Woman's Hour

The average height of a female in the UK is 5ft 3in. What is life like for women at the other end of the spectrum, especially when it comes to dating? Jessica Creighton is joined by the author of Get Real, Sarah Ivens, who at 6ft would be introduced to dates as 'Queen Kong' or 'Miss Stretchy', and married at 6 ft 3 in in a pair of diamanté heels; and Andrea Hubert, 6ft 1in whose creative comebacks about her height paved the way to her becoming a comedian.Normally it would take a playwright like Lucy Kirkwood two years to write a play and get it onto the stage. However the relentless news of violence against women and the abuse of police powers in recent weeks compelled her to script a thirty minute piece called Maryland in just a few days and send it to the Royal Court Theatre in London. That was three weeks ago...two weeks ago it opened on stage. The Royal Court’s Artistic Director, Vicky Featherstone joins Jessica Creighton to explain why.After struggling with her mental health whilst part of girl-band Little Mix and then quitting late last year, Jesy Nelson has just launched her solo career with a video for her single 'Boyz' that's been criticised for 'blackfishing'. So what is that and why is it problematic? Jess is joined by Leah Mahon, journalist at the Voice online.The Woman’s Hour poll to mark our 75th anniversary found the place where women feel most unequal is in the home - specifically in terms of housework. 75% of the women said the division of chores wasn’t fair but interestingly it was only named as the fifth most important area in which to achieve equality. Jessica talks to Professor Ann Oakley whose seminal book The Sociology of Housework looked at these issues way back in the seventies and also by Professor Rosie Cox who has written a number of books on gender roles.In 2005 the story of Keisha the Sket started being shared by young people on a now defunct early internet platform. The story is told in energetic street slang. Keisha, 17, lives in Hackney, London. She's lively and funny - she is also preyed upon. She wants and enjoys sex and is looking for love but she is sexualised by the men and boys around her. Her lack of control of her life gets her into dangerous situations and the word 'sket' - promiscuous girl or woman - follows her around. It's been called a classic of Black British culture and is now being published for the first time in book form. Jade LB began writing Keisha's story when she was only 13 and joins Jessica to talk about her creation and the mixed feelings she has had about it over the years.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has seven albums, five children, a podcast and her Live Kitchen Discos during lockdown were a means of virtual escapism for many, and became weekly moments of united sequined catharsis. She joins Emma to discuss her memoir Spinning Plates: Music, Men, Motherhood and Me.Claudia Webbe, a former Labour MP for Leicester East, who now sits as an independent, was found yesterday guilty of one charge of harassment and is awaiting sentencing. She has vowed to remain an MP while she appeals against the conviction but the Labour party has called for her to resign, strongly condemning her actions. Those actions include threatening a woman with sending naked photos of her to her family and that she would throw acid in her face. We hear from solicitor Ayesha Nayyar, who has acted for a number of acid attack victims and campaigns for better support for survivors.Surgeons say women are being refused reconstructive breast surgery on the NHS, even though there are now ways of performing the operation more quickly. The confederation of British surgery say the procedure can be reduced from the traditional 8-12 hours down to 2-3, and hospital stays from 7 days to just 72 hours. Yet surgeons say many NHS Trusts still deem breast reconstruction as ‘cosmetic’, and are performing less than two-thirds of the amount of reconstructions they were pre-Covid.There are an estimated 1000 hermits living in Italy - and the majority of them are women. The history of female hermits goes back hundreds of years, with many choosing to remove themselves from a life of marriage and domesticity to a world of study, devotion and freedom from the expectations of society. But what is it like to be a hermit living in the modern world? Emma speaks to urban hermit Julia Bolton-Holloway about the misconceptions people have about the eremitical life, her journey from university lecturer to Anglican nun and now Catholic hermit - and how she balances a life of poverty, chastity and obedience with a dedication to actively helping those most in need.Predatory marriage involves a vulnerable adult being led into a marriage which financially benefits their new spouse. We discuss with Daphne Franks, who believes that her mother was a victim of a predatory marriage; and Dr Rachael Clawson, Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Nottingham.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Ayesha Nayyar Interviewed Guest: Nicola Johnston Interviewed Guest: Dhalia Masud Interviewed Guest: Julia Bolton-Holloway Interviewed Guest: Daphne Franks Interviewed Guest: Dr Rachael Clawson Interviewed Guest: Sophie Ellis-Bextor Photographer: Laura Lewis

Who does what in your home? Sourcing school shoes? Calling the plumber? Sorting the threadworms? In her debut novel 'Are We Having Fun Yet?' author and columnist Lucy Mangan reveals the comic diary of Liz who is 'outwardly mute, inwardly mutinous' as she does her best to keep the domestic show on the road.In her new book Rough, Rachel Thompson looks at how violence has found its way into the bedroom. A study released this summer set out to gauge the extent of violence against women. One shocking finding revealed that half of respondents had "woken up to their male partner having sex with them or performing sex acts on them whilst they are asleep." Emma discusses these findings and the impact on women with Rachel and Dr. Jessica Taylor, co author: Understanding the Scale of Violence Committed Against Women in the UK Since Birth.For 26 days teenage girls in Afghanistan haven't been able to go to school. The Taliban has banned them from secondary schools. If girls don't go to secondary school, that means they're unlikely to go to further education or university. Under their new government, Taliban officials said that women will be allowed to study and work in accordance with the group's interpretation of Islamic religious law. Emma discusses the current situation with Yalda Hakim, presenter on BBC World; and a teacher in Afghanistan.Presented by Emma Barnett

