community leaders in the Amazon and elsewhere in Brazil.

There's to be an inquiry into the Covid pandemic. It will start in Spring next year. We speak to one of the women who's been pushing for it, but still thinking it's starting too late. Her name is Jean Adamson from the Covid-19 Bereaved families For Justice. Scarlett Moffatt, famous for Gogglebox and winning I'm A Celebrity ... has just become an ambassador for The Samaritans. She talks to Woman's Hour about how reality television has affected her mental health, and exchanges experiences with Montana Brown who appeared on Love Island. One of the things they talk about is whether reality TV does enough to support young women who choose to go on these shows.Patricia Devlin is a crime journalist in Northern Ireland. She specialises in investigating paramilitary criminal activity. Because of her work, Patricia has suffered continuous threats to her life but now her baby son has been targeted for the second time. She tells us how she's coping and how she wants the PSNI to take these threats more seriously. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. AI is playing a part in how we all work, live and play. But there are worries that because AI algorithms are created from the data we give it, biases in society will be replicated and even amplified by it in the future. Both the The European Union and the UK government are working on strategies to address this. Emma talks to the tech entrepreneur Tabitha Goldstaub who Chairs the UK's AI Council and to Carly Kind the Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute.

A total of 65 women have been into space - compared with 501 men. The last time the European Space Agency recruited for their Class of 2009, only 16% of applications came from women. That process led to Just one - Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy - being chosen. In a break from training for a 2022 mission to the International Space Station, Samantha joins Emma to discuss why so few women apply to be astronauts, the skills needed to make it in space, and how women can put themselves forward for ESA's latest recruitment drive.Jackie Weaver of local council zoom meeting fame talks about her night at the BRITS.Our series Second Chances continues. This time we hear how a mother's addiction and domestic violence are often factors in a child's removal. The reporter and DJ Milly Chowles became a mum last year, she’s in long term recovery from addiction and had lots of chances to change. Having a baby after getting into recovery made her realise that other mothers aren't getting the help they need or that they just aren't able to take it when it's offered. And after Taylor Swift talked about the challenges of being a woman in the public eye at the BRITS last night, we ask if women really can be anything they want? Can they change their image and wear and do what they want? We talk to Emily Clarkson and Dr. Jacki Willson.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineers: Nigel Dix & Donald MacDonald.

'We need to dismantle the patriarchy' is a familiar feminist rallying cry. But Egyptian-American writer and activist Mona Eltahawy believes we should stop just saying it, and start actively defying and disrupting the patriarchy now - with force if necessary. Mona's latest book is The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls. She joins Emma to explain why she wrote it with enough 'rage to fuel a rocket.'In a recent article, writer and travel editor at the Independent, Cathy Adams said she wished the phrase 'I sometimes resent my baby' went down better at the pub. She describes imagining an alternate life without her son at the centre, and how thirteen months after her son's birth she's still struggling to articulate her feelings because of the lack of language surrounding maternal ambivalence. Cathy joins Emma - along with Amy Brown, a Professor of Child Public Health - to discuss these conflicting emotions and why we find it so hard to openly talk about the challenges of being a parent.In Thursday’s Elections in Wales Natasha Asghar made history by becoming the first woman from a Black or Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) background to be elected to the Welsh Senedd. She’ll represent South Wales East for the Tories – a seat held by her dad until his death last year. However the overall number of women elected was down on the last Election. Emma talks to Natasha about what the victory means to her and how she feels about following in her father’s footsteps. Plus Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society Wales tells us why more needs to be done to make sure that we see more women coming through.

How domestic workers in the Middle East are using the video sharing app TikTok to raise awareness of abuse. Louise Donovan from the Fuller Project tells us how she found these women and why they are turning to TikTok.Dodie has just released her debut album Build A Problem. At just 26 she has already made a name for herself as a singer and a writer amassing millions of fans through her Youtube Channel with her intimate singing style and honest unflinching videos. She joins Emma to play a song from her new album. Yolk & Aliens is a film project created and developed by four women including actor, Jane Horrocks and her daughter, musician, Molly Vivian. Set within what they call a 'personal memory shop' in central Brighton’s Dukes Lane, as part of this year’s Brighton Festival, it is a highly personal insight into families, love and memories. Several years in the making, the films explore multi-generational relationships between mother and daughter, Jane and Molly and between Jane and her mother, Barbara.

Tracey Emin was one of the leading figures of the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s. She has recently undergone radical surgery to treat bladder cancer. For her latest exhibition - The Loneliness of the Soul – she has selected masterpieces by Edvard Munch to show alongside her most recent paintings. Mental health blogger and author of ‘F**K I Think I'm Dying: How I learned to live with panic’, Claire Eastham explains how she manages her panic attacks. She is joined by psychotherapist Dawn Estefan to discuss why we have panic attacks, how they feel and how best to cope with them.Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or if you're completely new to cycling, there's no doubt it's intimidating on the roads. Cycling expert, Aneela McKenna shares tips for how women can feel more confident while riding their bikes on the road.Rosie Ayliffe’s daughter, Mia Ayliffe Chung was killed in 2016 at a remote farmworkers’ hostel while backpacking in Australia. Since Mia's death Rosie has been campaigning to improve conditions for young casual workers, helping to change the law in three of the six states of Australia. What's behind the decline in male fertility? The global population currently stands at 7.9 billion, and is projected to peak at 9.7 billion in just over 40 years' time. Those huge numbers are often blamed on women having too many children. In reality, fertility has been in long-term decline for decades. Dr Shanna Swan, Professor of Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York thinks we should be paying much more attention to the chemicals in our environment that come from everyday products as her research is showing consistent effects on sperm counts, sperm quality and overall male fertility.Susan Rogers talks about what it was like working with Prince as his sound engineer on albums including ‘Purple Rain, ‘Around the World in a Day and ‘Sign o’ the Times’. After two decades in the music industry she left and went on to earn a doctorate in psychology. She’s now a professor of music at Berkeley College in Boston, and is being awarded the Music Producers Guild’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’– the first woman to ever win the award.Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or if you're completely new to cycling, there's no doubt it's intimidating on the roads. Cycling expert Aneela McKenna shares tips for how women can feel more confident when riding their bikes.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Sarah Crawley

