Woman's Hour

Geena Davis is a two-time Academy award-winning actress, known for her role as Thelma in Thelma & Louise, among countless other parts she has played. She joins Jessica Creighton to talk about her impressive career as an actress, athlete and model – as well as why she’s such a champion of female representation in media, and why she chose the title of her new memoir, ‘Dying of Politeness’.Anne Sacoolas on Thursday admitted causing the death of 19 year old motorcyclist Harry Dunn in August 2019. Harry’s mother Charlotte spoke to Anita Rani about how she’s feeling after the trial, and how her and Harry’s family have kept up the fight for justice over the last three years. Choreographer Jasmin Vardimon talks to Jessica Creighton about her new production, ALiCE, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and looks at how current cultural themes that we wouldn’t expect, including how women change through puberty and the menopause, are central to the classic story.Domestic abuse figures in England and Wales are going up. Woman’s Hour has been hearing about sides of the issue we don’t really talk about. Winifred Robinson, presenter of the Radio 4 series, ‘Boy in the Woods’ talks to Krupa Pahdy about what it is that makes women want to stay with their abusers – and filmmaker Deeyah Khan tells Jessica Creighton about her new documentary, ‘Behind the Rage’, which focuses on the men who are violent towards their partners.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Anne Sacoolas - a US citizen - has admitted causing the death of 19 year old Harry Dunn, outside an airbase in Northamptonshire in 2019. Yesterday, she appeared at the Old Bailey via video link and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. She'd been charged with causing death by dangerous driving -- but her guilty plea to the lesser charge was accepted. She will be sentenced next month. Her family and campaigners have worked tirelessly to get justice for Harry. In a radio exclusive, we hear reaction from his mother Charlotte Charles. After weeks of political turmoil Liz Truss resigned yesterday after just 45 days as Prime Minister. Her resignation has triggered a second Tory leadership election in just four months. But why did her leadership fail? Was there something inherently wrong with her leadership style or was this about gender? We hear from Ella Robertson McKay National Chair of Conservative Young Women, and from Rainbow Murray, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University.Cerys Hafana is one of the few people in the world who plays the Welsh triple harp. At the age of just 21, she has made her mark on the Welsh folk music scene, with a second album which ‘mangles, mutates, and transforms’ the canon. She'll be playing one of the tracks from the new album live in the studio.And Anita Rani will be speaking to Sejal Majithia and Sejal Sachdev the women behind a new exhibition Ugandan Asians A Living History which reflects on fifty years since the expulsion of Asians by Idi Amin. They’ll be giving us an insight into what women and their families went through during and after expulsion and how it’s shaped communities today.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Tim Heffer & Bob Nettles

Comedian Jayde Adams and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Karen Hauer speak to Woman’s Hour about their performance on Saturday’s show which was dedicated to Jayde’s late sister Jenna Adams. They’ll be talking about how their journey dancing as a female sex couple has been, reflecting on the public support and reaction, as well as giving us an insight into what’s in store for their next dance. A recent poll by YouGov found that half of Conservative members now think Liz Truss should resign. Krupa is joined by two of them: Sally-Ann Marks who is chairman of Maidstone and the Weald Conservative Association and Seena Shah is formerly the National Chairman of Conservative Young Women, and now a board member for Conservatives in the City.We hear from a woman we're calling Sarah who is living on the estate where Rikki Neave, the six year old boy was killed in 1994, lived. Presenter Winifred Robinson met Sarah by chance when she was investigating why it took twenty years for Rikki’s killer to be brought to justice which resulted in the recent series “The Boy in the Woods” which has just been aired on Radio 4. She was living in a situation comparable with the Neave family. Krupa Padhy speaks to Winifred and you can hear her exclusive interview with Sarah and we’ll also be talking to child protection expert Sarah Humphreys.Women are twice as likely to suffer from phobias than men. Kate Summerscale joins Krupa to discuss her new book, The Book of Phobias and Manias: a history of the world in 99 obsessions.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Emma Pearce

