Woman's Hour

Are you harbouring a dream of turning your passion into a business? Today we hear from women already doing it and find out what support's out there for women taking up the challenge. Deborah Meaden, Dragons Den investor, entrepreneur and host of the Big Green Money Show joins Krupa Padhy to discuss #Passionintobusiness Sam Jackman is the creator and founder of a post-mastectomy breast form. She developed it after her mum complained about her discomfort with the traditional silicone gel prosthesis she was using following breast cancer treatment. Sharon McBean from Birmingham wanted a music box with a young Black ballerina twirling around for her daughter (so it looked like her). She couldn't find one anywhere so started to manufacture and sell her own. And Joan D’Arcy in North West Scotland tells us about her non-profit business looking for local solutions to stop plastic pollution generated at sea.We also hear from social entrepreneur and founder of the SEED Women’s Enterprise Network, Lynne Franks. She started her own PR consultancy back in 1975 and now supports and mentors women running or hoping to run their own business. Plus Sarah Ronan, board member of Parental Pay Equality and part of the Women’s Budget Group unpicks the latest statistics around self-employment and women in the UK and Yvonne Sampson, Head of enterprise at GC Business Growth Hub in Manchester, explains what support they offer to women with their business ideas.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Deborah Meaden Interviewed Guest: Sam Jackman Interviewed Guest: Sarah Ronan Interviewed Guest: Yvonne Sampson Interviewed Guest: Lynne Franks Interviewed Guest: Sharon McBean Interviewed Guest: Joan D'Arcy

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth joins Krupa Padhy to talk about the new figures released by the National Police Chiefs Council which say there were nearly five thousand cases of needle and drink spiking recorded by forces across England and Wales between September last year and August this year. Do you remember the first time you really felt ‘seen’? For a special bank holiday programme, all about representation, hear a conversation between Bridgerton actress Charithra Chandran and her hero Gurinder Chadha, who directed the iconic film Bend It Like Beckham.As part of a new series called Finding My Voice, Jessica Creighton speaks to the author Milly Johnson about the moment she realised her success lay in embracing and enhancing her Yorkshire voice, instead of trying to supress it.The scientist Dr Jess Wade joins Jessica Creighton to talk about the representation of women in science, and how she’s trying to improve that by joining the Wikipedia community of volunteers and creating pages for women in science and all their achievements. The writer and director Sally Wainwright joins Krupa Padhy ahead of the final series of Happy Valley to discuss how she created the iconic character of Catherine Cawood, and why Sarah Lancashire was perfect for the part – and her mum was her best script editor. What’s the best way for you to feel rested? Does music come into it? Jessica Creighton speaks to the award-winning composer and conductor Debbie Wiseman OBE about the relaxing and restful impact the right music can have, not just on our mind, but on our body and our heartbeat too.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Lottie Garton