India remains in the grip of a Covid crisis with record numbers of cases being reported every day. Oxygen and vaccines are running out and hospitals are overwhelmed. Save The Children has warned it could be facing thousands of additional deaths among children under five and an increase in maternal deaths, as hospitals and clinics are directing most of its staff and medicines to coping with Covid-19 patients. We hear from Dr Rajesh Khanna about the work he is doing to help women and children access vital healthcare. And here in the UK thousands of people continue to worry about the safety and well-being of their loved ones in India. Surya Elango a community reporter at BBC Radio Sheffield joins Anita to share those broader concerns and also the story of her own mother who has been in India since December looking after her elderly parent.Susan Rogers tells us what it was like working with the 80s pop artist Prince as his sound engineer on albums including ‘Purple Rain, ‘Around the World in a Day and ‘Sign o’ the Times’. After two decades in the music industry Susan Rogers left and went on to earn a doctorate in psychology. She’s now a professor of music at Berklee College in Boston, and is being awarded the Music Producers Guild’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’– the first woman to ever win the award.‘Careless’ is the debut novel by Kirsty Capes and tells the story of Bess a girl in foster care and looks at the treatment of girls in the care system. Kirsty Capes was herself a care leaver and tells us about her PHD which examines the representation of care experienced children in contemporary fiction. She explains why she would like to see better portrayal in the media of people growing up in care and what it was like working under the supervision of Booker prize winning author Bernadine Evaristo. And the mental health blogger and author of ‘We're All Mad Here’, Claire Eastham has now written a new book, ‘F**K I Think I'm Dying: How I learned to live with panic’. She explains how she manages her own panic attacks which she’s had for nearly a decade. She joins Anita with psychotherapist Dawn Estefan to discuss panic attacks, why we have them, how they feel and how best to cope with them.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

In 2016 Mia Ayliffe Chung was killed at a remote farmworkers’ hostel while backpacking in Australia. What she didn’t realise at the time and what her mum Rosie Ayliffe later discovered was backpackers like Mia were exposed to widespread exploitation including sexual harassment, inadequate health and safety and substandard living conditions. Since Mia's death Rosie has been campaigning to improve conditions for young casual workers, helping to change the law in three of the six states of Australia. She has written a book about Mia called Far From Home. Anya Hindmarch is an entrepreneur, a global business woman, mother of five and a stepmother. Now she's turned 50 she's turned her hand to writing - putting together A Manual for Life with the very tongue in cheek title "If In Doubt Wash Your Hair".In the UK now more than a third (34.3%) of FTSE 350 board positions are now held by women. But what do boards do? And how can you get on one? To discuss these questions Emma is joined by Dambisa Moyo, renowned economist, named as one of Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People in the World and author of a new book How Boards Work; and Fiona Hathorn, CEO of Women on Boards UK.As of Tuesday this week residents leaving their care home to go for a walk or to visit a loved one’s garden no longer have to isolate for two weeks on their return. But actor Ruthie Henshall is concerned about the potential ‘grey area’ around this relaxation of the rules which could continue to limit some families’ access. Ruthie, along with the group Rights for Residents, has delivered a petition with 300,000 signatures to the House of Commons. She explains her concerns and what she would like the government to do.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

Tracey Emin was one of the leading figures of the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s. Hers is a uniquely provocative, confessional style which confronts issues such as trauma of abortion, rape, alcoholism and sexual history. Her famous artworks include: Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 and she came to greater prominence in 1999 with a Turner Prize nomination for her famous piece My Bed. One of her most powerful works is a hand-crafted quilt called Psycho Slut, with texts that recall her childhood abuse and personal trauma. She has recently undergone radical surgery for bladder cancer. Tracey joins Emma to discuss her latest exhibition - The Loneliness of the Soul – for which she has selected masterpieces by Edvard Munch to show alongside her most recent paintings.Last weekend the first nightclub event in the UK for over a year took place in Liverpool - with no social distancing or face coverings required. This was part of a trial to provide key scientific data on how clubbing events could safely reopen as part of the government's roadmap, which aims for all restrictions lifted by June 21. But could this be a fresh start and a chance to re-imagine how nightlife could be reopened in a way that makes women feel safer? Although clubs can be places where women have a lot of fun and let their hair down, we also know they can be intimidating spaces. Bryony Beynon is the Managing Director of the Good Night Out Campaign, Alice Fuller is the manager and co-ordinator of Corsica studios at Elephant and Castle in London and Jess Flaherty is a reporter for the Liverpool Echo who actually went clubbing last weekend. How can you better communicate with your child, whatever their age, to help ensure they have good future mental health? The broadcaster and author of 'There’s no such thing as Naughty’ Kate Silverton, and Dr Sheila Redfern from the Anna Freud Centre discuss.

Fertility rates around the world are declining. It's partly through choice, as couples decide to have smaller families. But it's also the case that sperm levels among men in Western countries have halved in the past 40 years. . So what's going on? Shanna Swan, a Professor of Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York thinks we should be paying much more attention to the chemicals in our environment that come from everyday products - as her research is showing consistent effects on sperm counts, sperm quality and overall male fertility. She joins Emma to talk the chemicals we should be aware of, the effect they're having, and what we can do about it. World leaders have been warned that unless they act with extreme urgency, the pandemic will overwhelm health services in many nations in South America, Asia, and Africa over the next few weeks. It's argued that failure to achieve so-called global 'vaccine equity' will hit women hardest, because they dominate the informal sectors that have been worst affected by the pandemic and it's women who do most of the increased unpaid care in the home that Covid brings. There are also real concerns that if girls globally continue to miss out on education, gender equality goals could be set back years. Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is leading a campaign to persuade the world's richest nations to commit to funding global Covid vaccination, testing and treatments. He joins Emma.From today, mothers' names and occupations will finally be featured alongside fathers' details on marriage certificates in England and Wales, thanks to years of campaigning both inside and outside of parliament. But let's not forget the woman who made it happen. Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler started the campaign for change back in 2013. Caroline Norton was a woman at the centre of one of the most highly publicised court cases in 19th century Britain. Her determination to fight for custody of her children and the rights to her own income and property had far-reaching ramifications, with the first ever pieces of feminist legislation arising as a direct result of her campaigning, the Infant Custody Act of 1839. She has been celebrated with a heritage blue plaque being placed on her London home. Lady Antonia Fraser unveiled the plaque, and has written a biography of Caroline Norton called ‘The Case of the Married Woman.’

