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BBC Radio 4

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

Listen to our new series of conversations, The Woman's Hour Guide to Life, on BBC Sounds - your toolkit for the juggle, struggle and everything in between: www.bbc.co.uk/guidetolife

Woman's Hour

The health secretary Wes Streeting has appointed senior midwife Donna Ockenden to lead a review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The appointment came after a sustained campaign by bereaved and harmed families who said that she was the only one they trusted to lead the review into failings in Leeds. Donna Ockenden joined Nuala McGovern to discuss her new appointment as well as her ongoing review into Nottingham university hospitals.

How would you feel if everyone in your household forgot your birthday? After a woman's social media post saying her family had forgotten hers went viral, Anita talked to the author Poorna Bell and the journalist Nell Frizzell about whether forgetting a spouse's birthday is simply a careless moment or the sign of something deeper.

Dr Amy Blakeway, Senior Lecturer in 16th Century Scottish History at the University of St Andrews, talked to Nuala about the history of the term 'rough wooing', and why she thinks it’s time we stopped using it.

Ashley Dalton, the MP for West Lancashire, announced last week that she was stepping down from her role as Health Minister to focus on constituency work and her health. Last year she revealed that her breast cancer had returned, and metastasised. This means living with advanced breast cancer everyday – it can’t be cured, but it can be managed. She joined Nuala to discuss her decision.

Maimuna Memon is an actress, singer, composer, and playwright. Last year, she won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the Donmar in London. Maimuna talks to Anita about the real-life stories behind her latest show Manic Street Creature.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells

Leeds Maternity Review, Forgetting birthdays, the term ‘rough wooing’, Ashley Dalton MP, Maimuna Memon

New figures out from Thames Valley Air Ambulance show that women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR, with one in three female cardiac arrest patients getting no CPR until crews arrive on scene. The CEO of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Amanda McLean will join Anita Rani to talk about what is causing this reluctance, and we'll be joined by Chloe Lipton, a woman who is campaigning for female manikins to be mandatory in CPR and defibrillator training.

Yesterday, Mandy Wixon was jailed for 13 years for keeping a vulnerable woman captive in her home for 25 years. She was found guilty of two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Gloucestershire police have said that the victim was kept in 'squalid conditions'. BBC West of England Journalist Chloe Harcombe picks up the story with Anita Rani. 

Cambridge University have conducted research into AI toys, which are marketed to children as young as three. But what are they, and what is the impact of this tech on such young children? Joining Anita is Dr Emily Goodacre from the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Education.
 
Monika Radojevic tells Anita why she took the inspiration for her debut novel Strangerland, from her own parents' love story. Set in the early 1990s, these two immigrants from Brazil and Montenegro, then part of Yugoslavia, fall deeply in love in London. However, it takes journeying across continents and into the start of a civil war for them to be together. She joins Anita.
 
Maimuna Memon is an actress, singer, composer, and playwright. Last year, she won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the Donmar in London. Maimuna talks to Anita about the real-life stories behind her latest show Manic Street Creature.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

CPR on women, AI toys, Maimuna Memon

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Dunblane massacre on Friday, presenter Anita Rani speaks to three women whose lives changed for ever that day; Melanie Reid, a journalist who was one of the first at the scene in Dunblane that morning, Rosemary Hunter, one of three women leaders of The Snowdrop Campaign that changed UK gun laws and Anna Hall, who grew up in Dunblane and is the director of a Channel 4 documentary about the shootings, The Dunblane Tapes.

How would you feel if everyone in your household forgot your birthday? After a woman's social media post saying her family had forgotten hers went viral, Anita talks to the author Poorna Bell and the journalist Nell Frizzell about whether forgetting a spouse's birthday is simply a careless moment or the sign of something deeper.

Catfishing is the act of creating a fake online persona to deceive others for romantic, financial, or malicious reasons. This happened to 19-year old Sasha-Jay Davies, from Aberdare in Wales who for almost four years has been accused of leading men on, arranging to meet them and not showing up, and been harassed by complete strangers, all because someone else has been using her photos without permission on social media. BBC Wales reporter Eleri Griffiths has been covering the story and joins us along with Reagan Brien, a solicitor at Cohen Davis who has worked on similar cases.

