Woman's Hour

Rachel Weisz seems to have had constant work in the film industry since the early nineties. She's been in all kind of films: historical, action, science fiction, serious, art-house. Now she's diving into the world of superheroes with the new Marvel film, 'Black Widow'. Anita speaks to her about her latest role.The nation is transfixed - after many years of hurt could England be on the road to winning a major trophy? Football journalist Flo Lloyd-Hughes joins Anita.Sri Lankan author Kanya d'Almeida has been named the Commonwealth Short Story Prize Winner of 2021. Her winning piece, "I Cleaned The-" features two women who share a room in a refuge run by nuns, for people who have nowhere else to go. Kanya talks to Anita about her winning story, motherhood, mental health and paying for childcare in Sri Lanka.Northern Ireland politics is stuck. Continued disagreements between the power-sharing parties have led to stagnation in the Northern Irish Assembly, leaving lots of services in the lurch, including access to abortion for Northern Irish women. Now a charity, which is the first port of call for those who want an early medical abortion, says if they don't get funding they'll have to stop.Emily Rapp Black felt an instant connection with the artist Frida Kahlo after seeing her famous painting 'The Two Fridas'. At the age of four, Emily’s left leg was amputated due to a congenital birth defect. In her new book ‘Frida Kahlo And My Left Leg’, she explores the legacy, life and art of Frida Kahlo which helped her to make sense of her own life and body. Emily writes about the trauma of her son’s death and the current discourse and attitudes around disability.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Frankie Tobi

The future of the High Street looked challenging before the pandemic but as shops have reopened it’s become evident how urgent the situation now is. Many brands or their outlets have gone bankrupt or moved online. More than a decade ago Mary Portas outlined this trend with a government review into the problem, but she is now urging people to rethink their whole relationship with shopping and consumerism and move towards a 'kindness economy' as we come out of the lockdown. She has now written a book about this called Rebuild. She joins Krupa Padhy to discuss, alongside Suzannah Clarke who has published research saying women are the key to the regeneration of the High Street economy. Women are responsible for 85% of spending there and she says they need to be taken into account in future planning if the downward trends are to be reversed.Eilidh Doyle is Scotland’s most decorated track and field athlete of all time. The Olympic, World and European medal holder had hoped to compete in the Olympics in Tokyo this month but instead announced – at the age of 34 - her retirement from competitive athletics. She talks to Krupa about knowing when to stop, and becoming involved in a new project with Abertay University, where elite athletes and sporting figures such as Judy Murray and Tanni-Grey Thompson share their experiences of unexpected setbacks and coping strategies with people who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19. School summer holidays are looming in England and Wales and in Scotland and Northern Ireland they have already begun. But what provision is there for the children of working parents who need local, affordable and well-run holiday childcare? There are rumours of patchy availability, often with a high cost. So what impact is this having on parents? Ahead of the results of their annual survey on this – Megan Jarvie, Head of Coram Family and Childcare joins Krupa along with Rebekah Jackson, Director of the Out of School Alliance. 14 year old Mackenzy Beard from Swansea has had a painting selected for exhibition at the Royal Academy, as part of their Young Artists' Summer Show. The work will be on display online and in London from 13th July. Mackenzy joins Krupa to talk about her inspiration for the piece.Do plants have a memory? Yes, according to the pioneering research of Professor Dame Caroline Dean, a plant biologist who has spent more than thirty years looking into how plants remember seasons, and what this can tell us. She’s just been awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Agriculture, which is considered by some to be the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in agriculture. Caroline joins Krupa to talk through her extraordinary work and career.Image: Mary Portas Credit: Josh Shinner