Radio DJ Emma Wilson believes that the policeman Wayne Couzens who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard exposed himself to her in an alleyway some 13 years ago. Emma reported it to the police at the time – no action was taken, but she has decided to speak out now because when she did report it she was not happy with the response.One of the key findings of our equality poll to mark our 75th anniversary has been the extent to which women don’t feel equal when it comes to issues of sexual abuse and exploitation. Almost 70% of the women we asked said it was a concern and the issue is currently front and centre of the news agenda following the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa to name just two women. Emma Barnett talks to the writer Joan Smith and the former Victims Commissioner the Conservative Peer Baroness Newlove who is unimpressed by Boris Johnson’s unwillingness to recognise misogyny as a hate crime and is trying to change the law on the issue. Probably best known to most for her television role as lawyer Lucca Quinn in The Good Wife and then the follow-up series The Good Fight, Cush Jumbo is currently playing Hamlet at the Young Vic in London. Delayed for a year by the pandemic, the play sold out months before opening. As the first woman of colour to play the part in a major production on a British stage she joins a list that goes back to 1741 of UK female actors playing the Prince of Denmark. Cush joins Emma. On Radio 4's Day of the Scientist, we looks at women's trust in science. The latest Public Attitudes to Science survey found that women are less likely to feel connected to science in their everyday lives; less likely to actively engage with science; and were less trusting of scientists and media reporting of scientific issues. What's going on to put women's faith in science on such shaky ground? Emma speaks to Megan Halpern, assistant professor in the history, philosophy and sociology of science at Michigan State University, and Dr Emily Dawson from University College London, who researches how people learn about and engage with science – and why so many women are being put off. Image: Cush Jumbo in Hamlet at the Young Vic Credit: Helen Murray

To mark our 75th anniversary last week we commissioned a poll to explore how you feel about equality in 2021 and how much progress you believe women have made since the first episode of Woman’s Hour was broadcast in 1949 Over two thirds of the women we spoke to said it was down to experiences of sexual exploitation and abuse while three while three quarters put it down to inequality within their homes because of the unfair division of housework..What your reality? At the heart of our Poll the gap between the equality the law says we should have as women and the reality of our lives.How's your life compare to that of your mother or grand mother? How do you think we can achieve equality both in the home and in the workplace...What would help? Is more flexibility in the workplace and the same rewards as your male colleagues the answer. Or is the lack of childcare or help with older relatives that you care for the thing that's holding you back? What change or changes would you most like to see over the next 75 years?Lines are open at 8am on Monday morning. Text us on 84844 . On social media it’s @BBCwomanshour or you can email us via our website .Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Baroness Brenda Hale is a former judge who served as the first female president of the Supreme Court. She has written a book, Spider Woman, that spans her life and work.We hear from Professor Anita Hill who thirty years ago faced an all-male, all-white Senate Judiciary Committee—led by the then, Senator Joe Biden—to testify that her boss, Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas, had sexually harassed her. It was a landmark moment for these issues and inspired countless women to come forward with their stories, to file complaints, and even to run for office; creating an unintentional trail blazer.Abi Sampa describes herself as a "weird warbling electric Veena player". She trained as a dentist and then appeared on The Voice in 2013, where she wowed the judges with her unique style of as a fusion of western pop and Indian classical music.Over the last few years, the figures around celibacy have generally been on the rise - particular amongst young women. What’s to be gained from making this life choice? Anita speaks to sex therapist Danielle Bennett, and two women who have experience with celibacy. Laura Kennedy is in her 30’s and was celibate for six years. Shirley Yanez is in her 60's and became celibate as part of a conscious change in lifestyle.Mina Smallman, the mother of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, the sisters who were murdered in a North London park last year, speaks to us about her grief and women's safety.Joan Diana Gayford nee Wilson joined the BBC as a talks producer shortly after the Second World War. Not long after a new programme hit the airwaves. 75 years later, you can hear Emma talking to Diana Gayford who was working on Woman’s Hour when it first came to air at 2pm on 7th October 1946.

Over the last few years, the figures around celibacy have generally been on the rise - particular amongst young women. What’s to be gained from making this life choice? And what should one know before deciding to become celibate? Anita speaks to sex therapist Danielle Bennett, and two women who have experience with celibacy. Laura Kennedy is in her 30’s and was celibate for six years. Shirley Yanez is in her 60s and became celibate as part of a conscious change in lifestyle.Chinaza Onyechi has always dreamed of becoming a film maker but she says like other children from a Nigerian background she was encouraged to take up a more traditional career like law, medicine or engineering. But she is now one step closer to that film-making dream, after being awarded the MetFilm School's first Black Student of Talent scholarship. The scholarship covers full tuition fees for a year and could be worth around £50,000 depending on the course.Susan Ogilvy rediscovered learning in her seventies. As a botanical artist from Somerset, she started a journey into painting nests she serendipitously found. This was the start of an ornithological education, specifically into birds nests. Ogilvy has since painted more than fifty bird nests from life, each time marvelling at its ingenious construction. They have been collated in her new book, Nests. The first in a genre that has been dominated by male authors with very little focus on birds nests. Do gender-neutral terms, such as "homicide" and "murder," systematically ignore targeted violence against women? Should femicide be seen as a separate category? If women are being killed specifically because they're women, does that matter? Do motives matter? Anita is joined by Karen Ingala Smith, co-founder of Femicide Census and Chief Exec of Nia, a charity that runs services for women and girls who have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse.Abi Sampa describes herself as a "weird warbling electric Veena player". She trained as a dentist and then appeared on The Voice in 2013, where she wowed the judges with her unique style of as a fusion of western pop and Indian classical music. She joins Anita to explain how she plays the electric Veena and to describe her performances with the orchestral Qawwalli Project, reviving old Sufi poems and putting their own spin on them musically with a western orchestral style. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Danielle Bennett Interviewed Guest: Laura Kennedy Interviewed Guest: Shirley Yanez Interviewed Guest: Chinaza Onyechi Interviewed Guest: Susan Ogilvy Interviewed Guest: Karen Ingala Smith Interviewed Guest: Abi Sampa

Our specially commissioned poll to celebrate Woman’s Hour at 75 looks at women and equality in the UK today. It finds the place that women feel the most unequal is in the home, at work in terms of pay and benefits and in terms of safety due to their experience of sexual exploitation and abuse. Emma Barnett talks about the issues raised with our panel including the author Jeanette Winterson, the commentator Inaya Floarin Iman and the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project Laura Bates.Joan Diana Gayford nee Wilson joined the BBC as a talks producer shortly after the Second World War. Not long after a new programme hit the airwaves. 75 years later, to the day, you can hear Emma talking to Diana Gayford who was working on Woman’s Hour when it first came to air at 2pm on 7th October 1946.Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond joins Emma on this anniversary programme. She is a former judge who served as the first female president of the Supreme Court. In 2019 she made headlines announcing the Supreme Court’s judgement that the prorogation of Parliament was ‘unlawful, void and of no effect’. She has written a book, Spider Woman, that spans her life and work.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Mina Smallman, the mother of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, the sisters who were murdered in a North London park last year, speaks to us about her grief and women's safety. She also talks about wanting to reach out to Sarah Everard’s mother because of the particular type of grief they share. She also reminds us of the type of people her daughters were.We get the latest from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester with the BBC's Political Correspondent, Chris Mason.We hear from Pauline Campbell who's written a book called Rice and Peas and Fish and Chips. It's part social & political commentary, part memoir and explores what it means to be British. Pauline grew up in 1970s London as a first generation, immigrant child of Caribbean parents. She left school with virtually no qualifications after being told she wasn't clever enough for University. But at 23, when she was working as a housing benefits officer, she got a place at university to study law. Even though she was ‘black, old and a woman’ - her words - she kept going and qualified as a lawyer when she was 41. Now she's an award-winning local government lawyer. FASD stands for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. They're a range of lifelong disabilities caused by a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. They include physical, mental, behavioural and learning problems. A new study by The University of Salford says that between 600 and 1,300 children across Greater Manchester may have developed the condition every year. Based on those figures, the National Organisation for FASD believes that 1.2 to 2.4 million people in the UK may have had FASD in 2020. So what are the reasons for this increase and why is FASD so often misdiagnosed?

We hear from Professor Anita Hill who thirty years ago faced an all-male, all-white Senate Judiciary Committee—led by the then, Senator Joe Biden—to testify that her boss, Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas, had sexually harassed her. It was a landmark moment for these issues and inspired countless women to come forward with their stories, to file complaints, and even to run for office; creating an unintentional trail blazer. Now an advocate, educator and author she talks to Emma Barnett about her new book Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence.Research suggests that talking to people we don't know can be good for us. Why don’t we do it more often? How has the pandemic impacted our desire to talk to people we don’t know? Dr Gillian Sandstrom, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Essex, tells us the benefits of making small talk and gives us some tips on how to do it. How can we best discuss the issues of safety without making girls and young women terrified to leave the house? I am joined now by parenting expert, Sue Atkins and Lorraine Candy - mother of three daughters and author of 'Mum, What's Wrong with You?': 101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Know.Plus ahead tonight’s 2021 Gramophones, Awards, the classical music version of the Grammys which will be streaming live this evening we talk to Fatma Said.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell Photo credit; Celeste Sloman