Have you always wanted to get on a bike, but something is holding you back? This is the programme for you, presented by Melanie Abbott. If you're completely new to cycling, there's no doubt it's intimidating on the roads. It's definitely worth sharpening up your road sense and many local councils now offer bike training courses. In East London, Bikeworks run cycling for wellbeing sessions for women returning to their bikes, after a long break. Melanie goes out with a group who've been cycling together now for a few weeks.Cycling is still, predominantly a male, middle class sport. Getting more women involved isn't easy, especially for women of colour. British Cycling, which covers everything from elite sport to grass roots, has set up its first ever diversity programme. and will be publishing its strategy in the coming months. Aneela McKenna is co chair of their diversity and inclusion advisory group. She joins Melanie along with Iffat Tejani, founder of Evolve, a cycling club for Muslim women and Victoria Hazael from the charity Cycling UK, who is a trustee of the Women of Colour in Cycling Collective.Many disabled women find accessing sport particularly difficult and cycling can seem completely off limits and/or too expensive. But there are inclusive cycle groups all over the country offering weekly sessions on a huge range of adapted bikes. Others arrange rentals and ‘try before you buy’. Our Disability Affairs reporter Carolyn Atkinson goes to Herne Hill Velodrome in South London where a charity called Wheels for Wellbeing runs sessions for disabled cyclists.Tracy Moseley has won countless mountain biking trophies, including the World Cup downhill in 2006. She officially retired six years ago, and had her little boy Toby three years ago. Like many keen cyclists who have children, life has changed a lot since then. Melanie gets her tips on teaching children to ride, and her views on racing with e-bikes.Even if you are not entering races you may still be keen to "Strava your ride". It's one of the apps you can use to record your speeds and compare them with others. It's traditionally used by men, competing for the 'king of the mountain' crown, to be the fastest up a hill. But last year the company says there was a surge in the number of women using it and it seems they are just as keen to get a queen of the mountain accolade. Cyclist Sally Owens agreed to record her ride for us, up a tough hill near her home in Nottingham.

Today if you are a woman you are likely to live into your eighties. But what to do with those extra couple of decades? Dawn French is best known for her comedy and acting and is now an author long listed for the Women’s Prize. She talks about reinvention and still being relevant at any age.Kate Wilson talks about her court case against the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs Council. She's taking the legal action because she fell in love with a man who wasn't who he said he was. He was an undercover policeman whose job was to infiltrate environmental protest groups. Women's Football is seeing a huge growth in interest and exposure but there's some concern that the commentary of women's matches is too soft on mistakes and ends up sounding patronising. Ben Bloom, Telegraph sports columnist and commentator and Jacqui Oatley commentator and founding member of Women in Football discuss whether commentary should become more critical as the success of the game develops.Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe has been sentenced to another year in an Iranian prison and has been banned from travelling abroad. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe talks about how Nazanin felt after hearing about the sentence and what it means for their family.Betty Webb MBE is 98 years old. During WW2 she worked at Bletchely Park and briefly at the Pentagon. She talks about promoting and remembering her war time experiences.How does the order in which we are born into our families affect us and our whole lives? The writer Lynn Berger discusses why people choose to have a second child and what does it mean to be one.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

Anita Rani talks to Boss Morris the all-female Morris dancing team based in Gloucester who'll be marking May Day by leading a livestreamed dance. We hear from Bletchley Park veteran Betty Webb and discuss the issue of female football commentary and whether it needs to should become more critical as the success of the game develops. Around 15 British families remain detained in North East Syria. A new report released today by the NGO Reprieve suggests that the majority of British women there are victims of trafficking, based on evidence that these women were all subjected to sexual and other forms of exploitation, and were either transported to Syria as children; coerced into travelling to Syria; or kept and moved within Syria against their will. Andrew Mitchell MP and Maya Foa from Reprieve discuss the report.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineers: John Boland and Bob Nettles.

Arlene Foster, First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the DUP, has stood down. She was the first woman and the youngest person to hold both jobs. In her resignation announcement she said that her election as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party broke a glass ceiling, and she also spoke about the trolling she's received. We discuss what her legacy will be. Kate Wilson has been giving evidence at The Royal Courts of Justice because she's suing The Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs Council. She's taking legal action because she fell in love with a man who wasn't who he said he was. He was an undercover policeman who called himself Mark Stone. He was really Mark Kennedy whose job was to infiltrate environmental protest groups. Kate will have to wait until later in the year to get a result but she explains why she's taken the action.We talk to Kelly Critcher, who's a palliative care nurse. She works at the first hospital in the UK to declare a critical incident of Covid 19. She's written a book called A Matter of Life and Death: courage, compassion and the fight against the corona virus on the front-line.And do you share the bath water? TV property developer, Sarah Beeny, does. She gets in the bath after her husband and four sons. Sarah tells us why.