Dame Vivienne Westwood died yesterday at the age of 81 but she has been called the ‘undisputed Queen of British Fashion’. She made her name with her controversial punk and new wave styles in the 1970s and went on to dress some of the biggest stars in fashion. She was well known for her androgynous designs, slogan T-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment and would use her platform later to bring the causes she cared about like climate change to the forefront. Barjis Chohan is a fashion designer in London who got her first break fresh out of college working with Dame Vivienne WestwoodThe multi Bafta-winning BBC drama Happy Valley returns to our screens on New Year’s Day. It’s a long awaited third series – the first came out in 2014, and the second in 2016. It centres on police Sergeant Catherine Cawood (pron. Kay-ward) - played by Sarah Lancashire - and her family in West Yorkshire and is the brainchild of writer and director Sally Wainwright, whose other TV credits include Last Tango in Halifax, Scott and Bailey and Gentleman Jack. Krupa speaks to Sally, who is considered to be one of our greatest television dramatists.Hundreds of servicewomen have experienced sexual abuse during their training at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, according to Salute Her UK. Their figures show that 177 women have sought help for cases spanning more than 20 years. Paula Edwards, CEO of Salute Her UK discusses the ‘toxic culture’ of sexual assault in the military. Salute Her UK is the sister charity of Forward Assist - which supports military veterans struggling to adjust to civilian life. It is the only UK gender-specific support service to offer therapy and interventions for survivors of in-service sexual abuse.Even if you don’t know her name, you will almost certainly recognise her face. A former supermodel Czechoslovak-born Paulina Porizkova appeared on the covers of numerous top magazines around the world during the 1980s and 1990s, including Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour and Cosmopolitan. In 1988 she became one of the highest-paid models in the world as the face of Estee Lauder. She also acted in many movies and TV shows and was on the judging panel on cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model. Her novel, A model Summer, was published in 2007. She has now written a memoir, No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and The beautiful.2022 marks thirty years since Queen Elizabeth II used the term annus horribilis (worst year) in her Ruby Jubilee speech to describe a personal low point. As we approach the New Year, some of us may, instead of celebrating, be looking back at our own personal annus horribilis. But how do we cope when all the bad news seems to come at once? And after a worst year, how do we feel hopeful for a better one? Emily Dean is a radio host and author of Everybody Died So I Got A Dog. Ella Risbridger is a food writer whose books describe how she found solace from grief and mental illness through the comfort of cooking. They both join Krupa Padhy to discuss how we can cope with the lowest points in life.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Barjis Chohan Interviewed Guest: Sally Wainwright Interviewed Guest: Paula Edwards Interviewed Guest: Paulina Porizkova Photographer: Jill Greenberg Interviewed Guest: Ella Risbridger Interviewed Guest: Emily Dean

If 2022 was the year of talking about menopause could 2023 be the year of looking at life beyond it? Joining Krupa to discuss the positive side of life after menopause is Caryn Franklin, fashion and identity commentator. Her latest audio book is SKEWED: Decoding Media Bias, which explores why women and girls are educated to fear ageing. And Supriya Nagarajan who made a life-changing decision during the menopause to focus on her first love - performing the traditional music of her south Asian roots.According to the National Police Chiefs Council, nearly 5,000 cases of needle and drink spiking were recorded by forces across England and Wales between September 2021 and August 2022. There were more than 2500 cases of spiking by needle, with women accounting for three quarters of the victims. However, only three per cent of blood samples sent for analysis were found to “contain a controlled drug that supports a spiking incident”, so potential victims of spiking are being urged to report to the police and get tested quickly - as some substances can leave the body within 12 hours. Krupa is joined by Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, the National Police Chiefs Council lead on violence against women and girls.A new film and exhibition called Turning the Tide looks at the role of women in the renewable energy sector through movement and dance. The short film features women in graceful action at landmarks such as the Humber Bridge, and at an offshore wind turbine blade factory in Hull. Created in partnership with the Women's Movement 100 project which is celebrating the 100 years of female suffrage, it's the brainchild of choreographer Freddie Garland, who has done similar projects recognising women in industry in Sheffield and Newcastle. She speaks to Krupa along with Louise Smith, one of the dancers in the film and director of the University of Hull's Aura Innovation Centre. A new historical drama begins this evening on BBC Two, about the ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette. The award-winning French costume designer Madeline Fontaine is the woman who was tasked with recreating the sumptuous and extravagant outfits that are paraded around Versailles on the show. She joins Krupa.Is it OK to be jealous of your friends? With the festive period in full swing, it can be a time of feeling envious of people gathering and having a good time on social media – but how do we tame the green-eyed monster that can surface when we see that our friends are happy and doing well? Krupa is joined by female friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson and journalist and author Claire Cohen to discuss.

