Woman's Hour

As Boris Johnson starts what could be seen as one of his toughest days yet as Prime Minister - after two of his most senior ministers dramatically quit, Emma Barnett speaks to The Sun's Political Reporter Noa Hoffman, who broke the story about MP Chris Pincher, and Conservative Baroness Kate Fall, who was the Deputy Chief of Staff to David Cameron when he was in No 10. The American soul singer PP Arnold started out singing gospel at church and found fame in the 1960s as an Ikette with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. She moved to London for a solo career, supporting the Rolling Stones and enjoying success with hits such as The First Cut is the Deepest and Angel of the Morning. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has worked with artists from Eric Clapton and The Small Faces to Barry Gibb, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene and Primal Scream. She has appeared in musicals including Starlight Express, and most recently has performed solo at Glastonbury. She has now written her story in Soul Survivor, and she joins Emma to discuss her life and musicA group of Labour Party MPs and Peers is challenging the party's decision to turn down an application by Labour Women’s Declaration to have a stall at this year’s Conference in Liverpool in September. Known as LWD, they describe themselves on their website as “a movement to raise the profile of women’s sex-based rights within the Labour Party and the wider socialist movement.” We speak to one of those challenging the decision, Baroness Dianne Hayter - who is a former Chair of the Labour Party’s ruling body, the NEC. Maria Klandorf is one of a thousand women in Estonia who have joined the Women’s Defence Organisation. The women, who range from school teachers to architects, are all receiving training in the Estonian Defence League. They say they’re preparing for any future potential invasion by Russia. Today is the first day of the European Women’s Football Championships and tonight’s first England game against Austria at Old Trafford is sold out. After getting to the semi-finals three consecutive times at major tournaments, can the Lionesses harness the tactical experience of their relatively new manager Sarina Wiegman and the love of the roaring home crowds to get to the Final this time? We hear from Lioness and midfielder Ella Toone on her thoughts for the team and the championship. And Emma is joined live by Gabby Logan, the BBC’s Women’s Euros lead presenter and ex-Lioness, Fara Williams, England’s most-capped player and a BBC Women’s Euros pundit.

As part of a charity mission this month an all-women team are travelling from the UK to Ukraine with much needed supplies and plan to return with 28 refugee women and children, and their pets. Two of the women on the trip are Barbara Want and Suzanne Pullin.As a former top civil servant says that No 10 did not tell the truth when it said the PM was unaware of formal complaints about Chris Pincher's behaviour we hear from BBC Correspondent Ione Wells and Dr Helen Mott who helped draw up the independent complaints and grievance scheme at Wesminster in 2018.Half of all children in lone-parent families are now living in poverty according to a new report. We speak to the co-author of the report, Xiaowei Xu, a Senior Research Economist at the IFS, and Victoria Benson, Chief Executive of Gingerbread.Tomorrow the Women’s Euros will begin - England and Northern Ireland are taking part and 2022 looks like it'll be a huge year for the women’s game with matches shown on terrestrial TV, record attendances, greater visibility and awareness. A new exhibition Goal Power! at Brighton Museum celebrates the achievements of the trailblazers in the women's game and Charlotte Petts spoke to some of them. There's no doubt it's challenging being a parent when your children depend upon you for pretty much everything. But what about later on, when they are supposedly independent and all grown up? Surely it gets easier. Not necessarily according to authors of two new books, Celia Dodd and Annette Byford join Emma in the studio.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