Emma Barnett talks to Dawn French about her fourth novel "Because of You" which has been longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and we'll find out later today if it's made the shortlist. She'll also be talking about the post-menopausal years when women often say they feel invisible, afraid of change, unemployable or just plain 'past it'. If you're an Archers listener you'll be familiar with Alice's story of having a baby as an alcoholic and the stigma and struggle she faces. Our reporter Milly Chowles had a baby last year. She’s in long -term recovery from addiction and feels she was given lots of chances to change. Her fear is that women now aren’t getting those opportunities and the impact on them, their children and society is devastating. In 2011 there were 65,520 children in care in England and at the end of March 2020 that figure was more than 80,000. Addiction is often a factor. Today, we hear a Dad's story. It's nearly 30 years since the start of the Bosnia-Hercevgovina war, a conflict that saw the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II. About 100,000 were killed and over 2 million were displaced between 1992 and 1995.Watching the coverage on the news, thousands of miles away in Fochabars in North East Scotland was Clare Findlay and her husband Andrew who ended up taking in 21 Bosnian children and four mothers into their home. Her story features in a new series ‘Saved by A Stranger which tells the story of people caught up in some of the biggest events in history. And Caroline Slocock the Director of Civil Exchange and the first woman Private Secretary at No 10 serving Margaret Thatcher talks about the current "curtaingate" row at Westminster.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Donald MacDonald.

We now know that Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe has been sentenced to another year in an Iranian prison, plus she's banned from travelling abroad. This time she's charged with spreading propaganda. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has not seen his wife since her initial imprisonment in 2016 and is living in London with their six year old daughter Gabriella. He maintains that his wife was imprisoned as leverage for a debt owed by the UK over its failure to deliver tanks to Iran in the seventies that had been paid for. Meanwhile, it's been announced that Iran will sit on a UN committee on women's rights, yet it has a poor track record when it comes to rights for women. Rana Rahimpour is from the BBC's Persian Service. Built in 1927 The Barbizon hotel was home for the ‘modern woman’ seeking a career in the arts. It offered young women a safe and respectable place to stay while they launched their careers and looked for a husband. Students from the Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School lived on two floors of the Barbizon while they learned typing and shorthand. Powers’ models and guest editors for Mademoiselle magazine also stayed there. Many went on to writing careers, including Joan Didion, Sylvia Plath, Gael Greene, and Meg Wolitzer. In her novel “The Bell Jar,” Plath fictionalized the Barbizon as the Amazon, including details from her fateful last night at the hotel, when she threw every article of clothing she had brought to the city. Its 688 tiny pink feminine boudoirs also housed actresses including Grace Kelly and Liza Minelli and Phylicia Rashad. Some residents became known as “the women” – those who checked in and never checked out. Emma talks to Paulina Bren, writer and historian and Professor at Vassar College in New York, and author of The Barbizon- The New York Hotel That Set Women Free.It’s reported that during sex only 20% of women orgasm from penetration alone. Results from a nationally representative study of 4,000 adult women in the United States, and published in the science journal Plos One, identified Angling, Rocking, Shallowing and Pairing – four previously unnamed techniques women use to make vaginal penetration more pleasurable. To discuss these terms and other ways women can achieve orgasm, Emma is joined by Dr. Devon Hensel Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Indiana, and Tracey Cox, sex and relationships expert and author.

New research out today from the charity Breast Cancer Now, indicates that training breast care nurses to deliver Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - or CBT - can be effective in alleviating the distressing menopausal symptoms that some women experience as a result of breast cancer treatment. Emma discusses with Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Now and Natalie, who had breast cancer aged 37, and suffered frequent and debilitating hot flushes and night sweats while undergoing chemotherapy.A new three-part BBC Two documentary series ‘Makeup: A Glamorous History’ explores changing British beauty trends, from the Georgian era, Victorian era through to the Roaring 20s where the look of the flappers reflected the new freedoms of the era. The presenter of the series is make up artist Lisa Eldridge.Why do people choose to have a second child and what does it mean to be one? Writer Lynn Berger in her book Second Thoughts: On Having and Being a Second Child, explores the many beliefs and assumptions surrounding position in the family and particularly second children.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

We hear from former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard who is working to help children from developing countries get a quality education. Josephine Kamara and Selina Nkoile are Youth Leaders for Global Partnership for Education and are campaigning to keep girls in education. Pauline Black, lead singer of ska band The Selecter talks about her upbringing and the 2 Tone anti-racism message of the late 70s.Professor Basky Thilaganathan from St George’s Hospital talks about the rarely seen and often complex work being carried out inside the womb to save the lives of unborn babies. We also hear from Susie who developed Twin to Twin transfusion syndrome while pregnant with triplets.Christine Grosart is a key volunteer for the group Ghost Fishing UK. She is also an expert diver and environmental champion. She talks about the beauty of the seas and the damage humans have caused.Plus broadcaster Emily Dean on the trend for ‘pandemic puppies’ and the unique relationship that women have with their dogs.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Beverley Purcell

In 'Come Fly the World', journalist Julia Cooke explores the history and legacy of Pan Am, one of the world’s most iconic airlines. Julia focuses on the adventurous lives and careers of the international jet-age stewardesses of Pan Am – a job which no longer exists - who were expected to fit a specific physical profile, speak multiple languages and demonstrate diplomacy. As the women worked to maintain the glamourous image of Pan Am, they interacted with international politicians and helped to transport American soldiers to and from war zones, during the Vietnam War. The stewardesses witnessed global history and world events, playing a crucial role in major wartime missions including the evacuation of children during the fall of Saigon. Throughout the pandemic, pregnant women have been asked to make their own judgements on the risk of vaccination versus the risks of COVID-19. With very little real-world data available, that decision has been no easy task however two new large scale studies may now help prospective parents feel more confident in balancing the costs and benefits. One study of over 35,000 pregnant women given the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed no evidence of them being unsafe. The second study looked at what happens to pregnant women if they do catch COVID-19. Aris Papageorghiou, a Professor of Fetal Medicine at the Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute, talks to Anita about the results of this global study. He also explains why we should consider allowing pregnant women to be vaccinated sooner, rather than making them wait for their age-related invite to arrive in the post.Hair removal is a rite of passage for a lot of women and apparently some influencers are encouraging shaving your face! Apparently facial hair removal is nothing new - Queen Elizabeth I started the trend by shaving her facial hair, and women even shaved their eyebrows off. So how popular is it with women today? Beauty therapist and make up artist Naveeda discusses.A new film called 'Sisters With Transistors' about the unsung female pioneers of electronic music, is released today. Featuring women like Clara Rockmore, Suzanne Ciani and Delia Derbyshire, of Dr Who theme fame, the film is narrated by Laurie Anderson and celebrates the achievements of women whose male counterparts took centre stage in historical narratives around ground-breaking electronic composition. The director Lisa Rovner joins Anita as does Bishi, the singer, composer and artistic director and co-founder of WITCiH, The Women in Technology Creative Industries Hub, a platform to increase the visibility women at the intersection of music, creative technology and STEM. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Professor Aris Papageorghiou Interviewed Guest: Naveeda Interviewed Guest: Julia Cooke Interviewed Guest: Lisa Rovner Interviewed Guest: Bishi

