Woman's Hour

Baroness Brenda Hale on Roe v Wade and her reaction – as well as if she supports the barrister strikes. She also talks about the differences between the UK and US justice systems, and whether we need to re-evaluate how rape cases are tried in the UK .How much do you gossip? Two women who rely on gossiping to make a living talk about how much it runs the world, and its importance in politics. Women are in some of the lowest-paid jobs in the country – but they also make up the majority of trade union members. General Secretary of UNISON, Christina McAnea, talks about why unions are striking and what could happen next. How does it feel to become a mother when your own mother is dying? Hear one woman’s story of when this happened to her, and expert advice on how to cope with it and look after yourself, as well as everyone else. It’s the joy of dressing up without the stress of going to the event…Frock Up Friday is something that now involves more than 15 thousand people dressing up every Friday night, and feeling good about themselves. The founders tell us about how we can be involved.Fan-girls are often ridiculed or called hysterical – but they can do more than just sing a long to songs. A member of the BTS Army and a Korean Culture expert tell us about how fangirls can prompt activism and change.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

New sexual misconduct allegations have been made about a cabinet minister and a top Number 10 aide who serve at the heart of Boris Johnson's government according to a Sky News investigation. They've published testimony from two women who give detailed, first-hand accounts of what they claim happened to them when one was assaulted and the other groped by political figures who are both now in senior roles. Liz Bates is the political correspondent at Sky News and presenter of the Open Secret Podcast.The race to be the next Prime Minister comes to an end of Monday, when either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will enter Number 10. Ella Robertson McKay has recently interviewed both candidates as the National Chair of the Conservative Young Women group – which represents female party members under the age of 35. Ella joins Anita to discuss what each candidate is offering to young women and what Ella’s members think the winner should prioritise. At the start of lockdown in spring 2020 two friends living in Hastings set up a Facebook group for friends to experience the excitement of dressing up on a Friday and getting read to go out when everybody was forced to stay at home. The “Frock up Friday” movement was born and within three weeks the group had 10,0000 members worldwide and now two years later, they number 15,000 and are still growing. The friends who founded the group call themselves the “Mother Frockers” – Beverli Francis and Suzie Simms – and they’ll be joining Anita Rani this morning to talk about their picture book which details many of the fabulous outfits members share, their festival this weekend for online friends to finally meet up in person, as well as their plans for the future.In July the healthcare charity Nuffield Health published data which showed that 47% of women had done no vigorous exercise in the past year. It was quickly pointed out that there might be lots of reasons for this - lack of time and money for example but there are other factors too. Every Body Outdoors is a group of women who are determined to fight for clothing and kit which fits them and they want to see larger and plus-sized people out and doing exercise, Charlotte Petts joins 5 of the group in the Brecon Beacons as they walk and talk about their campaign and their experiences. In the third and final part of our Woman’s Hour series on Fangirls we ask: Is there a darker side to being a fangirl? We speak to freelance writer Jessica LucasPresenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Liz Bates Interviewed Guest: Ella Robertson Mckay Interviewed Guest: Beverli Francis Interviewed Guest: Suzie Simms Reporter: Charlotte Petts Interviewed Guest: Jessica Lucas

The former President of the Supreme Court Baroness Brenda Hale joins Emma Barnett to give her reaction to the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the United States. She also talks about abortion law here in the UK, the upcoming barristers' strike and whether rape trials should get priority for court time.A new campaign is being launched today, exclusively on Woman’s Hour, aiming to help more women who are being underpaid their state pension. Mothers’ Missing Millions is specifically aimed at women who spent time out of paid work bringing up children, mainly in the 1980’s and 1990’s – but did not receive credits for this on their National Insurance record as they should have done. According to the Department for Work and Pensions’ annual report which came out in July, this is now ‘the second largest’ source of error on state pensions. Emma is joined by Steve Webb, the former pensions minister who now works at the corporate consulting firm LCP, which is offering a free guide to how women can fix this for themselves. Listener Hannah got in touch asking us to talk about being motherless when you’re about to become a mother yourself. In 2017 her mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Hannah was 24 weeks pregnant with her first child, and she sadly passed away when her grandchild turned one. Emma speaks to Hannah, as well as consultant perinatal psychologist Julianne Boutaleb.In her new book, Look! We Have Come Through! Living with D.H. Lawrence, Lara Feigel, Professor of Modern Literature and Culture at King’s College London, tells the story of a pandemic year spent in the company of her partner, her two children and D.H Lawrence. Lara joins Emma to talk about D.H Lawrence and how an author can inform and change your life.