New research carried out by the University of California in the US has revealed that a blood test can detect dementia in women, years before they have symptoms. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, explains the research findings and what it could potentially mean for women's dementia diagnosis in the future.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Dunblane 30 years on, Catfishing, Forgetting birthdays

The health secretary Wes Streeting has appointed senior midwife Donna Ockenden to lead a review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The appointment came after a sustained campaign by bereaved and harmed families who said that she was the only one they trusted to lead the review into failings in Leeds. BBC reporter Divya Talwar tells us about breaking the story and Donna Ockenden joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her new appointment as well as her ongoing review into Nottingham university hospitals.

We look at the changing gender split in the veterinary profession, 61% of working vets are women and 80% of recently qualified vets - what's behind the shift? Dr Christianne Glossop is Honorary Professor and Honorary Fellow at the Royal Veterinary College and Wales' first Chief Veterinary Officer, she joins Nuala.

During World War One, women working in munitions factories formed football teams. They would sometimes play in front of thousands of people, until the Football Association banned women's football in 1921, a ban that lasted for 50 years. This is the focus of a play at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, The Ladies Football club. One of the stars is Ellie Leach, formerly in Coronation Street and who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. She joins Nuala alongside director Elizabeth Newman.

Dr Amy Blakeway, Senior Lecturer in 16th Century Scottish History at the University of St Andrews, talks to Nuala about the history of the term 'rough wooing', and why she thinks its time we stopped using it.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Leeds maternity review, Women vets, The term 'rough wooing'

The government’s independent advisor on rape, Professor Katrin Hohl, is warning that despite an overhaul on how to investigate rape, there is a lack of awareness of the changes across courts in England and Wales which is affecting the outcomes of trials. Also today, the Justice Secretary David Lammy is launching a new national Legal Advisors service for rape victims, as well as a pilot project that will look at shifting the focus of rape court cases from the victim to the perpetrator. It will be led by Professor Hohl who joins presenter Nuala McGovern to discuss it along with Nogar Ofer from the Centre for Women's Justice.

As the Winter Paralympics get underway, we look at why women remain under-represented. Only 26.5% of Paralympians are expected to be women, and just 24% of Team GB. Meanwhile research from Activity Alliance and Women in Sport shows that disabled girls are far less likely than boys to see a future for themselves in sport. So what’s holding them back, and what needs to change? We’re joined by Phil Smith of ParalympicsGB, Kate Baker from UK Sport, and Paralympic champion Kelly Gallagher, all live from Italy.

Ashley Dalton, the MP for West Lancashire, announced last week that she was stepping down from her role as Health Minister to focus on constituency work and her health. Last year she revealed that her breast cancer had returned, and metastasised. This means living with advanced breast cancer everyday – it can’t be cured, but it can be managed. She joins Nuala to discuss her decision.

How far would you go for a year off work? The character at the centre of new comic novel Motherfaker is prepared to fake a pregnancy. After her husband disappears with her life savings, teacher Barri Brown is dreaming of escape and a new life, but has limited options. So begins her great pregnancy heist. Anna Brook-Mitchell discusses the inspirations for her debut novel and its key themes from grief to connection and being child-free by choice. 

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Rape investigations, Ashley Dalton MP, Winter Paralympics, Comic novel Motherfaker

Iran has a new Supreme Leader, the hard-line cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has succeeded his father who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran. This morning, Iran's woman’s football team are facing building pressure as they prepare to leave Australia’s Gold Coast after being eliminated from the Asian Cup on Sunday. Fears for their safety has been growing since they failed to sing the national anthem ahead of their first match against South Korea last week. The decision prompted fierce criticism within Iran and in subsequent matches the players sung, or at least mouthed, the anthem’s words. Katy Watson, the BBC's Sydney correspondent, is on the Gold Coast where the tournament is being held and talks to Nuala McGovern about what's been happening. 