A joint investigation by The College of Policing and Fire & Rescue Service and the Independent Office for Police Conduct has found that there are ‘systemic deficiencies’ in the way some police forces deal with allegations of domestic abuse against their own officers. We discuss with Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blythe, National Police Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls; David Tucker, Head of Crime and Criminal Justice, College of Policing and Nogah Ofer from the CWJ. It's a big year for women's football and the Women's Euros begin on Wednesday but women have long been playing the beautiful game. An exhibition at Brighton Museum called Goal Power! Women's Football 1894-2022 features the stories of veteran players and Charlotte Petts asked them for their memories.A new study has shown that children who are born at or just before the weekend to disadvantaged mothers are less likely to be breastfed, due to poorer breastfeeding support services in hospitals at weekends. Co-author of the study, Professor Emla Fitzsimons from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies and Clare Livingstone, professional policy adviser and lead on infant feeding for the Royal College of Midwives join Emma.It's probably no surprise to hear that porn is a multi-billion dollar business and a huge monopoliser of the internet. A new podcast series, Hot Money by Financial Times reporters Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker explores how the business of online porn works and finds out who is actually in control. Patricia Nilsson joins Emma.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

The overturning by the US Supreme Court of the landmark Roe v Wade ruling has prompted many of you to get in touch to share your reactions and experiences. But what does the law in the UK say about a woman’s right to an abortion? We hear from Professor Fiona De Londras, the Chair of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School.Aparna Sen is one of India's best loved and most successful film directors. Her career has spanned 40 years and she's explored issues around mental health, sexual abuse and infidelity. Aparna is in England for the London Indian Film Festival.Have you ever noticed the queue for the women’s toilets is much longer than the queue for the men’s? Two Bristol university graduates have tried to resolve this issue, by inventing female urinals. They joined Emma to explain how it works.How do you heal and get through a break up? Annie Lord is Vogue’s dating columnist. She joins Emma Barnett to talk about her debut book, Notes on Heartbreak. A candid exploration of the best and worst of love, she talks about nursing a broken heart and her own attempts to move on in the current dating climate; from disastrous rebound sex to sending ill-advised nudes, stalking your ex’s new girlfriend and the sharp indignity of being ghosted.Welsh singer and dancer Marged Siôn is with us. She's in the band, Self Esteem and appears in a new Welsh-language short film called Hunan Hyder which means self-confidence). She talks to us about trauma, healing and appearing on stage with Adele!Dame Kelly Holmes came out as a lesbian last week. The Olympic champion served in the army in the late 1980s, when you could face prison for being gay as a member of the military. Dame Kelly spoke of her worry that she would still face consequences if she were to let her sexuality be known. It wasn’t until 2000 that a ban on being gay and serving in the Army, Navy or RAF was lifted. Emma Riley was discharged from the Royal Navy in 1993 for being a lesbian.An American pregnant woman who was on holiday in Malta this month couldn't get an induced medical miscarriage when she needed it because of the country's strict abortion laws. Andrea Prudente ended up going to Mallorca to get treatment, where she’s recovering in a hotel.

Aparna Sen joins us in the studio. She's one of India's best loved and most successful film directors. Her career has spanned 40 years and she's explored issues around mental health, sexual abuse and infidelity. Aparna is in England for the London Indian Film Festival.The number of NHS midwives in England has fallen by over 600 in a year, according to figures by the Royal College of Midwives. We talk to Birte Harlev-lam from the Royal College of Midwives, as well as a midwife in the West Midlands. What's the reason behind this drop? We talk about what it's like to be a plus-sized actor. A new Matilda film is coming out starring Emma Thompson who will play Miss Trunchbull. It means she'll wear a fat suit for the role. Two plus-size actors, Katie Greenall and Samia La Virgne, give their reaction to the casting, and share their experiences of being a bigger actor.Welsh singer and dancer Marged Siôn is with us. She's in the band, Self Esteem and appears in a new Welsh-language short film called Hunan Hyder which means self-confidence). She talks to us about trauma, healing and appearing on stage with Adele! And we catch up with Gina Harris who at 82 has cycled from Lands End to John O'Groats. It took a month and she faced rainy days and tired legs!