An independent review launched after up to 15 babies died at a hospital trust will be published later this morning. The report into maternity services at East Kent Hospitals, which is expected to be "harrowing", examined up to 200 cases involving mothers and babies. The medical experts reviewed an 11-year period from 2009 at two hospitals in Margate and Ashford. Two mothers who lost their babies at a hospital trust at the centre of a maternity scandal say they felt they were blamed for the deaths. Earlier our presenter Krupa Padhi spoke to one of those mothers Helen Gittos as she and her husband Alan, and other families, waited to be allowed to read the report. They lost their daughter Harriet in 2014.The cartoonist Kate Beaton has written a memoir about her time working in the oil fields of Canada aged 21 to pay off her student debt. Her memoir 'Ducks' tells of her loneliness and vulnerability in the male-dominated space and the kindness she found there too. The dirty machinery and blasted landscapes alongside the Northern Lights inspired her as an artist and her book offers a rare insight into the lives of the people who surface our oil .Carmen Callil, the publisher and writer who championed female writers and transformed the canon of English literature, has died of leukemia aged 84. She founded the feminist imprint Virago Press, where she published contemporary bestsellers including Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou. She worked with writers such as Angela Carter, Alan Hollinghurst and Toni Morrison. She was also the first publisher of Hilary Mantel. We discuss her life with chair of Virago Press, Lennie Goodings, a long-term friend and former colleague of the late publisher and writer. Child-free women in the 20-something age bracket are sharing videos outlining what their day-to-day lives look like as #StayAtHomeGFs on TikTok. The hashtag has garnered 170 million posts and refers to one partner in a relationship whose role is to stay at home to look after their breadwinner boyfriend who goes to work and funds their lives. The content appears to be quite aspirational for many. We discuss the trend with the digital culture commentator Hannah Van de Peer and Alex Holder, a personal finance expert and author of Open Up: Why Talking About Money Will Change Your Life.Google searches for sterilisation peaked in the US in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v Wade – and the morning after pill sold out. It’s even made some women rethink whether or not they want children, and reports suggest younger women are even considering permanent sterilisation so they can’t become pregnant again. 23-year-old Olivia from Massachusetts joins Krupa, alongside USA correspondent Holly Honderich and NHS gynaecologist Dr Larisa Corda, to chat about the implications of female sterilisation. Presenter: Krupa Padhi Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Helen Gittos Interviewed Guest: Kate Beaton Interviewed Guest: Lennie Goodings Interviewed Guest: Hannah Van de Peer Interviewed Guest: Alex Holder Interviewed Guest: Holly Honderich Interviewed Guest: Dr Larissa Corda

In her memoir "Dying of Politeness" the Oscar winning actor Geena_Davis talks about her roles from a housewife-turned-road warrior and an amnesiac assassin to the mother of a rodent, and the president of the United States. Plus she shares with Jessica Ceighton how she could have swapped acting for athletes and her passion for female representation.Many of you got in touch after the journalist Merope Mills voiced her anger at her 13-year-old daughter Martha's preventable death in hospital. Jessica Creighton speaks to consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Virginia Davies about some of the broader medical issues you raised - from feeling that doctors and other medical staff were sometimes arrogant and often weren’t listening to your concerns about patient care to whether there needs to be a change in hospital culture. Survivors of modern slavery could be contributing to the UK economy and helping to address skills shortages, but instead are being held back by bureaucratic red tape, that’s according to a new report by Hestia the leading provider of modern slavery support in London and the Southeast.  The want for survivors to be given a temporary right to work as soon as they enter the system. We hear from a survivor "Trinny" and Alison Logier Head of Modern Slavery services about the impact this could have both for survivors and society as a whole.What's it like to be the youngest child with large age gaps between you and your siblings? And what can parents do to help ease the difficulties that might occur? Presenter Jessica Creighton Producer Beverley Purcell

