Woman's Hour

In 'Come Fly the World', journalist Julia Cooke explores the history and legacy of Pan Am, one of the world’s most iconic airlines. Julia focuses on the adventurous lives and careers of the international jet-age stewardesses of Pan Am – a job which no longer exists - who were expected to fit a specific physical profile, speak multiple languages and demonstrate diplomacy. As the women worked to maintain the glamourous image of Pan Am, they interacted with international politicians and helped to transport American soldiers to and from war zones, during the Vietnam War. The stewardesses witnessed global history and world events, playing a crucial role in major wartime missions including the evacuation of children during the fall of Saigon. Throughout the pandemic, pregnant women have been asked to make their own judgements on the risk of vaccination versus the risks of COVID-19. With very little real-world data available, that decision has been no easy task however two new large scale studies may now help prospective parents feel more confident in balancing the costs and benefits. One study of over 35,000 pregnant women given the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed no evidence of them being unsafe. The second study looked at what happens to pregnant women if they do catch COVID-19. Aris Papageorghiou, a Professor of Fetal Medicine at the Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute, talks to Anita about the results of this global study. He also explains why we should consider allowing pregnant women to be vaccinated sooner, rather than making them wait for their age-related invite to arrive in the post.Hair removal is a rite of passage for a lot of women and apparently some influencers are encouraging shaving your face! Apparently facial hair removal is nothing new - Queen Elizabeth I started the trend by shaving her facial hair, and women even shaved their eyebrows off. So how popular is it with women today? Beauty therapist and make up artist Naveeda discusses.A new film called 'Sisters With Transistors' about the unsung female pioneers of electronic music, is released today. Featuring women like Clara Rockmore, Suzanne Ciani and Delia Derbyshire, of Dr Who theme fame, the film is narrated by Laurie Anderson and celebrates the achievements of women whose male counterparts took centre stage in historical narratives around ground-breaking electronic composition. The director Lisa Rovner joins Anita as does Bishi, the singer, composer and artistic director and co-founder of WITCiH, The Women in Technology Creative Industries Hub, a platform to increase the visibility women at the intersection of music, creative technology and STEM. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Professor Aris Papageorghiou Interviewed Guest: Naveeda Interviewed Guest: Julia Cooke Interviewed Guest: Lisa Rovner Interviewed Guest: Bishi

Angela Merkel steps down as Chancellor or Prime minister of Germany in September. Nicknamed Mutti or mummy she has held the top job since 2005 so her departure is a huge shift at a challenging time in global and national politics. All eyes are focused on possible successors and one candidate in the frame is Annalena Baerbock. On Monday, the Green Party announced she would be its choice to take over from Angela Merkel. She is likely to be the only woman in the race for the job and she already being compared to young female leaders in New Zealand or Finland. Anita Rani talks to the BBC’s Europe Editor Katya Adler about the coming election and the chances of a second woman taking the top job.Research by a London academic suggests that teenagers who are heavy social media users are more likely to drink alcohol. Dr Linda Ng Fat from University College London analysed data on how long teenagers were chatting or interacting on social media sites including Facebook, MySpace and Bebo and what impact that had on drinking. The study found that 18% of participants aged 10-15 years drank at least monthly, with a greater risk of more frequent drinking for each additional hour of social media use. Anita talks to Dr Ning Fat who explains her findingsFilmed at one of the UK’S leading foetal medicine units in the country, a new Channel 4 series, Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles, shines a light on the rarely seen and often complex work being carried out inside the womb to save the lives of unborn babies. Anita is joined by Basky Thilaganathan, Professor and Director of Foetal Medicine at St George’s Hospital London and Susie, who developed Twin to Twin transfusion syndrome while pregnant with triplets.The pandemic has allowed many people to appreciate and connect with nature in a way they didn't have time to before. But as an island nation, our knowledge of the struggles faced by the life in our seas is still very poor. Every year the fishing industry inadvertently loses nets and gear that end up trapping and killing marine wildlife. But thankfully there is a team of volunteer divers who are dedicated to finding and removing this 'ghost gear' from UK waters. In celebration of Earth Day, Anita speaks to Christine Grosart from Ghost Fishing UK about the under-appreciated wonders around our coastline, the perils of retrieving lost nets, and what non-diving folk can do to make a big difference to the health of our seas.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Vanessa Frake worked in the prison service for 27 years. For 16 of those years she was the head of security and operations at the notorious male prison Wormwood Scrubs. Her career saw her cross paths with some of Britain's most notorious criminals. She was the main officer responsible for serial killer Rose West whilst she awaited trial, she was made a cup of tea by Myra Hindley, and she looked after Pete Doherty. Vanessa was awarded an MBE for her work in the prison service in 2012, and took early retirement in 2013. She has now written her memoirs in 'The Governor: My Life in Britain's Most Notorious Prisons'.This year the British town crier championships will be held in silence. Brenda Willison has been a town crier for 34 years. Based in Newmarket, Suffolk she’s been the Chair of the Loyal Company of Town Criers for the last 10 years. Last year their annual competition was cancelled so this year they decided to hold one online which only involves the content of the crying and the winner will be announced on May 13th. She explains to Anita why she thinks women make the best town criers.MPs believe there is a growing ‘digital threat to democracy’ which is preventing women from a career in politics. Yesterday in parliament there was a call for more action with female MPs from all sides recounting their experiences. Academic studies have shown that harassment against women has increased over the past two general elections, with women experiencing double the increase that men have experienced. Reporter Melanie Abbott talks to Anita about the issues.And we have the second in our series Second Chances. Our reporter Milly Chowles had a baby last year, she’s in long term recovery from addiction and feels she was given lots of chances to change before she became a mother. As the number of children in care rises and with drug and alcohol issues a factor in many cases, are women at risk of having their children removed getting the help they need? And what is the cost for their children and society as a whole if they don't? In five authored pieces Milly tells her story and listens to the experiences of mothers who face stigma and a fight to access services.