How do you heal and get through a break up? Annie Lord is Vogue’s dating columnist. She joins Emma Barnett to talk about her debut book, Notes on Heartbreak. A candid exploration of the best and worst of love, she talks about nursing a broken heart and her own attempts to move on in the current dating climate; from disastrous rebound sex to sending ill-advised nudes, stalking your ex’s new girlfriend and the sharp indignity of being ghosted.The overturning by the US Supreme Court of the landmark Roe v Wade ruling has prompted many of you to get in touch to share your reactions and experiences. One listener, Nicola, wanted to tell us about her mum - who died after having a legal termination that should have been safe, in 1968. Closer to home there's been a high-level summit about buffer zones at abortion clinics. Emma speaks to Scotland's Green MSP, Gillian Mackay, who has drawn up a members bill which aims to introduce protest-free buffer zones around clinics. And what does the law in the UK say about a woman’s right to an abortion? We hear from Professor Fiona De Londras, the Chair of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School. The senior backbench Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith and some of his fellow MPs were given the opportunity this week to find out first hand exactly how uncomfortable a menopausal hot flush can be, especially when you’re in the workplace. As part of an event raising awareness around the country’s shortage of HRT, Sir Iain and some his colleagues from both sides of the House of Commons, tried out a so-called MenoVest, a special piece of clothing fitted with heat pads, to simulate the extreme discomfort which many menopausal women have to live with. Emma speaks to Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Lesley Salem, who had the idea to create the vest. The Fellowship is a play which looks at the children of the Windrush generation and the relationship between Marcia and Dawn, two black sisters struggling to take care of their dying mother whilst juggling their turbulent personal lives. Emma speaks to Director Paulette Randall and actor Suzette Llewellyn, who plays Marcia.

Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping former financier Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls. We speak to Equality Lawyer Georgina Calvert Lee about her statement in court where she said she empathised with the victims, and hoped her prison sentence would allow them "peace and finality". The killing of Ashling Murphy in Tullamore, County Offaly in Ireland in January 2022 sparked a huge public outcry, and has been seen as a watershed moment in how the country tackles violence against women and girls. Ireland has launched its third national Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based violence strategy. Emma speaks to the Minister for Justice in Ireland, Helen McEntee about what's in it.Dame Deborah James has died aged 40 from bowel cancer. The cancer campaigner, blogger, broadcaster and former teacher had been receiving end-of-life care at home. She was given a damehood in May in recognition of her fundraising. Emma speaks to Steve Bland, husband of Rachael Bland, GP Dr Ellie Cannon, and Julia Bradbury who has spoken about her journey with breast cancer.Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has told UK sporting bodies that "elite and competitive women's sport must be reserved for people born of the female sex". We get the details from our reporter, Jane Dougall.The National Plan for Music Education was published by the UK government last Saturday. Called The Power of Music to Change Lives, their ambition is for every pupil to have at least one hour of high quality music education a week. We speak to Veronica Wadley, Baroness Fleet, the chair of the advisory panel that published the report, and YolanDa Brown who contributed to it as a MOBO award-winning saxophonist and Chair of Youth Music.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Chloe Bennett