There has been a surge of understanding about the menopause and we are better informed on many aspects. However three quarters of women surveyed for a YouGov poll do not know that a new mental illness can be triggered by the hormonal changes associated with the menopause. Those figures come from a YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The College wants to raise awareness about mental health and menopause and the implications for clinical practice. 
To tell us more about why this was needed now, Nuala is joined by Dr Lade Smith, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

Do you have a "hassler" in your life? If so, they could be making you age faster. That's according to new research funded by the US National Institute of Aging. A third of all respondents in the study said they had at least one hassler in their life - that is someone who is creating problems and making your life harder. The study also shows that the impact on your health is worse if they are a family member. Psychotherapist and writer Lucy Cavendish explains how to deal with that difficult person in your life.

The singer/songwriter Katherine Priddy played her first gig at the O2 and has since performed at the BBC Proms, and at festivals such as Glastonbury, Green Man and Cambridge Folk, where she was awarded the Christian Raphael Prize for best emerging artist. Katherine tells Nuala about her newly released third album, These Frightening Machines, and performs her track Madeline. 

Why do some women who commit crimes come to be seen as a definition of evil? The Moors murderer Myra Hindley became an enduring symbol of female wickedness but she is not the only one. Professor Joanna Bourke has written a new book, Five Evil Women. It looks at the fascination with these figures and finds it often reveals as much about society as it does about the crimes themselves. Joanna tells Nuala why she chose these five women and they're also joined by BBC Radio 4 New Generation Thinker, criminologist Professor Stephanie Brown.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd

Iran's women's football team, Menopause and mental health, Katherine Priddy

The BBC has had exclusive access to the world’s largest study scanning pregnant women’s brains. The BeMOther project is based in Spain and has found that women's brains change significantly through pregnancy and beyond. Nuala McGovern talks to Smitha Mundasad, a BBC health and science reporter and Lucy Jones, author of Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood.

Ramadan is a time for worship and reflection. But many women of the so-called 'sandwich generation' may feel that they are up against the clock, juggling caring for young children and elderly parents, while also trying to find the time to fuel their bodies and their minds. Anita is joined by Shelina Janmohamed, an author and podcaster, and Tabassum Niamat, a mother and community activist, both of whom think of themselves as 'sandwich carers.'

According to the NGO International Justice Mission, live-streamed online child sexual abuse is one of the fastest‑growing yet least‑detected types of child abuse globally. Nuala is joined by Molly Hudson from the International Justice Mission, and Sharon Pursey, co‑founder of SafeToNet, a British online safety technology company.

Barrister turned bestselling crime author and recent star of The Traitors, Harriet Tyce joins Nuala to talk about her latest novel, Witch Trial. Harriet reflects on how motherhood was the impetus for her career change, how her knowledge of the legal system inspires her work and her experience as a ‘Faithful’ on the hit BBC TV series.

Model, author and activist Charli Howard says she has always been treated like a sex object. Charli joins Anita to discuss how, through a new book of essays called Flesh, she is reclaiming her body for herself, piece by piece. 

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Kirsty McQuire

Weekend Woman's Hour: Matrescence, Ramadan & the 'sandwich generation', The Traitors' Harriet Tyce

Conflict continues in the Middle East, but with near total internet blackout in Iran, there's currently very little access to information from within the country. Many women outside of Iran are unable to hear from their own family and friends. To look at the ongoing conflict and how it is impacting women and the Iranian diaspora in the UK in particular, Anita Rani speaks to Faranak Amidi, a BBC Global Women reporter and the presenter of the World Service Languages Fifth Floor programme, Kamin Mohammadi, a writer and journalist born in Iran and based in Britain, and Donya, a 25-year-old British Iranian. 

A new global survey of 23,000 people across 29 countries has shown an increase in traditional views on gender among younger people. For example, it found that a third of Gen Z men surveyed - those born between 1997 and 2012 - believed husbands should have the final say on decisions, compared to only 13% of Boomer men, born between 1946 and 1964. Anita speaks to Joan Smith, journalist, novelist and human rights activist, and Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College, who led the study.

Onjali Raúf’s award-winning novel The Boy at the Back of the Classroom has been adapted for the stage and is currently on a UK tour until the end of May. She joins Anita to explain what originally led her to write this children’s novel tackling immigration and death and what she wants audiences to take away from seeing this production.

Big Nobody is the debut novel from Alex Kadis. The main character is teenager Constance Costa whose life is spiralling after the loss of her mother and brothers in a car crash. We see how she uses music, humour, a burgeoning relationship and murderous thoughts towards her father as coping strategies. Alex joins Anita. 

