Woman's Hour

The imagery around pregnancy is often of glowing women doing yoga with calm expressions. For many women through it can be a time of anxiety about the birth, the baby, the future. All perfectly natural but it can be hard to ask for or access help. A new book ‘Break Free From Maternal Anxiety’ A self-help Guide for Pregnancy, Birth and the First Postnatal Year’ offers CBT-based support. One of the authors Dr Catherine Green joins Emma Barnett to share professional and personal experience.We hear from Professor Fiona Wood a world leading burns specialist the reluctant subject of a new book ‘Under Her Skin’. She was the first female plastic surgeon in Western Australia (in 1991) and has been named Australia’s Most Trusted Person and National Living Treasure becoming a household name after she led a team that helped saved the lives of people injured in the Bali bombing.Women continue to lead protests in Iran. But many Iranians say speaking out against the regime brings real risks. Now according to State Media a court in Iran has issued the first death sentence to a person arrested for taking part. We get the latest from Faranak Amidi the BBC's Near East Women's Affairs Reporter and Rushanara Ali the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow about what she wants the UK Government to do.A tribute to Sue Baker one of the original members of the Top Gear team who's died.Plus tampon tax campaigner Laura Coryton on new research which suggests at least 80% of the savings, as a result of the tax ending two years ago has been absorbed by retailers. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Today it is 100 years since the BBC began broadcasting on radio. To celebrate that centenary, we have commissioned a poem by Kim Moore and created a soundscape to show how much women’s lives, and the noises that surround them, have changed - using BBC archive from the 1920s right through to the present day. We also ask why did the BBC get its nickname ‘Auntie’? And what kind of aunt would she be? To mark 100 years since the BBC started daily radio broadcasts, Emma Barnett is joined by television presenter and comedian Mel Giedroyc and historian of the BBC Professor Jean Seaton.Sir Gavin Williamson resigned from the cabinet last week following allegations of bullying; the Labour MP Charlotte Nichols has claimed there is a "whisper list" of 40 politicians to never accept a drink from or be alone with; and claims have emerged over the weekend that civil servants at the Ministry of Justice were offered “respite or a route out” when Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab was reappointed last month. Emma asks Anne Milton, the former deputy chief whip who has accused Gavin Williamson of subjecting MPs to “unethical and immoral behaviour" - whether we can infer a 'blokeish' culture in politics. We also hear from Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor at the Spectator.Anna Sorokin was born to an ordinary family in Moscow, before moving to Germany as a teenager. But upon arriving in New York, she transformed herself into Anna Delvey, a German multimillionaire heiress with a trust fund in Europe. She used this persona to lead a lavish lifestyle and conned friends, big banks and hotels into thinking that her fortune could cover the luxury she desired. But it was all a con. She was found guilty in 2019 of theft of services and grand larceny, having scammed more than $200,000 (£145,000) and spent almost four years in jail. In her first radio interview since being released, Anna Delvey joins Emma.

The Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and actress LeAnn Rimes joins us in the studio. Her unforgettable ballad "How Do I Live" holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time #1 hit by a female artist. She talks about the inspiration her latest album, God’s Work.A woman who served in the Royal Navy for 20 years speaks for the first time about how she was raped and sexually assaulted during her career. The woman who we are calling Catherine says that when a senior colleague discovered she was pregnant, they suggested that an appointment be made for her to have an abortion.The Conservative MP Sarah Atherton serves on the Defence Select Committee, and led an inquiry last year into the experiences of women in the armed forces, which heard from 4200 women, including some 9% of women currently serving in the armed forces. The Atherton report found that 64% of female veterans and 58% of currently-serving women reported experiencing bullying, harassment or discrimination during their careers. She gives her response to Catherine’s story.Lotte Wubben-Moy has become the latest women’s football player to say she won’t be watching the World Cup in Qatar, because of where it’s being held and their stance on homosexuality and equal rights. Suzy Wrack from the Guardian tells us why women speaking out about this is so significant.Althea McNish was the first Caribbean designer to achieve international recognition and is one of the UK’s most influential textile designers. There’s currently a major retrospective of her, Althea McNish: Colour is Mine at the Whitworth in Manchester. Rose Sinclair, Lecturer in Design Education at Goldsmiths, University of London, co-curated the exhibition.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Louise Corley

The Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and actress LeAnn Rimes released her first album, Blue, aged 13 and at 14 she won "Best New Artist”. Her unforgettable ballad "How Do I Live" holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time #1 hit by a female artist. She joins Anita Rani to talk about the inspiration her latest album – god’s work – which features artists including Ziggy Marley and Aloe Blacc. We’ll be getting an insight into what life behind bars is like for female activists in Nicaragua. Professor Julie Cupples, an Academic who has written about the country and spent time doing fieldwork for her thesis, will be speaking to Anita Rani along with Fiona Macintosh an author who was in Nicaragua at the time of political revolution in the 1980’s. They’ll both be sharing their experiences of women trying to push for revolution in the country.A new report ‘Girls Speak: Pushed Out, Left Out’ from the charity Agenda Alliance highlights the problem of persistent adultification in schools which often leads to extra harsh discipline for Black and dual heritage girls. Anita speaks to Ebinehita Iyere who collaborated on the report joins Anita.With early indications that COVID-19 rates are beginning to rise ahead of winter and a predicted flu wave, the UK Health Security Agency and NHS say it’s essential that pregnant women come forward and get protected. Anita is joined by Claire who contracted covid-19 when she was pregnant & Professor Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at St George’s University Hospital, University of London.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Michael Millham

A woman who served in the Royal Navy for 20 years speaks for the first time about how she was raped and sexually assaulted during her career. Speaking to Emma Barnett on Woman’s Hour she describes experiencing several other incidents of sexual harassment during her time serving, including a colleague putting his penis on her shoulder. She says that when a senior colleague discovered she was pregnant, they suggested that an appointment be made for her to have an abortion. The Conservative MP Sarah Atherton serves on the Defence Select Committee, and led an inquiry last year into the experiences of women in the armed forces, which heard from 4200 women, including some 9% of women currently serving in the armed forces. The Atherton report found that 64 percent of female veterans and 58 percent of currently-serving women reported experiencing bullying harassment or discrimination during their careers. Sarah joins Emma to give her response to Catherine’s story.Lieutenant colonel Diane Allen, served for 37 years in the Army before resigning last year. She has previously called for a Me Too moment across the military. Diane has a website- forwarned - where she collates testimony from serving and former service personnel and joins Emma Barnett. At 53, Jenifer Aniston has opened up for the first time about spending years ‘throwing everything’ at trying to conceive, following years of speculation. There are so many stories of eventual happy endings for those on the infertility road. But what about those how who don’t have that? Emma Barnett is joined by Caroline Stafford, a baker, who shares her own experiences of what happens when things don’t work out.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

England's Rugby League Women's team play their next World Cup match against Papua New Guinea tonight. Joining Emma to talk about how to get more women involved in the game are the official Women's Ambassador for the Rugby League World Cup Jodie Cunningham and the Captain Emily Rudge. Jodie is also an Ambassador for the RLWC's Social Impact Programme which champions inclusive volunteering. We hear from volunteer Jenny Robinson, who is a wheelchair user and has learning disabilities, who says it's changed her life.Whether you choose to watch or not, you won’t have escaped the news that reality show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! is back on TV and that Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary during the pandemic, who had to resign over breaking his own rules when an affair with an aide was exposed by the newspapers - is due to make his first appearance in the jungle camp in Australia tonight. Christine Hamilton, media personality and author, married to former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton - came third in the first series of I'm a Celebrity 20 years ago - back in 2002. She gives her view to Emma, as does Dr Cathy Gardner, who brought a judicial review on the government's discharge policy of hospitals to care homes at the beginning of the pandemic against Matt Hancock, the NHS and Public Health England – and won.Results are being declared in the US midterm elections. The Republicans currently have the most seats in the House of Representatives but it is still unclear which party could gain control of the Senate. Abortion has played a role in these elections, with the first batch of exit polls showing that for 3 in 10 Americans, abortion was the most important issue. The Democrats ran campaigns that focussed on abortion rights and poll as the most trusted party with this issue, but has the importance of abortion rights been overplayed? Emma speaks to Amanda Taub, writer for The New York Times.Over the last few weeks we've been talking about the power and the pain of female friendship. A Woman's Hour Listener we are calling Nina contacted us - she was listening to one of the episodes exploring whether friendships can be repaired - and it really chimed with her. Our reporter Jo Morris met Nina at her home to hear her story.