Angela Merkel steps down as Chancellor or Prime minister of Germany in September. Nicknamed Mutti or mummy she has held the top job since 2005 so her departure is a huge shift at a challenging time in global and national politics. All eyes are focused on possible successors and one candidate in the frame is Annalena Baerbock. On Monday, the Green Party announced she would be its choice to take over from Angela Merkel. She is likely to be the only woman in the race for the job and she already being compared to young female leaders in New Zealand or Finland. Anita Rani talks to the BBC’s Europe Editor Katya Adler about the coming election and the chances of a second woman taking the top job.Research by a London academic suggests that teenagers who are heavy social media users are more likely to drink alcohol. Dr Linda Ng Fat from University College London analysed data on how long teenagers were chatting or interacting on social media sites including Facebook, MySpace and Bebo and what impact that had on drinking. The study found that 18% of participants aged 10-15 years drank at least monthly, with a greater risk of more frequent drinking for each additional hour of social media use. Anita talks to Dr Ning Fat who explains her findingsFilmed at one of the UK’S leading foetal medicine units in the country, a new Channel 4 series, Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles, shines a light on the rarely seen and often complex work being carried out inside the womb to save the lives of unborn babies. Anita is joined by Basky Thilaganathan, Professor and Director of Foetal Medicine at St George’s Hospital London and Susie, who developed Twin to Twin transfusion syndrome while pregnant with triplets.The pandemic has allowed many people to appreciate and connect with nature in a way they didn't have time to before. But as an island nation, our knowledge of the struggles faced by the life in our seas is still very poor. Every year the fishing industry inadvertently loses nets and gear that end up trapping and killing marine wildlife. But thankfully there is a team of volunteer divers who are dedicated to finding and removing this 'ghost gear' from UK waters. In celebration of Earth Day, Anita speaks to Christine Grosart from Ghost Fishing UK about the under-appreciated wonders around our coastline, the perils of retrieving lost nets, and what non-diving folk can do to make a big difference to the health of our seas.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Vanessa Frake worked in the prison service for 27 years. For 16 of those years she was the head of security and operations at the notorious male prison Wormwood Scrubs. Her career saw her cross paths with some of Britain's most notorious criminals. She was the main officer responsible for serial killer Rose West whilst she awaited trial, she was made a cup of tea by Myra Hindley, and she looked after Pete Doherty. Vanessa was awarded an MBE for her work in the prison service in 2012, and took early retirement in 2013. She has now written her memoirs in 'The Governor: My Life in Britain's Most Notorious Prisons'.This year the British town crier championships will be held in silence. Brenda Willison has been a town crier for 34 years. Based in Newmarket, Suffolk she’s been the Chair of the Loyal Company of Town Criers for the last 10 years. Last year their annual competition was cancelled so this year they decided to hold one online which only involves the content of the crying and the winner will be announced on May 13th. She explains to Anita why she thinks women make the best town criers.MPs believe there is a growing ‘digital threat to democracy’ which is preventing women from a career in politics. Yesterday in parliament there was a call for more action with female MPs from all sides recounting their experiences. Academic studies have shown that harassment against women has increased over the past two general elections, with women experiencing double the increase that men have experienced. Reporter Melanie Abbott talks to Anita about the issues.And we have the second in our series Second Chances. Our reporter Milly Chowles had a baby last year, she’s in long term recovery from addiction and feels she was given lots of chances to change before she became a mother. As the number of children in care rises and with drug and alcohol issues a factor in many cases, are women at risk of having their children removed getting the help they need? And what is the cost for their children and society as a whole if they don't? In five authored pieces Milly tells her story and listens to the experiences of mothers who face stigma and a fight to access services.

With the surge in people getting dogs during lockdown, Emily Dean, broadcaster and host of ‘Walking The Dog with Emily Dean’ joins Anita to discuss her shih-tzu called Raymond, the trend for ‘pandemic puppies’ and the unique relationship between women and their dogs.Newspaper reports from the weekend suggest that Prince Charles, Harry, William and Kate spent a couple of hours at Frogmore Cottage after the funeral of Prince Phillip on Saturday, presumably hoping to clear the air after what has been a turbulent time for the Royal family. Whatever your background - family rifts can be very painful, sometimes lasting years and often beyond anyone's memory of why they originally fell out. What should you do if you want to reconcile? How do you make that initial approach? Anita is joined by Dee Holmes, Family Counsellor with Relate and Mamta Saha, practising psychologist.More than fifteen thousand people have emailed their experiences of sexual harassment and assault in school as pupils or past pupils on the ‘Everyone‘s Invited’ website but what about assault by pupils towards teachers? We hear one female teacher’s experience of being sexually assaulted at school, and from Jennifer Moses the National Official for equality and training at the Teaching Union the NASUWT.300 years ago this month, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu deliberately infected her three year old daughter with a dose of smallpox – in other words she inoculated her – and was the first to do so in the West. Her role in the race to halt the spread of the virus was largely unacknowledged at the time. She should be recognised for the pioneer that she was says Jo Willett who has written her biography ‘The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu’.