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Iranian diaspora, Gen Z study, Onjali Rauf

Schools in England must provide allergy awareness training for all staff for the first time, under new statutory guidance announced by the Department for Education today. From September, all schools will be required to stock auto-injectors - those pen-like needles that quickly deliver a dose of adrenaline. Anita Rani is joined by Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died in 2016 of a severe allergic reaction after eating a baguette containing sesame seeds - an ingredient not listed on the packaging's label. Tanya is co-founder of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to fund research to eradicate allergies. 

Ramadan is a time for reflection, spirituality, worship and mindfulness. But many women who are part of the 'sandwich generation' may feel that they are up against the clock. Juggling caring for young children and elderly parents, while also trying to find the time to fuel their bodies and their minds. Anita is joined by Shelina Janmohamed, an author and podcaster and Tabassum Niamat, a mother and community activist, who both think of themselves as sandwich-generation carers.

Breasts, skin, stomach, thighs; Model, author and activist Charli Howard says she has always been treated like a sex object. But in a new book of essays called Flesh Charli is reclaiming her body for herself, piece by piece. She joins Anita to discuss how she believes sexualisation and misogyny has impacted the way women view themselves across time, why she likes to share ‘real’ images online and what the true meaning of empowering really is.

Barbara Taylor Bradford's novel A Woman of Substance sold more than 32 million copies and has never been out of print since it was first published in 1979. Its original 1985 television adaptation became Channel 4’s highest-rating drama, drawing almost 14 million viewers for its final episode. Now, more than four decades later, the epic saga of ambition, betrayal and revenge is back on our screens. Anita is joined by Jessica Reynolds who plays Emma Harte and the writer of the series, Katherine Jakeways in this new version of the story which follows the character Emma Harte in a rags-to-riches tale of class struggle, gender politics and unrelenting drive.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Allergy training, A Woman of Substance, Ramadan & 'sandwich generation', Model Charli Howard

The BBC has had exclusive access to the world’s largest study scanning pregnant women’s brains. The BeMOther project is based in Spain and has found that women's brains change significantly through pregnancy and beyond. We learn more about the changes and ask why Matrescence - and the transformations that can come with pregnancy, birth and raising a child - are only just starting to receive attention as a distinct life-stage. There's even a campaign to get the word in US dictionaries. Nuala McGovern talks to Smitha Mundasad, a BBC health and science reporter who visited the trial in Spain for her documentary, Baby Brain: What’s Really Going On? and Lucy Jones, the journalist and author of Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. 

Hester Musson’s latest book is The Night Hag. It’s a Victorian Gothic novel which takes place in 19th century Scotland. It delves into themes including the budding science of archaeology, spiritualism and folklore legends, but at its heart is the question of the role of women in Victorian society. 

A major global study says more than a quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer could be prevented through lifestyle changes like cutting red meat, staying active and not smoking. The Lancet Oncology analysis shows cases worldwide are set to rise by a third, reaching over 3.5 million by 2050. We are joined by Professor Jayant Vaidya, Professor of Surgery and Oncology at University College Hospital, London, Dr Liz O'Riordan, a former breast cancer surgeon who herself has had breast cancer and is currently in remission, and Claire Rowney, Breast Cancer Now’s chief executive, who has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Last week, news broke of the killing of one of Mexico’s most dangerous men - known as El Mencho. He was killed by the Mexican military. He ran one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels, the Jalisco Cartel New Generation. In response, members of his cartel torched businesses and buses across the country. But among the burnt-out cars, a new wave of posters appeared, with the faces and names of some of Mexico’s 130,000 people who are either missing or disappeared – a tactic used by criminal cartels. The people taping their faces to walls are often their mothers, part of groups fighting to find out what happened to their loved ones. They are known as 'madres buscadoras' or searching mothers. Journalist Andalusia Soloff joins us from Mexico City, she has been following stories like these for years.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern 
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Matrescence, Mexico's 'searching mothers', New novel The Night Nag

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

Weekend Woman's Hour: Pensions gender gap, Winter Olympics, Paris Paloma

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