Jasmin Vardimon is one of the UK’s leading choreographers and was awarded an MBE for services to dance in the late Queen’s final birthday honours list in June. This month Jasmin is bringing ALiCE - a new interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland - to the Sadler’s Wells. She is also opening a purpose-built dance centre in Kent where the Jasmin Vardimon Company will be based. She joins Jessica to talk about her work.Deeyah Khan is an Emmy, Bafta and Peabody winning filmmaker. Deeyah’s films have previously covered topics such as abortion in America, white supremacy, and why people become terrorists. Her latest film looks at domestic violence in the United States, hearing from voices rarely heard on the topic, the men who perpetrate violence towards their partners. Deeyah joins Jessica.Baroness Casey's interim report into the Metropolitan Police's disciplinary procedures has found that hundreds of Met police officers have been getting away with misconduct and even breaking the law. The new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has today called for officers to be sacked, after the report found that their internal disciplinary system is racist and misogynist, and allegations of sexual misconduct or discrimination are less likely to result in a case to answer than other claims. It also found that repeat misconduct offenders have remained in post, with just 13 out of 1,809 officers with more than one case against them being sacked since 2013. Jessica speaks to Shabnam Chaudri, formerly a Detective Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police.Membership of the Women's International Motorcycle Association has increased by 50% in the last two years. And the world’s largest all-female biker meet took place in Leicestershire this summer, with over 1,500 women in attendance. But why is the number of female motorcyclists accelerating? Jessica talks to Karina Artun AKA Bike Like a Mum on Instagram, who started learning to ride in lockdown, and Sheonagh Ravensdale, Communications Director of the British Motorcyclists Federation.Women are selling sex to cope with the cost of living crisis, according to the English Collective of Prostitutes who have seen call levels to their helpline rise by a third in the last few months. Many women are turning to sex work for the first time, while others are returning, having left it behind. Pregnant Then Screwed have also been contacted by women in a similar position. Jessica speaks to a sex worker called Evie and Niki Adams of the English Collective of Prostitutes, a network of sex workers and supporters campaigning for the decriminalisation of prostitution.

Nicole Hockley lost her son Dylan when he was 6 years old, during the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut in 2012. She talks about her son, her feelings of loss, her activism and her reaction to the trial of Alex Jones, where a jury decided he should pay nearly 1 billion dollars in damages. Do you feel comfortable voicing your opinion? Are you afraid of the ‘cancel culture’? Actress Juliet Stevenson is in a new play that address the issue of differing opinions in the modern world – she explains why she thinks we’ve lost free speech in this country.Women in Iran are continuing to protest in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian women have a strong history of protesting – author Kamin Mohammidi discusses.This week marks 40 years of Sue Townsend’s ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole’. English Professor Emma Parker and writer Cathy Rentzenbrink join us to talk about the enduring legacy of Adrian Mole.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

This week, in a defamation trial in the US, Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars website, was ordered to pay nearly one billion dollars in damage to eight families and an FBI agent. He had falsely claimed a mass shooting of twenty young children between ages of 6 and 7 and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012 was a hoax. Because of his lies grieving families were harassed and threatened by his followers. Nicole Hockley’s six year old son Dylan was killed in the shooting and was part of the defamation case and awarded millions in damages. Nicole joins Anita to discuss her response, and her ongoing work as the co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise, which works to protect children from gun violence. Manisha Tailor MBE is the assistant head of coaching for the under 9's to 16's at QPR Football Club. She is the only person of South Asian heritage to be working as a coach in English professional football. She discusses her new book ‘Dream Like Me: South Asian Football Trailblazers’.National Album Day returns for its 5th year tomorrow and this year turns the spotlight on debut albums. Previous themes include women in music and the 1980s. With activity across BBC Sounds, Anita hears from indie folk trio The Staves. The three sisters from Hertfordshire released their debut album ‘Dead, Born and Grown’ exactly ten years ago and have just re-issued a special edition on recycled vinyl. Jessica, Emily and Camilla perform live in the Woman's Hour studio..Would you wear a necklace made from your own bacteria? Or a pair of earrings formed from human tears? Anita Rani talks to two women who are using bodily materials – often their own – to make art. Chloe Fitzpatrick grows human bacteria to create the dyes used in her jewellery pieces and has amassed millions of views on TikTok for her videos documenting the process. Alice Potts’ innovative work with crystals has allowed her to create beautiful crystal structures out of tears, urine, and sweat.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Nicole Hockley Interviewed Guest: Manisha Tailor Interviewed Guest: Camilla Staveley-Taylor Interviewed Guest: Emily Staveley-Taylor Interviewed Guest: Jessica Staveley-Taylor Photographer: Sequoia Ziff Interviewed Guest: Chloe Fitzpatrick Interviewed Guest: Alice Potts