The original rude girl and ‘Queen of Ska’ Pauline Black was working as a radiographer when she came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter. Pauline joins Anita to talk about being the only girl on tour alongside The Specials and Madness, expressing herself as a young black woman through music, playing the role of Billie Holiday and, 40 years on, the remastering the band’s album Too Much Pressure.It is estimated that 129 million girls worldwide remain out of school and face multiple barriers to education. Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia, is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Education – an organisation working with governments around the world to help children in lower-income countries get a quality education. The UK has supported eight million girls worldwide and in 100 days from now will be hosting the Global Education Summit with Kenya. Anita Rani discusses the issues with Julia and Josephine Kamara and Selina Nkoile, Youth Leaders for the GPE.In a new series of authored interviews Milly Chowles reports on women at risk of having their children removed from their care. Drug and alcohol misuse are often part of the problem. Milly, who is in recovery herself, had a baby last year. She was given many chances to change and fears that many mothers are not given the same opportunities. Today she talks to Lydia. They went to school together and took different paths in life but both ended up focussing on the stories of mothers in crisis.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Actor and writer Dame Maureen Lipman recently lost Guido Castro, her partner of more than thirteen years, having already been widowed in 2004 when her husband Jack Rosenthal died after 30 years of marriage. She tells us how you come to terms with such a loss after so long.Why do some people live in vans? Is it to save money to put down a deposit on a house or is it a lifestyle choice? We hear from George McKimm who lived in her van until 2020 and Missy who currently lives in a van with her husband, daughter and their pets. In 2018, an art and textiles teacher from a secondary school in north west London won the one million dollar Global Teacher Prize. Andria Zafirakou shares her approach to teaching and her passion for the power of visual art to create confidence and unlock trauma in young people.This month marks 18 years since the legal 'right to request' flexible working came into effect for parents of children aged under six, or 18 if they have a disability. We hear from Sarah Jackson OBE, a workplace consultant and visiting professor at Cranfield University School of Management and Rhonda D'Ambrosio who used 'right to request' in 2004. Do women really feel the cold more than men? A question for Clare Eglin, principal lecturer in Human and Applied Physiology with the University of Portsmouth. Plus Amanda Owen, Shepherdess and star of Channel 5's 'Our Yorkshire Farm' tells us about how she copes working outdoors.Irish singer, song writer Imelda May has performed alongside the like of Lou Reed, Bono, Smokey Robinson and Van Morrison. She talks about her new album new album - 11 Past the Hour – and the contributions from feminist thinkers and activists.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Beverley Purcell

Imelda May is an Irish singer/songwriter discovered by Jools Holland when she supported him on tour and subsequently appeared on Later ... with Jools Holland in 2008. She was the queen of rockabilly, with a Fifties-style frock, trademark quiff – and a voice compared to legendary blues singers such as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. The quiff is long gone. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her music, her style and her latest album '11 Past the Hour' and the track 'Made to Love', with inspired contributions from feminist thinkers and activists, Gina Martin and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu.A review into the way the justice system works in Scotland, when hearing rape and serious sexual offences, has called for new specialist courts where a judge could sit without a jury. The proposals are part of a package of measures aimed at stopping the 'retraumatisation' of victims by their experience of the court system. Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian - Scotland's second most senior judge, and Sandy Brindley, National Coordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland - one of the groups which took part in the review process - join John Scott QC, president of the Society of Solicitor Advocates. The idea of living in a van is not an unusual as you may think and many women are doing it. Search under the #vanlife on Instagram and there are over 9.5 million posts, with seductive photos of people who have refurbished cosy vans for holidays and adventures abroad but also those who have traded living in houses for a permanent life on the road. Anita is joined by George McKimm, who lived in her van from 2016 until 2020, and Missy, who currently lives with her husband Dom, daughter Rosie and their pets. They have been on the road since 2019 in their Sprinter van which they call the sub.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Imelda May Interviewed Guest: Sandy Brindley Interviewed Guest: John Scott Interviewed Guest: Valerie MacGregor Interviewed Guest: George McKimm Interviewed Guest: Missy

A woman who won a settlement from the Catholic Church after reporting the abuse she suffered, is now launching a personal injury claim against Westminster Diocese. It's because of a series of emails which she says describe her as needy, manipulative and a bully. She explains to Woman's Hour what she wants to achieve. A legal challenge began in the High Court this week about municipal waste incinerators. It's being brought by Georgia Elliott-Smith, an environmental engineer and campaigner, who says the level of incinerator emissions is "staggering". She hopes the legal challenge will result in a judicial review. It's The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on Saturday. He was married to the Queen for nearly 74 years, and she's acknowledged that he will leave a ‘huge void’. But how do you come to terms with such a loss after so long? Actor, writer and comedian Dame Maureen Lipman recently lost Guido Castro, her long-term partner, having already been widowed in 2004 when her husband Jack Rosenthal died after 30 years of marriage.

Emma Barnett talks to the former cabinet minister Owen Paterson about the suicide of his wife Rose and the charity he's founded in her memory. Evy Cohen talks about Prince Philip and how his mother Princess Alice saved her family from the Holocaust, Georgia Elliot-Smith asks if we should stop shaming women about waste and recyling and as Sikhs and Hindus prepare to celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi (solar new year) we talk to the singer Manika Kaur.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Joe Yon

Baroness Shirley Williams has died at the age of 90. She was a titan of British politics and a true trailblazer for women. She appeared on Woman's Hour many times and so we remember her by listening to the archive. We also speak to her good friend, Baroness Julia Neuberger.What do you do if you've just had a baby and you've been called for jury service? We speak to Zoe Stacey who recently received a letter telling her she had to do jury service but she was still breast feeding. We describes her struggle to be excused.We're talking about getting back into the swing of things now lockdown is gradually lifting. Are you desperate to get back to normal or are you feeling nervous and anxious? We talk to Dr. Nihara Krause, a consultant clinical psychologist. It's 18 years that parents have been able to request flexible working. After that the 'right to request' was made available to everyone, regardless of whether you're a parent or not. So what's been achieved and Is there still a stigma attached to it? We're joined by Sarah Jackson OBE, who's a workplace consultant and visiting professor at Cranfield University School of Management, and Rhonda D'Ambrosio who's used 'right to request' when it started.