With the surge in people getting dogs during lockdown, Emily Dean, broadcaster and host of ‘Walking The Dog with Emily Dean’ joins Anita to discuss her shih-tzu called Raymond, the trend for ‘pandemic puppies’ and the unique relationship between women and their dogs.Newspaper reports from the weekend suggest that Prince Charles, Harry, William and Kate spent a couple of hours at Frogmore Cottage after the funeral of Prince Phillip on Saturday, presumably hoping to clear the air after what has been a turbulent time for the Royal family. Whatever your background - family rifts can be very painful, sometimes lasting years and often beyond anyone's memory of why they originally fell out. What should you do if you want to reconcile? How do you make that initial approach? Anita is joined by Dee Holmes, Family Counsellor with Relate and Mamta Saha, practising psychologist.More than fifteen thousand people have emailed their experiences of sexual harassment and assault in school as pupils or past pupils on the ‘Everyone‘s Invited’ website but what about assault by pupils towards teachers? We hear one female teacher’s experience of being sexually assaulted at school, and from Jennifer Moses the National Official for equality and training at the Teaching Union the NASUWT.300 years ago this month, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu deliberately infected her three year old daughter with a dose of smallpox – in other words she inoculated her – and was the first to do so in the West. Her role in the race to halt the spread of the virus was largely unacknowledged at the time. She should be recognised for the pioneer that she was says Jo Willett who has written her biography ‘The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu’.

The original rude girl and ‘Queen of Ska’ Pauline Black was working as a radiographer when she came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter. Pauline joins Anita to talk about being the only girl on tour alongside The Specials and Madness, expressing herself as a young black woman through music, playing the role of Billie Holiday and, 40 years on, the remastering the band’s album Too Much Pressure.It is estimated that 129 million girls worldwide remain out of school and face multiple barriers to education. Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia, is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Education – an organisation working with governments around the world to help children in lower-income countries get a quality education. The UK has supported eight million girls worldwide and in 100 days from now will be hosting the Global Education Summit with Kenya. Anita Rani discusses the issues with Julia and Josephine Kamara and Selina Nkoile, Youth Leaders for the GPE.In a new series of authored interviews Milly Chowles reports on women at risk of having their children removed from their care. Drug and alcohol misuse are often part of the problem. Milly, who is in recovery herself, had a baby last year. She was given many chances to change and fears that many mothers are not given the same opportunities. Today she talks to Lydia. They went to school together and took different paths in life but both ended up focussing on the stories of mothers in crisis.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Actor and writer Dame Maureen Lipman recently lost Guido Castro, her partner of more than thirteen years, having already been widowed in 2004 when her husband Jack Rosenthal died after 30 years of marriage. She tells us how you come to terms with such a loss after so long.Why do some people live in vans? Is it to save money to put down a deposit on a house or is it a lifestyle choice? We hear from George McKimm who lived in her van until 2020 and Missy who currently lives in a van with her husband, daughter and their pets. In 2018, an art and textiles teacher from a secondary school in north west London won the one million dollar Global Teacher Prize. Andria Zafirakou shares her approach to teaching and her passion for the power of visual art to create confidence and unlock trauma in young people.This month marks 18 years since the legal 'right to request' flexible working came into effect for parents of children aged under six, or 18 if they have a disability. We hear from Sarah Jackson OBE, a workplace consultant and visiting professor at Cranfield University School of Management and Rhonda D'Ambrosio who used 'right to request' in 2004. Do women really feel the cold more than men? A question for Clare Eglin, principal lecturer in Human and Applied Physiology with the University of Portsmouth. Plus Amanda Owen, Shepherdess and star of Channel 5's 'Our Yorkshire Farm' tells us about how she copes working outdoors.Irish singer, song writer Imelda May has performed alongside the like of Lou Reed, Bono, Smokey Robinson and Van Morrison. She talks about her new album new album - 11 Past the Hour – and the contributions from feminist thinkers and activists.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Beverley Purcell