In a new series 'Friends Forever?' we are looking at key relationships in many women's lives, those with female friends. Specifically we're interested in when things go wrong - when and why friendships fall apart and how devastating that can be. And, whether they can be repaired. Annie and Lizzie were very close at school and after and then their lives diverged. They each told their story to Jo Morris.More than 33 million people have been impacted by the devastating floods in Pakistan, and over a thousand people have died since mid-June. Emma is joined by two students from Pakistan who have set up Mahwari Justice campaign to get sanitary products to those in need. In the second part of our Woman’s Hour series on Fangirls we ask: Can fan girls change the world? We speak to Professor Jay Song, Associate Professor in Korean Studies at the University of Melbourne about the political power of fangirls and a member of the BTS Army, Dr Heta Bhatt. We deep dive into the world of K-Pop band BTS & their loyal fandom called the BTS Army, who have been instrumental in shaping politics and socioeconomic issues in Korea and beyond. The cost of living crisis is having an impact on us all. And while paying a monthly fee to go to the gym may likely be seen by some as non-essential expenditure – some people say using the facilities there like showering can help shave hundreds of pounds off energy bills. Should there be boundaries on what facilities people can use in the public sphere? We are joined on the programme by the money saving expert and mum Gemma Bird. The Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees also chats to us about setting up ‘warm banks’ - those are heated sites like museums and galleries for those unable to afford their energy bills.Reporter: Jo Morris

How does it feel to reach the age your Mum was when she died? Jo Morris has talked to 3 women who feel a clock ticking. Their stories are all different but they have one thing in common – none of them have felt able to talk about this before. They didn’t want to worry their loved ones or vocalise difficult thoughts.As the cost of living crisis worsens for families across the country, workers have been voting for industrial action over below-inflation pay offers in what many are describing as the “summer of discontent”. They include transport workers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers, postal workers, civil servants, lawyers and British Telecoms engineers. Women are in some of the lowest paid jobs and now make up the majority of trade union members. We speak to Christina McAnea General Secretary of the UK’s largest union - UNISON – and also to Sarah Boston, author of Women Workers and the Trade Unions. We investigate what role women are playing in both the movement and the strikes.Presented by Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

What comes to mind when you hear the word gossip? You’re probably imagining two women together whispering or laughing. Gossip has a bad reputation, but it can be a way of forming and maintaining, friendships. Comedian Rachel Parris and improv-artist Lauren Shearing who she works with on 'Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, talk about the role gossip plays in their relationship.Why do we gossip and why's it get such a bad rap when we enjoy it so much? We hear from Dr Kathryn Waddington, Emerita Fellow in Psychology at Westminster University who's researched and written about gossip for 25 years. In the Middle Ages the word gossip meant ‘women who supported other women during childbirth’ so when did it change into the ‘gossip’ we know today? Historians Professor Melanie Tebbutt from Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Natalie Hanley-Smith from Oxford Brookes University discuss.So what if the discovering and reporting of gossip is your profession? Journalist Marie Le Conte, a former diarist for the Evening Standard and Camilla Wright the founder of Popbitch look at the life of a professional gossip.Sex and relationships are a cornerstone of gossip. It’s often - ‘who is doing what?’ and ‘with whom!?’ But what happens if you broadcast your life to the world? Rubina Pabani and Poppy Jay are the hosts of BBC podcast Brown Girls Do It Too. In the days of social media - how do they find the judgemental gossip mill?Gossip is often a key strand in storylines in films, TV and novels. Whether it’s introduced for comic effect or used in the build up to the climax of a drama, or to build intrigue in a reality television series Literary critic Alex Clark and film and television critic, Hanna Flint illustrate how.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyGuest: Rachel Parris Guest: Lauren Shearing Guest: Dr Kathryn Waddington Guest: Prof Melanie Tebbutt Guest: Dr Natalie Hanley-Smith Guest: Marie Le Conte Guest: Camilla Wright Guest: Rubina Pabani Guest: Poppy Jay Guest: Alex Clark Guest: Hanna Flint