The work of female rangers protecting wildlife from poachers. Collet Ngobeni of The Black Mambas and Holly Budge of How Many Elephants discuss.The Chief Inspector of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman on the problem of sexual harassment and abuse in schools, and what needs to be done to bring about change.Jackie Collins was one of the most successful female authors of all time but often just dismissed as the Queen of Sleaze. We hear from Jackie's eldest daughter, Tracy Lerman and from Laura Fairrie, director of the new film Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins story. Laurel Hubbard will be the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics. She's part of the New Zealand women's weightlifting team. She qualifies on the basis that her testosterone levels have been kept below a certain level for at least a year. But how does a reduction in testosterone affect other aspects of the body - such as muscle mass and strength? We hear from Joanna Harper, a PhD researcher at Loughborough University.A new £50 note featuring the Bletchley Park codebreaker Alan Turing has just been launched. Debbie Marriott is the first ever female banknote designer at the Bank of England, and explains the work that goes into making the notes. Elizabeth Packard was an ordinary 19th century American housewife and mother of six, whose husband had her declared 'slightly insane' and put in an asylum after daring to voice her opinions. Elizabeth embarked on a ceaseless quest for justice, both inside and outside the asylum. Kate Moore has written 'The Woman They Could Not Silence' about this fascinating but little known woman. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

The Labour and Cooperative MP Stella Creasy is threatening legal action over her forthcoming maternity leave cover. Backbench MPs are currently allowed to take informal maternity leave, but not all their duties are covered during their absence. For instance they can employ office staff to help with constituency issues Ms Creasy says she’s currently only being offered two thirds of her salary to employ a suitable replacement but she says that won’t cover important tasks like meeting Ministers, media work or doing school visits. Also a replacement is unable to speak in the House of Commons or attend parliamentary committees. Ms Creasy has said: "I think every woman should be able to have paid maternity cover, proper cover - it's not just about being paid, it's that somebody else will be doing that job.”She may just be 13 years old but Libby Scott has just released her third novel ‘Ways to Be Me’ in collaboration with the author Rebecca Westcott. Along with the hugely successful Can You See Me? and Do you Know Me?, the three novels feature the story of Tally who is autistic. The books have been widely praised for their realistic portrayal of autism. Although not autobiographical Tally’s story is partly based on Libby’s own experiences of being autistic herself. This latest one - a prequel to Can You See Me? - goes back in time to the period just before she gets a diagnosis age 10. Libby and her mum Kym join Chloe.A humanitarian ceasefire has just been called but since November last year the fighting between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces in Ethiopia has left thousands of people dead. More than two million have been displaced and 350,000 pushed towards famine. There are reports of women who were kidnapped by soldiers and held as sexual slaves. Chloe discusses the situation with BBC Africa Correspondent in Nairobi - Vivienne Nunis and Rita Kahsay, co-ordinator of the Tigray Youth Network based in the UK.Fertility clinics in the UK are removing an unsafe number of eggs from women hoping to have IVF, according to a new study. Looking at data from UK fertility clinics between 2015 and 2018, researchers found that some were retrieving far too many eggs from women, reporting cases of up to 50 eggs being removed in a single procedure. The ideal 'safe yield' is around 12 eggs. Chloe Tilley discusses the implications with Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute of Women's health at UCL, and the author of Your Fertile Years. As we know travellers are obliged to quarantine in a hotel at their own cost after returning from countries on the UK's red list, where Covid infection rates are high. They spend 10 nights in their room and are allowed out for daily exercise only when accompanied by a guard. Private security companies have been hired by the government to ensure hotel guests observe quarantine rules. Kathy Godolphin had a disturbing experience saying she experienced sexual harassment at a hotel after returning from working on a conservation and anti-poaching project in Zimbabwe. She joins Chloe Tilley to discuss the aftermath of that ten days.Presented by Chloe Tilley Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry has some insight into what makes athletes tick, but wasn't prepared for what happened to her yesterday morning when she was doing laps at a swimming pool. A man she had overtaken pulled her under water by her feet and held her down, before shouting at her. When she shared the incident on social media her timeline filled up with women saying similar things had happened to them.“Purity Culture” is a term used in conservative households that attempts to promote a biblical view of purity by discouraging dating and promoting virginity before marriage. Chloe speaks to two young women – Chrissie and Kirtika – about their own experiences of growing up in households that promoted purity culture.On Thursday it'll be 100 years since the Plumage Act banned the importation of feathers for use in hat-making. At its peak in the late 1800s, the trade in plumage was placing over 60 bird species at risk of extinction. But then a group of women, led by Emily Williamson, started a 30-year campaign to ban feathers from fashion. Beccy Speight from the RSPB is hoping a series of campaigns will bring Emily Williamson's achievements back to life. Attitudes towards corporal punishment have shifted significantly in recent decades, such that smacking is now banned in 59 countries around the world. That includes Scotland, where a smacking ban came in last year, and a similar ban is due to come into force in Wales in 2022. New research out today from University College London suggests England should follow their lead.Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Frankie Tobi