The Doctor’ first opened at the Almeida in 2019 Juliet Stevenson’s performance was described as ‘one of the peaks of the theatrical year’. Now on stage in London’s West End the play has again been highly applauded by the critics. Juliet joins Emma Barnett to discuss playing Dr Ruth Wolff, medical ethics, identity politics, anti-Semitism, media witch hunts and the way institutions protect themselves against criticism.It’s been 40 years since The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend was published. On New Year’s Day 1981 Adrian lives in Leicester. His parent’s relationship is rocky, money is tight. He is worried about his spots and the length of his penis and he yearns for Pandora a girl from school who is from the posh part of town. Joining Emma are Dr Emma Parker, Associate Professor of English working on Twentieth Century women’s writing at Leicester University and the writer Cathy Rentzenbrink. What does the diary of a teenage boy tell us about the lives of girls and women in the early 80's?We hear from the Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge who yesterday at PMQ's asked Liz Truss about the charity Mermaids which offers support around gender and identity to children and young people up to 25 years old and is currently the subject of a regulatory compliance case by the Charity Commission. Plus Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds talks about her Strictly Come Dancing journey and the impact of the online trolling she's received since taking part in the show.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell PHOTO CREDIT. Ruth Wolff

Based on the Salem trials in Massachusetts in 1692, where young girls accused their elders of satanism, a new production of Arthur Miller's modern classic The Crucible has just opened at the National Theatre in London. Actor Erin Doherty, best known for her portrayal of a young Princess Anne in Netflix series The Crown, plays Abigail Williams, the girl whose spurned affections spark the witch hunt. She joins Jessica.Strip clubs in Edinburgh will be banned from April next year, but the venues and the strippers who work in them are fighting the decision. Supporters of the ban say it's upholding the Scottish Government's strategy on Violence Against Women and Girls which says stripping encompasses and engenders violence against women and girls. But strippers say it will impact their ability to earn a living and force them into dangerous working conditions at underground clubs. Jessica is joined by Tess Herrman from the Union of Sex Workers and also by former Labour councillor and Scotsman columnist Susan Dalgety.Dame Angela Lansbury, who won international acclaim as the star of the US TV crime series Murder, She Wrote, has died at the age of 96. The three-time Oscar nominee had a career spanning eight decades, across film, theatre and TV. She was born in London in 1925. When she moved to New York, she was discovered by a film executive who gave her, her first role as a maid in the 1944 film Gaslight. In 1973, Woman's Hour presenter Sue McGregor caught up with Dame Angela when she was performing in the stage show Gypsy. As university students settle in, are you experiencing empty nest syndrome? Listener Natalie Paddick got in touch to tell us about her feelings of loss now that all her children have left home. She joins Jessica along with author Celia Dodd who's written about the Empty Nest subtitled, 'Your Changing Family, Your New Direction'.For our occasional series Girl’s World, Ena Miller went to talk to 14-year-olds Ruby, Nyima and Azelea at their school in Stroud.A Brazilian butt lift is a procedure where fat, usually from the stomach and back, is injected into the buttocks to change their shape and size. In 2018 - after the death of Leah Cambridge who had flown to Turkey to have the surgery - the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, or BAAPS, advised their members not to perform them. But this week they've released new recommendations they hope will make the procedure safer. Joining Jessica are the President of BAAPS, Marc Pacifico, and director Louise Coleman whose documentary The Bottom Line is on ITV Hub.