An American pregnant woman who was on holiday in Malta this month couldn't get an induced medical miscarriage when she needed it because of the country's strict abortion laws. Andrea Prudente ended up going to Mallorca to get treatment, where she’s recovering in a hotel. She joined Emma. Zara Aleena, 35, was assaulted as she walked home in East London in the early hours of Sunday. The Met Police believe she was the victim of an "opportunist stranger attack". She died later in hospital. Emma speaks to Andrea Simon, Director of End Violence Against Women Coaltion and Zoe Billingham, former Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary about women's safety.Women in science are less likely to have their contributions recognised than their male counterparts - for example on a scientific paper or named on a patent - according to new analysis. A team of economists in the US found that women often have to work twice as hard as men to earn credit. But what's it like for women in science here in the UK? Monica Grady, CBE is a Professor at the Open University. She joins Emma as does co-author of the US study, Professor Julia Lane from the Wagner School of Public Policy at NYU.Have you ever noticed the queue for the women’s toilets is much longer than the queue for the men’s? Two Bristol university graduates have tried to resolve this issue, by inventing female urinals. They joined Emma to explain how it works. We have an update on Roe v Wade being overturned with the attorney Rebecca Kiessling and Jessica Arons from the American Civil Liberties Union.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Dame Kelly Holmes came out as a lesbian last week. The Olympic champion served in the army in the late 1980’s, when you could face prison for being gay as a member of the military. Dame Kelly spoke of her worry that she would still face consequences if she were to let her sexuality be known. It wasn’t until 2000 that a ban on being gay and serving in the Army, Navy or RAF was lifted. Emma Riley was discharged from the Royal Navy in 1993 for being a lesbian, she joins Emma in the studio alongside Caroline Paige, joint Chief Executive of Fighting with Pride.American women are starting this week with a newly re-drawn map of the United States, in light of the Supreme Court's landmark overturning of Roe vs Wade last Friday, which gave women constitutional right to get an abortion nationwide. Today, abortion is legally banned in at least nine US states - with more to follow as so called trigger laws clear the necessary hurdles. For some this is a time of huge shame, sorrow, bafflement and fear - the clock turned back on women's rights. For others - the supreme court's decision represents a victory - the success of a long fought battle against abortion being a nationwide right in America. But for women who are pregnant now and don't want to be - especially in states where even abortion providers are unclear if they will be prosecuted should they go ahead - what should they do? Emma hears from BBC correspondent in Washington DC Holly Honderich, journalist Hadley Freeman and Dr Jan Halper-Hayes, former Global Vice President for Republican Overseas.A memorial service will be held in London tomorrow for the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqla who was killed while reporting in the occupied West Bank last month. On Friday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the bullet had been fired by Israeli security forces - something the Israel Defence Force disputes. Emma is joined by the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell to talk about Shireen.It's the first day of Wimbledon, and current world number 11 Emma Raducanu makes her centre court debut this morning, playing against Alison Van Uytvanck. This is her second Wimbledon, but her first since winning the US open last year. Molly McElwee is the women's sport reporter for The Telegraph and gives the lowdown on Emma’s form.

In a world exclusive, Kate Bush speaks to Emma Barnett about being discovered by a new generation and making it to number 1 in the UK singles charts 44 years after her first chart-topper Wuthering Heights. Running Up That Hill was first released in 1985 and its use in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things has made Kate Bush a social media and streaming sensation. The physical and emotional challenges of in vitro fertilisation, or IVF, never fade from your memory - whatever the outcome. But what happens when you have been lucky enough to have a child or children and you still have frozen embryos in storage you are sure you will not use? You can donate to another couple in need, to science, let them be discarded or continue to preserve them. Alison Murdoch, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at Newcastle University and two women who have faced this join Emma.The comedians Katherine Ryan and Sara Pascoe have been making headlines in recent weeks following comments they made on Katherine’s new TV show. Both revealed instances when they’ve worked with men they believe to be predatory and despite complaining these men have not been reprimanded. Emma is joined by Kathryn Roberts who quit comedy because of her experiences and also by Chloe Petts who will be performing her show Transience at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.Olivia Harrison has penned a book of poetry called "Came the Lightening" to celebrate her husband, George Harrison's life, more than twenty years after his death.. As lead guitarist of The Beatles, his most famous songs included While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and Here Comes the Sun. What prompted her to share her memories in poetry? She tells Emma. As Wimbledon is set to begin on Monday, we discover the story behind Althea Gibson the first Black woman to win Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958. Writer and performer Kemi-Bo Jacobs was so inspired by her that she has written a one-woman play, 'All White Everything But Me' about her. She joins Anita to tell her more.The Treasury's Women in Finance Charter has published its annual review looking at gender diversity within the financial sector in the UK for 2021. Amanda Blanc is CEO of Aviva, the UK’s leading insurer and leads the Women in Finance Charter and speaks to Emma about the review as well as her experiences of sexism as one of a handful of female FTSE 100 bosses.