Shepherdess Amanda Owen & the academic Clare Eglin talk about why women tend to feel colder than men. We talk to Clare Balding about Rachael Blackmore the first woman to win the Grand National this weekend. As lockdown eases and the shops reopen, we talk to the Executive Director of John Lewis Pippa Wicks and Andria Zafirakou who won a million dollar global teaching prize tells us how she's spending the money and talks about her new book "Those Who Can, Teach - What it Takes to Make the Next Generation."Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Gayl Gordon

The 2011 Census found that 6.5 million people in the UK are carers and provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, older or disabled family member, friend or partner. It found that women are more likely to be carers than men, with 58% of carers being female and 42% male. Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK and Alyson Corner, psychologist and co-runs the 'My Horrid Parent' website discuss carers who have a relationship with the person they are caring for that involves a history of abuse.A parliamentary report into body image has just been published. The Women's and Equalities Committee has been looking into why so many people feel dissatisfied about the way they look. We hear from Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the committee. Tatyana Findlater who's 21 and has visible burn scars who gave evidence to the Committee and Dawn Estefan, Psychotherapist who works with black women's groups.Janice Baker, shepherdess on a farm in the Durham Hills, was badly injured when she working having been trampled by one of her own sheep. Her son, the Countryfile and former One Show presenter Matt Baker dropped everything to help keep the farm going. They discuss what happens when the roles are reversed and a child has to help a parent.Women play a critical role in the cacao industry in West Africa but their voices are rarely heard. Dr Nyagoy Nyong'o’s, Fairtrade Global CEO talks about what life is like for women cocoa farmers.Hairdressers and beauty salons have been closed for a total of eight months since the start of the pandemic. Weddings were banned in the UK for more than three months last year. Our reporter Melanie Abbott spoke to hair and make-up artist Kirsty McCall. Writer and singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn talks about her new book, My Rock 'n' Roll Friend. The friend in question is Lindy Morrison who was drummer for an Australian band, The Go-Betweens. Tracey talks about friendship, being a female performer and why she chose to write about Lindy.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Siobhann Tighe

A parliamentary report into body image has just been published. The Women's and Equalities Committee has been looking into why so many people feel dissatisfied about the way they look. They did a survey which said that 61% is adults and 66% of children feel bad about how they look most of the time. They wanted to find out whether certain groups are most at risk at poor body image and looked at the impact of social media, advertising, diet culture as well as racism and misogyny. We hear from Caroline Nokes MP chair of the committee. Tatyana Findlater who's 21 and has visible burn scars who gave evidence to the Committee and Dawn Estefan a psychotherapist who works with black women's groups to discuss various issues including body image.A fight broke out on the stage of the latest Mrs Sri Lanka Beauty pageant last weekend because the winner was accused of being a divorcee. The competition is open only to women who are married and NOT divorced. Why has this beauty pageant received so much media attention and scrutiny? Kanchana N Ruwanpura is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden and a Fellow at the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh.The 2011 Census found that 6.5 million people in the UK are carers and provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, older or disabled family member, friend or partner. It found that women are more likely to be carers than men, with 58% of carers being female and 42% male. But what if your relationship with the person you're caring for involves a history of abuse? And a look ahead to this year's BAFTA's with Edith Bowman. Presenter Anita Rani Producer Beverley Purcell

Writer and singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn has a new book out, My Rock 'n' Roll Friend. The friend in question is Lindy Morrison. They first met backstage at the Lyceum in London in 1983 when Tracey was 20, insecure, shy, just starting out in the music business. Lindy, ten years older than Tracey, was drummer for an Australian band, The Go-Betweens. To Tracey she looked like "self belief in a minidress". Tracey joins Emma to talk about friendship, being a female performer and why she chose to write about Lindy.A year ago this week Anneliese Dodds was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by the newly elected leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer becoming the first ever woman to hold this position. The economic landscape has shifted dramatically over the last year with women often being worst hit by jobs losses and access to support. Anneliese reflects on the big issues of the last year and talks to Emma Barnett about Labour’s plans for a post covid recovery.Women say they are at the back of the queue when it comes to Covid handouts. We hear from the wedding and beauty sector. Melanie Abbott talks to Kirsty McCall, a wedding make up artist had a breakdown after spending all her savings after Covid almost wrecked her business. Emma discusses the issues with Jessie Westwood, who set up the campaign What About Weddings? last year, and Victoria Brownlie, from the National Hair and Beauty Federation.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

As we begin to emerge from lockdown, what are the similarities with the ‘Roaring 20s’ 100 years ago when Britain, having survived the Spanish Flu and the Great War, became a hedonistic playground? Will this time create a need for crowds, parties, touch, and an urge to ‘get out and enjoy life’? Jessica Fellowes, author of Mitford Murders crime series and companion books to the television series Downton Abbey, describes the Bright Young Things who were the influencers of their day, ‘Bachelor Girls’ who no longer needed to be married to enjoy independence, and gives parallels with how technology transformed lifestyles – from the labour saving devices that freed women from endless housework, to the internet which enables women to work from home today.The public’s understanding of dementia is generally very poor and the message we receive about it are overwhelmingly negative. Could fiction be the answer to showing a more rounded and factual portrayal? Emma Barnett talks to Wendy Mitchell, Anna Wharton and Professor Jan Oyebode.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Tanzy Leitner

What do you do, when your mother is in a spot of bother? You run to help…of course! That’s the situation the Countryfile and former One Show presenter Matt Baker found himself in last summer, when his mum Janice had a serious accident with some sheep, and was unable to continue with the day to day running of the family farm in the Durham Hills. Their story is documented in a four part series currently on More4 called Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales. Emma speaks to Janice and Matt.It's been announced that thousands of new, expectant or bereaved mothers will receive help and support for mental health problems through dozens of new dedicated hubs which are being set up across England. The hubs will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Around 6,000 women will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth to others with a severe fear of childbirth. Emma gets reactions to the news from Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of campaigning charity Centre for Mental Health and Dr Alain Gregoire, President of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.Another statue of a strong woman has made the headlines. Last year it was Mary Wollstonecraft. Now it's Greta Thunberg. A statue of the 18 year old environmentalist was unveiled in Winchester last week but some think it's a waste of money. Emma is joined by Christine Charlesworth, the statue's creator, who's not only made Greta during lockdown but two other British feminist icons as well.Susan Spindler's first novel Surrogate tells the story of Ruth who, at the age of 54, volunteers to carry a baby for her daughter, who has just had her seventh miscarriage. But how selfless is Ruth's kind offer? She has done all of the research, taken the hormones, done the tests, thought of everything. What she doesn't know is how being her daughter's surrogate will make her feel and the upheaval it will cause in all of her relationships. Susan tells Emma how she researched the story.