When did you realise you you had something to say or something you want to stand up for. In the first in our series "Find My Voice" Jessica talks to Milly Johnson the author of 20 novels which have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. She’s the winner of the Romantic Novelist Association's Outstanding Achievement Award, as well as Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me – Barnsley edition. But all that success seemed like a pipe dream, until she got her first book deal at the age of 40.As the UN Security Council calls on the Taliban to revoke its ban on women in Afghanistan working for aid agencies - we look at the impact it will have on humanitarian operations in a country heavily dependent on aid. When our reporter Ena Miller gave birth to her baby called Bonnie just over a year ago - she expected to receive the standard comments..."Oh she's so beautiful, aww look at her little nose, she's so cute, aww what a big baby..." she did get those but she also got negative remarks from friends and strangers about the colour of her baby's skin. Ena realised she was not alone and went to meet two other mothers Fariba and Wendy to talk about their experiences and ask for their advice.Plus do you live with a ‘man-child’? Research shows that it’s a real phenomenon, and can damage the relationship dynamic between a man and a woman, typically meaning the woman is less sexually interested. Professor @SarivanAnders joins @JessCreighton1 to tell us moreAnd the Christmas Sandwich. Is it more popular than Christmas lunch? What should be in them? How important is the bread you choose? And can you ever add gravy? Nell Carter who reviews Christmas sandwiches is in the studio to tell us.Presenter Jessica Creighton Producer Beverley Purcell

What does it mean when you are the first to 'be seen'? In 2018, Constance Wu received a Golden Globe Best Lead Actress nomination. She was the first Asian woman in 44 years to be named in the category for her historic role in Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast. After a tweet bemoaning the hit Chinese American sitcom Fresh Off The Boat, which launched her career, she was ‘cancelled’ by many from her own community. Wu talks to us about the pressures of representation and being seen.What is our responsibility in what we show people? Zara McDermott, social media influencer, former Love Island reality TV star and now filmmaker, talks to us about the responsibility we have in reflecting a balanced and authentic image of ourselves online. In Zara’s recent BBC Three documentary, Disordered Eating, she questions her responsibilities as a social media influencer.How can we help others be seen? Dr Jess Wade is a physicist from Imperial College London who creates wiki profiles for women in science. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in history, yet Jess says only 19 percent of profiles are of women. She tells us how and why she hopes to change that.What if you see yourself in someone but choose the path not taken? Rotherham listeners, Becky and her mum Jackie, discuss how they do and don’t see themselves in each other.If you met your hero, what would you say to them? An intergenerational conversation between two women who inspire each other: Gurinder Chadha is the Director of the landmark film Bend It Like Beckham which turned 20 this year, and Charitha Chandran plays Edwina Sharma in season two of the hit Netflix period drama Bridgerton.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Surya Elango

This is your time to rest.. you have permission. Lie on the floor, or sit on a chair, get yourself comfortable... close your eyes if you'd like... take a deep breath in... and exhale... How much do you rest? Do you prioritise it? Maybe you feel you don't have time to rest! Or maybe you feel guilty for taking time out? Jessica Creighton discusses the theme of Rest with her guests.The presenter and author of The Art of Rest Claudia Hammond defines what rest is - and isn’t; discusses some of the most restful activities, gives a ‘Prescription for Rest’ and explains why she has a box containing a crochet hook and some seeds.The Reverend Lesley Jones, Rector at The Parish of Jarrow of Simonside, and Anna Katharina Schaffner, Professor of Cultural History at the University of Kent, discuss the day of rest and the ‘rest cure’ – which involved drinking four pints of milk and eating mutton chops! The nature geek Melissa Harrison takes us on a country walk near her village and describes how nature rests in winter.Composer Debbie Wiseman explains how music can promote a feeling of restfulness and demonstrates with some of her favourites from Beethoven to Brahms and her own composition Together.British athletes discuss how they use rest to perform at the highest level. The Former athlete and Olympic medallist Anyika Onuora and sport climber and five times National Champion Molly Thompson-Smith share their stories of how necessary it was in aiding their recovery from illness and injury.And a former magazine editor Marianne Jones commissioned hundreds of pieces about stress, but ignored her own potentially fatal burnout. She recalls the warning signs that led her to become a relaxed woman.Presented by Jessica Creighton Producer: Louise Corley