Imelda May is an Irish singer/songwriter discovered by Jools Holland when she supported him on tour and subsequently appeared on Later ... with Jools Holland in 2008. She was the queen of rockabilly, with a Fifties-style frock, trademark quiff – and a voice compared to legendary blues singers such as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. The quiff is long gone. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her music, her style and her latest album '11 Past the Hour' and the track 'Made to Love', with inspired contributions from feminist thinkers and activists, Gina Martin and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu.A review into the way the justice system works in Scotland, when hearing rape and serious sexual offences, has called for new specialist courts where a judge could sit without a jury. The proposals are part of a package of measures aimed at stopping the 'retraumatisation' of victims by their experience of the court system. Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian - Scotland's second most senior judge, and Sandy Brindley, National Coordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland - one of the groups which took part in the review process - join John Scott QC, president of the Society of Solicitor Advocates. The idea of living in a van is not an unusual as you may think and many women are doing it. Search under the #vanlife on Instagram and there are over 9.5 million posts, with seductive photos of people who have refurbished cosy vans for holidays and adventures abroad but also those who have traded living in houses for a permanent life on the road. Anita is joined by George McKimm, who lived in her van from 2016 until 2020, and Missy, who currently lives with her husband Dom, daughter Rosie and their pets. They have been on the road since 2019 in their Sprinter van which they call the sub.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Imelda May Interviewed Guest: Sandy Brindley Interviewed Guest: John Scott Interviewed Guest: Valerie MacGregor Interviewed Guest: George McKimm Interviewed Guest: Missy

A woman who won a settlement from the Catholic Church after reporting the abuse she suffered, is now launching a personal injury claim against Westminster Diocese. It's because of a series of emails which she says describe her as needy, manipulative and a bully. She explains to Woman's Hour what she wants to achieve. A legal challenge began in the High Court this week about municipal waste incinerators. It's being brought by Georgia Elliott-Smith, an environmental engineer and campaigner, who says the level of incinerator emissions is "staggering". She hopes the legal challenge will result in a judicial review. It's The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on Saturday. He was married to the Queen for nearly 74 years, and she's acknowledged that he will leave a ‘huge void’. But how do you come to terms with such a loss after so long? Actor, writer and comedian Dame Maureen Lipman recently lost Guido Castro, her long-term partner, having already been widowed in 2004 when her husband Jack Rosenthal died after 30 years of marriage.

Emma Barnett talks to the former cabinet minister Owen Paterson about the suicide of his wife Rose and the charity he's founded in her memory. Evy Cohen talks about Prince Philip and how his mother Princess Alice saved her family from the Holocaust, Georgia Elliot-Smith asks if we should stop shaming women about waste and recyling and as Sikhs and Hindus prepare to celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi (solar new year) we talk to the singer Manika Kaur.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Joe Yon

Baroness Shirley Williams has died at the age of 90. She was a titan of British politics and a true trailblazer for women. She appeared on Woman's Hour many times and so we remember her by listening to the archive. We also speak to her good friend, Baroness Julia Neuberger.What do you do if you've just had a baby and you've been called for jury service? We speak to Zoe Stacey who recently received a letter telling her she had to do jury service but she was still breast feeding. We describes her struggle to be excused.We're talking about getting back into the swing of things now lockdown is gradually lifting. Are you desperate to get back to normal or are you feeling nervous and anxious? We talk to Dr. Nihara Krause, a consultant clinical psychologist.  It's 18 years that parents have been able to request flexible working. After that the 'right to request' was made available to everyone, regardless of whether you're a parent or not. So what's been achieved and Is there still a stigma attached to it? We're joined by Sarah Jackson OBE, who's a workplace consultant and visiting professor at Cranfield University School of Management, and Rhonda D'Ambrosio who's used 'right to request' when it started.