The presenter, journalist and “Queen of Mean”, Anne Robinson, is best known for her acerbic style of presenting on 'The Weakest Link'. In the 1960s she was the first young female trainee on the Daily Mail, worked at the Sunday Times and the Daily Mirror, and went on to host programmes from Points of View to Watchdog. Today Anne takes up the Countdown reins as the first female host of Channel 4’s longest running series. She will join numbers whizz, Rachel Riley and wordsmith, Susie Dent, to make a formidable female trio. She joins Chloe Tilley.Last week the government voted down proposals to make it illegal to film or photograph someone breastfeeding without their consent. MP’s like Stella Creasy, who has experienced this herself when teenage boys took photos of her as she breast fed her baby while on a train, and the MP Jeff Smith, wanted to make an amendment to the Voyeurism Act of 2019 - more commonly known as the Up-skirting Act - which focused on making it illegal to take photos and films of the lower part of the body or ‘up a skirt’. This recent proposal is for a simple amendment to be made to the 2019 Act to include the upper body and so protect breastfeeding mums. In April this year Julia Cooper found a man taking photos of her as she breast fed her baby in the park. When Gwen Strauss' aunt Hélène was in her 80's she nonchalantly mentioned at lunch that she had led a band of women in an escape from a Nazi death march, in the dying days of the war in Europe in 1945. The women were all members of the French Resistance, although two were Dutch and one Spanish. Gwen embarked on a search for these women, scouring France and Germany to track down their records, their families and their memories. Gwen – an award-winning children’s book author - has now painstakingly reconstructed what happened in her new book 'The Nine'.The reality TV dating show Love Island is back on our screens. The show is undeniably popular and creates many water cooler moments, but what can it actually tell us about modern love and dating? We speak to journalist, podcaster, and author of new book 'Millennial Love', Olivia Petter and Nichi Hodgson, author of 'The Curious History of Dating', about how important the series might be in helping millennials and Gen Z find true love after lockdown. Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Anne Robinson Interviewed Guest: Julia Cooper Interviewed Guest: Gwen Strauss Interviewed Guest: Olivia Petter Interviewed Guest: Nichi Hodgson

Anita Rani with Bank Note designer Debbie Marriott, Protecting the title "nurse", Author Kate Moore & "Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner"Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Emma Harth * Gayl Gordon

Britney Spears spoke publicly in a LA court yesterday about the conservatorship that she sees as controlling her life. Her father was granted control over her affairs after she went to hospital because of mental health concerns. Now she says her father controls her "100,000%" and told the judge she was traumatised and cried every day. "I just want my life back," she said. We talk to BBC Newsbeat reporter Lindsay Brown and the writer Pandora Sykes who presents a soon to be released, eight-part podcast series called Pieces of Britney.We talk about Jackie Collins who was often dismissed as the Queen of Sleaze but she's one of the most successful female authors of all time. But who really was the woman behind the glamour? A new film is coming out about her called Lady Boss, so we talk to the film director Laurie Fairrie as well as Jackie's eldest daughter, Tracy Lerman. This week we had International Women in Engineering Day, so today we celebrate some of our future scientists. Three of them have just won the GSK Young Engineer and Young Scientist of the Year awards. We speak to Kaede Sugano, Saashi Ghaie and Serena Jacob.And weddings. We get the latest information about what you can and can't do if you're having a wedding soon, and we also speak to Marjorie Wallace who's just got married at 78.