Photo credit: John Wilson/Netflix The Grammy nominated singer and actor Janelle Monae joins Krupa to discuss playing the role of Andi Brand in Netflix's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. They also discuss politics, including Janelle's thoughts on the rights of marginalised groups in the US as well as fashion and Janelle's love of dressing in the nude on holiday.In the early hours of June 26 this year aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, was sexually assaulted before she was killed by a man who had been released from prison less than two weeks before. She was attacked as she walked home from a night out along busy Cranbrook Road in Ilford, east London, an area she knew well and where she felt “safe”. Krupa speaks to Zara’s aunt – Farah Naz – about Zara, losing her and the family’s reaction to the murderer being allowed to stay in his cell rather than come to court to be sentenced last week.Sixty nine year old Christine Hobson from West Yorkshire has become the oldest woman to complete the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Braving the extreme weather conditions with minus 50C temperatures, she completed the marathon last Wednesday in just eight hours and 33 minutes. She has also now achieved the incredible feat of having run 117 marathons on seven continents. The fiddler and folk singer Bryony Griffith and singer, instrumentalist and percussive step dancer, Alice Jones are established solo artists at the heart of the UK folk scene. They have joined forces and earlier this year they released an album of Yorkshire songs and folklore: “A year too late and a month too soon” - which went to No.6 in Mojo folk albums of the year. They join Krupa Padhy live in the studio to discuss the tradition and to perform a Yorkshire Christmas song - Early Pearly, which they've recorded to raise funds for homeless charities.Presented by Krupa Padhy Producer: Louise Corley

Over the festive period, many people will be returning to stay in the home they grew up in. But when is the right time to clear out a childhood bedroom after its occupants have left home? Should you turn it into a study, pottery studio, or holiday rental the moment the kids have stepped out the door? Or preserve it as a shrine filled with old A Level notes, soft toys, and 90s posters? The protests in Iran are now entering their fourth month with no sign of abating. They were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old who died in custody after being detained by morality police. But Woman's Hour has been in touch with one group of women who are rebelling in a quieter way, with the revival of a simple but ancient tradition. The tradition of making handmade dolls to pass from generation to generation. It's therapeutic, but still proving to be a small but powerful act of defiance. Tanaz Assefi, an artist originally from Iran, is in touch with a woman inside the country who's been travelling around towns and villages collecting handmade dolls. How have women been affected by the digital revolution of the last 30 years? Lilia Giugni will be joining Krupa Padhy to talk about her book "Threat: Why Digital Capitalism is Sexist and How to Resist". Plus the latest on the progress of the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill. And one day after excluding women from university, we find out more about reports that the Taliban have banned girls from primary schools, effectively instituting a total ban on education for women and girls. Presenter Krupa Padhy Producer Clare Walker.

The number of female patients being prescribed medication for ADHD has more than doubled in recent years. The reasons for this include time spent at home during lockdown really getting to know ourselves and, increasingly, videos on social media sites. #ADHDinwomen has 2.3 billion views on TikTok. To discuss this Hayley is joined by Dr Jo Steer, a Clinical Psychologist and Josie Heath-Smith who discovered she had ADHD after watching videos online. Today sees ambulance workers across most of England and Wales walk out over pay, joining nurses, rail and postal workers who have been on strike in recent weeks. Health chiefs have warned of "extensive disruption" and a health minister has said people should take "extra care". One woman who has been keeping a close eye on all of this is Professor Lucy Easthope, Professor of Risk and Hazard at Durham University, co founder of the After Disaster Network and author of When The Dust Settles - she joins Hayley Hassall on the programme. The Taliban has banned women from attending universities in Afghanistan. Hayley Hassall is joined by the Diplomatic Correspondent for The Times, Catherine Philp, who has recently returned from Afghanistan.The 23-year-old singer Debbie is one to watch. Signed to the same record label as the rapper Stormzy, she features on his latest album This Is What I Mean. Debbie joins Hayley Hassall to discuss growing up with gospel music and how her pop career blossomed while studying finance at university.According to new research from the homeless charity Shelter 1 in every 100 children in England will wake up homeless this Christmas. CEO of Shelter Polly Neate joins Hayley Hassall to explain why and what she thinks needs to be done.Presenter: Hayley Hassall Producer: Emma Pearce