Following, Elon Musk’s announcement that Twitter will permanently suspend any account on the social media platform that impersonates another, Nuala McGovern is joined by crime writer, Denise Mina who changed her twitter display name to ‘Elon Musk’. Jenny Tough is an endurance athlete who's best known for running and cycling in some of world's most challenging events. For a forthcoming film - SOLO - she set herself an audacious objective: to run – solo and unsupported, across mountain ranges on six continents, starting with one of the most remote locations on earth in Kyrgystan. She joins Nuala to describe how mountains give her a sense of home and why travelling solo is a “force for joy”. We speak to Anti Trafficking Social worker Lauren Starkey and Human rights Journalist about new research that suggests Albanian women are more likely to have their asylum applications approveddue to the threat they face from trafficking. They’ll be sharing the experiences of some of the women with Nuala McGovern and give us an insight into the dangers that female asylum seekers face day to day. Textile designer Althea McNish was the first Caribbean designer to achieve international recognition and is one of the UK’s most influential and innovative textile designers. There’s currently a major retrospective of her, Althea McNish: Colour is Mine at the Whitworth in Manchester on tour from William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow. Rose Sinclair a Lecturer in Design Education at Goldsmiths, University of London co-curated the exhibition.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Hailing from theatrical royalty, daughter of Judy Garland, actor and singer Lorna Luft is recognised as an iconic star of stage and screen. About to embark on a UK tour playing housekeeper Martha Watson in the much-loved musical White Christmas, she joins Emma Barnett to explain what draws her back to this role time after time.The Prime Minister is in Sharm El Sheikh for this year's COP27 UN climate change summit - after coming under some pressure to attend in person. But 110 country leaders will be there. Money will feature high on the agenda and is sure to be a sticking point in negotiations. Leaders of those representing developing countries want developed nations like the US, UK and those of the EU to pay for the "loss and damage" they've suffered. We hear from Elise Buckle co-founder of SheChanges Climate and environmental campaigner Georgia Elliott Smith who is not going to this COP A new biography of Edda Mussolini highlights her pivotal role in 1930s Italy during one of the most violent periods in human history. As the daughter of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini she was a powerful proponent of the fascist movement. Author of a new book all about her - Edda Mussolini the Most Dangerous Woman in Europe. - Caroline Moorehead joins Emma Barnett to talk about her role as a key role player and not just a witness to twentieth century European history.And we want your help. A listener got in touch to describe how, in a discussion with a male colleague about the gender pay gap, she was told to ‘not take it personally’ and ‘calm down’. She'd like you tips on how to as she puts it "tackle this rebuttal often used by men to silence women who attempt to challenge male dominance in the work place” Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Beth Mead was Player of the Tournament at the Euro's earlier this year, and runner-up in the Ballon d'Or which decides the best player in the world. Beth plays for Arsenal in the Women's Super League, and has a new book out called Lioness: My Journey To Glory. After Donna Patterson's maternity leave, her employer Morrison’s gave her a full-time role, despite her only working part time. She represented herself in a tribunal and she won a £60k pay-out for maternity discrimination.Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers are the producing partners behind some of the biggest American TV dramas of modern times – Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and Bridgerton. A report by the Police watchdog, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary - into eight forces in England and Wales, has warned that hundreds of police officers have been cleared to serve when they should have failed vetting procedures. Sir Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police from 2008 to 2015 gave his reaction. One in five female doctors say they have considered early retirement due to menopause symptoms. A new report warns that without better support there could be ‘an exodus’ of female doctors from the NHS. Dame Jane Dacre, President of the Medical Protection Society, and Dr Nadira Awal, a GP who specialises in women's health discuss. Mother and daughter acting duo, Caroline and Rose Quentin are appearing in a new touring production of the George Bernard Shaw play, Mrs Warren’s Profession. They discuss their relationship and their first experience of working together.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers are the producing partners behind some of the biggest American TV dramas of modern times – and they are always female character led. They include Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and of course the Netflix hit Bridgerton – adapted from Julia Quinn’s racy novels set in the Regency era in England. The first series was released at the end of 2020, and is well known for having racially diverse cast and steamy sex scenes. Anita Rani speaks to Shonda and Betsy about their work and new projects.We hear how primary school pupils, as well as youngsters from middle class ‘leafy suburbs’, are being lured into gangs and county lines drug running according to Anne Longfield in her new report for the Commission on Young Lives.A new project, led by Lancaster University, has created memory boxes, designed to help women whose babies are taken into care at birth while a court determines their child’s future. We hear why these ‘Hope boxes’ are so important to the women who developed the idea and Research Fellow, Claire Mason who supported them. And discuss why the number of newborns in care proceedings in England and Wales has increased over the past decade.The actor and playwright Sudha Bhuchar discusses ‘Evening Conversations’ currently on stage at the Soho Theatre in London. And Inspired by the epic Himalayan scenes featured in Bollywood films, chef and food writer Romy Gill details her journey from Kashmir to Ladakh, sharing recipes she learned along the way.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Michael Millham