Inspired by her childhood in York, Emma Robertson, Senior Lecturer in History at La Trobe University, Australia explores chocolate and the history of imperial exploitation, sexism and racism in her study ‘Chocolate, Women and Empire: a Social and Cultural History’. Emma talks about the ‘ordinary’ women positioned at the two key stages of production, the cocoa farms of Nigeria and the Rowntree factory in York.Women play a critical role in the cacao industry in West Africa but patriarchal attitudes often exclude them from decision making, land ownership, and selling the crop. Dr. Nyagoy Nyong’o, Fairtrade Global CEO discusses the life of women cocoa farmers and the Women’s School of Leadership which seeks to empower women and promote gender rights.What it is like to work in a chocolate factory? Sarah Hartley talks about her job as a quality controller on the factory floor at Whitakers.Chocolate advertising has long been linked with women and sex. Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, a Reader in Consumer Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University and Sue Quinn, food writer and author of 'Cocoa: an Exploration of Chocolate' discuss how chocolate advertisements target women.Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Paula McFarlane Interviewed Guest: Dr Emma Robertson Interviewed Guest: Dr. Nyagoy Nyong’o Interviewed Guest: Sarah Hartley Interviewed Guest: Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd Interviewed Guest: Sue Quinn

It’s nearly 30 years since Sharon Stone starred in Basic Instinct, with the famous uncrossing-of-legs scene. In 2001, after adopting her first child, she suffered a stroke and almost died. In an exclusive interview with Emma Barnett she talks about her autobiography - The Beauty of Living Twice. This summer, students in England will receive A-level and GCSE results based on their teachers’ predictions, after official exams have been cancelled for the second year. Teachers will be required to compile evidence to substantiate their predicted grades. We hear from Emma Irving who works part time as a private tutor and Richard Sheriff, Executive headteacher of Harrogate grammar school and president of the Association of School and College Leaders.Jessica Moxham's eldest son, Ben, is disabled. At birth it was touch and go whether he would live and Jessica spent most of the first year of Ben's life keeping him alive, learning how to feed and soothe a baby who couldn't suck or eat. Jessica has written a memoir, The Cracks that Let the Light in: What I learned from my disabled son. Continuing our look at what’s being reported as “rape culture” in schools, we examine the impact of pornography on young people and its effect on relationships and sex. There are plenty of festivals planned in person once social distancing laws are – hopefully – lifted this summer. But why are they still featuring majority male artists, particularly those headlining. Plus Vanessa Kirby explores her role as Martha in the film ‘Pieces of A Woman’. A story of a couple on the verge of becoming parents, when their lives change dramatically when a homebirth ends in tragedy. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lorna Rose Treen Editor: Beverley Purcell

It’s exams season coming up. This summer, students will receive A-level and GCSE results based on their teachers’ predictions, after exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic. Teachers will be required to compile evidence to substantiate their predicted grades. Ministers have insisted that this year's grading system is the fairest plan, rather than using algorithms. However, there are concerns that ‘pointy elbow’ parents have been pressurising teachers to boost their children’s exam grades. To discuss the issues Anita talks to Emma Irving, who works part time as a private tutor, and Richard Sheriff, Executive headteacher of Harrogate grammar school and president of the Association of School and College Leaders. In Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from the Eastern Mediterranean, food writer, Yasmin Khan explores eastern Mediterranean’s border politics. She travels to the refugee camps of Lesvos, Istanbul and Nicosia, Cyprus. She talks about the women in Athens who have created a safe spaces for refugees and the women who use them. Yasmin also talks about the women who have set up a restaurant in Lesvos to integrate refugees into daily life on the island.This week the organisers of the Glastonbury Festival announced a one-off live streamed event in May, the bands will be performing at Worthy Farm but the audience will be at home around the world. However there are plenty of festivals planned in person once social distancing laws are – hopefully – lifted this summer. Many of them have now revealed their line-ups, and overall they are still featuring majority male artists, particularly among the headlining acts. Joining Anita are two women who want to change that - founder of the F-List Vick Bain and Maxie Gedge, UK project manager of Keychange, an initiative set up by the PRS Foundation to encourage better gender representation in music.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Richard Sheriff Interviewed Guest: Emma Irving Interviewed Guest: Yasmin Khan Interviewed Guest: Vick Bain Interviewed Guest: Maxie Gedge

It’s nearly thirty years since Sharon Stone was in the film Basic Instinct, with the famous uncrossing-of-legs scene. She really wanted the role but only got it after twelve other actresses turned it down. After Basic Instinct more films followed including Casino alongside Robert De Niro. In 2001, after adopting her first child, she suffered a stroke and almost died. She’s now written her autobiography called The Beauty of Living Twice. She gave Woman's Hour her only UK broadcast interview.On the morning that a new helpline has been launched for potential victims of school sexual abuse we speak to Gillian Keegan MP who's from the Department for Education.We're talking about shop changing rooms with retail expert Catherine Shuttleworth. When lock-down lifts will you be using them, or sticking with ordering online and trying things on at home?People from ethnic minorities who have fertility treatment are less likely to be successful. That's according to the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority. Their data says Black patients having the lowest chances of successful treatment whilst only 4% of egg donors were Asian. We find out more with Sally Cheshire, outgoing Chair of the HFEA and Dr Karen Joash, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Imperial College Healthcare Trust and spokesperson for Race Equality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.