Nightclubs are shut, dancing at weddings is not allowed and gigs and festivals are still uncertain. If you want to dance you have to do it at home. Woman's Hour shares your DIY dancing stories and gets tips from Guilty Pleasures DJ, Sean Rowley and Strictly dancer, Amy Dowden. Laurel Hubbard is going to be the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics which starts next month. It's controversial, and she'll make history. She'll be part of the New Zealand women's weightlifting team at Tokyo. Laurel came out as transgender in 2013 - and qualifies for the Olympics on the basis that her testosterone levels have been kept below a certain level for at least a year. But how does a reduction in testosterone affect other aspects of the body - such as haemoglobin levels, muscle mass and strength - that could influence competitive performance? And what research is needed to help inform the balance between inclusivity and meaningful competition in sport? Joanna Harper, a PhD researcher at Loughborough University talks about her latest study.Imagine having your home destroyed, losing your livelihood, and then being intimidated by those now on the land. That’s what hundreds of women in Western Uganda say has happened to them; they were violently evicted from their homes to make way for a sugar plantation. In an investigation for Woman's Hour, they've told us they are now left with no option but to live in extremely poor conditions in a makeshift camp, where they face physical and sexual abuse from the plantation workers. To make things worse, many of their husbands have abandoned them while they find employment elsewhere. The UK provides overseas aid for these woman as they fight for compensation for their lost land. But, that UK funding is due to end soon, even though after five years a legal dispute over the land is still unresolved. Two novels - one published tomorrow and one just out in paperback explore the human impact of environmental disaster through the lives of girls and women. They both ask - what is really important to us? What lasts when everything we think we need is stripped away? Kate Sawyer, author of 'The Stranding', her first novel, and Diane Cook, whose book 'The New Wilderness' was shortlisted for The Booker Prize last year, discuss their work.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Joanna Harper Interviewed Guest: Sean Rowley Interviewed Guest: Amy Dowden Interviewed Guest: Sostine Namanya Interviewed Guest: Kate Sawyer Interviewed Guest: Diane Cook

Wednesday will be the first ever World Female Ranger Day, celebrating the work of female rangers around the world who do an important but ultimately dangerous job protecting wildlife from poachers. The emphasis this year is on the work of female rangers in Africa where there are approximately 3,500 female rangers in teams in 18 countries all over the continent working to protect endangered wildlife. One of those women is Collet Ngobeni of the all-female team The Black Mambas in South Africa. Emma also speaks to Holly Budge, the founder of the charity How Many Elephants.Miscarriage is a unique type of grief - occurring in one in four pregnancies - and yet it still often goes unacknowledged. Women usually wait 12 weeks before announcing a pregnancy so if they experience miscarriage early on it can be an extremely distressing and lonely experience. For women who do choose to share the news and then discover they have miscarried, it means having to inform family and friends who may find it difficult to know the right thing to say. National Director Ruth Bender Atik talks about a new series of cards launched by The Miscarriage Association to specifically acknowledge the sadness of miscarriage and give people an opportunity to acknowledge it in a sensitive way. She is joined by Gemma Rundell who designed empathy cards that she wished were available after she had three miscarriages.Under-18s who want nude pictures or videos of themselves removed from the internet can now report the images through an online tool - being billed as a world first. The new service comes from the Internet Watch Foundation and Childline and aims to help children who have been groomed, or whose partners have posted photos of them online without their consent. In recent years, the Foundation says it has noticed more and more of these types of images that have been created by children themselves. In the first three months of this year, 38,000 self-generated images were reported. Emma speaks to Susie Hargreaves, the head of the Internet Watch Foundation.Boric acid is a white powder that can do everything from getting stains out of clothes and stopping your fridge smelling, to killing ants and cockroaches. But if you look for boric acid on social media, there's another use - as a vaginal pessary to supposedly treat thrush-like infections and bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is common, isn't considered a sexually transmitted infection, and isn't typically serious. But Dr Jen Gunter, a Canadian-American gynaecologist and author of the Vagina Bible says she's seen an increase in the use of boric acid vaginal pessaries among her patients over the past few years, paralleling what she calls an ‘explosion’ of new over the counter boric acid products and heavy marketing from celebrities, influencers, naturopaths, and functional medicine providers.Ana Diamond spent 200 days in prison in solitary confinement at the age of 19, after travelling from home in the UK to visit her grandmother in Iran. She was held in a tiny windowless cell in Evin prison, Tehran, in the same block as the Iranian British charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The guards interrogated and taunted her saying the only place she would ever graduate from was Evin prison. But this weekend she has been celebrating having scored a first from Kings College and receiving a scholarship to study for a postgraduate degree at Oxford University. Emma talks to Ana about moving forward after such a traumatic and life changing experience.