Many people are having positive life-affirming experiences of hosting Ukrainian refugees but we have also been contacted by some listeners who are having a trickier time and feel not much is being said publicly about when these situations go wrong. Listener Jane tells us about her experience of taking in a Ukrainian student. We also hear from Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of the charity Sanctuary Foundation. Roz Unwin shared her passion for quizzing. She took it up over lockdown, and now runs her own quizzes in North London. She joined Emma, along with Alice Walker, who was crowned this year’s Mastermind Champion.We look at matrilineal communities who trace kinship through the female line and can involve the inheritance of property and titles with Woman’s Hour listener and Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History at the University of Hull, Joy Porter and Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, Environmental Humanities, Native American and Indigenous Studies at Syracuse University.Listener Freya shares her experience of having anorexia and being sectioned, and coming out the other side.Liz emailed to tell us about the unusual way she keeps fit: on a trapeze. She explains how it changed her life, along with Katy Kartwheel - an actress and circus performer, who also teaches aerial skills to people of all ages.And a listener asked us to raise awareness of a less publicised aspect of the menopause - pubic hair loss. Emma finds out more from the Chair of the Menopause Society Paula Briggs and the Sex Therapist Stella Sonnenbaum.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Dianne McGregor

On our final day of Listener Week Jessica Creighton brings a host of stories to the table inspired by your requests.Listener Carol is DJ BB. She got in touch to tell us about taking up DJ’ing in her 50s and setting up an event called ‘She’s In Control’. Nearly 60 she tells us about the negative perception of older women in music and the club scene. DJ Ritu is the same age as Carol but has been in the club scene since her 20s. They both join Jess Creighton to dissect the music and club scene through the lens of an older female DJ. Have you decided to retire and then changed your mind months or years later? What made you de-retire? Were the reasons financial? Did you miss the mental stimulation or daily structure or the socialising? Jessica Creighton speaks to Ros Whitehouse who, in her early 70’s, felt society was telling her to retire but within months she realised it was a mistake. Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of the Silver Line Helpline, joins them.We received an email from an anonymous listener who described her experience of being an unwanted child. To discuss this issue, and the impact it can have later in life, Jessica speaks to Dr Caroline Boyd – a peri-natal, chartered clinical psychologist.And we look at matrilineal communities who trace kinship through the female line and can involve the inheritance of property and titles with Woman’s Hour listener and Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History at the University of Hull, Joy Porter and Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, Environmental Humanities, Native American and Indigenous Studies at Syracuse University.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant Photo Credit: Mahaneela

As Listener Week continues...Nicky e-mailed us about a group in Norwich called Rosie’s Plaques, who put up blue plaques for the brilliant and daring things women have done over the years. Maggie Wheeler from the group joins Emma Barnett to talk about why they do it.Alice emailed in as she wants to address the issue of negative connotations around hormones. She feels that more conversations should happen between mothers and their children about hormones and we should be embracing our hormones and the way we behave because of them. Also joining the discussion will be Dr Farah Ahmed, women’s health specialist. A topic that we feature a lot on Woman’s Hour is eating disorders and the mental health of young people, something that has been particularly highlighted during the pandemic. When it comes to mental health services, we often speak about waiting lists and lack of resources, but one listener, Freya, got in touch because she wanted to share her experience of having anorexia and being sectioned, and coming out the other side. And Liz emailed to tell us about the unusual way she keeps fit: on a trapeze. It was a friend who persuaded to take it up in her late 40s. She'll be explaining how it changed her life and feels like joy therapy, along with Katy Kartwheel - an actress and circus performer, who also teaches aerial skills to people of all ages.

Emma is joined by listener duo - and world record holders - Fay and Emma who ran 106 marathons in 106 consecutive days. Enduring a gruelling 2,777 miles of running, the pair hope to inspire people to be active while you can, focusing on what the body can do – not what it looks like!The killing of 9 year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool has shocked the city and the country. Listener Bobby wanted us to discuss women being killed in shootings. Jenny Kirkham, content editor for the Liverpool Echo, joined Emma Barnett.Listener Ruth Griffin got in touch to say “Please please get someone on to talk about Universal Basic Income!" Trials have been undertaken in Wales, Kenya and Finland, and Ruth asks…"why aren’t we pushing this to be introduced?" Professor Guy Standing is founder and co-President of the Basic Income Earth Network, an NGO promoting basic income as a right, Guy is joined by Ruth Kelly, a fomer Labour MP and Minister and now Senior Fellow at the Policy Exchange Think Tank. We’ve all heard of Florence Nightingale, but have you heard of Rufaida Al-Asalmiya? Born 2,000 years before her, Rufaida was known for her work in promoting hygiene practices in invasive procedures, she was the first documented user of mobile care units in conflict zones. Listener Sofiya, who herself is a registered nurse and Muslim only just heard about Rufaida a few weeks ago. Sofiya joins Emma alongside writer Dr Shamaila Anwar. As part of listener week Coral from London wants to know why widowhood is not talked about more - is it taboo? She's joined by Sue from Norwich who has experiences and wisdom to share. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce