Woman's Hour

As Children return to school across the UK an increasing number of parents are choosing to educate their children at home on a permanent basis. Many have enjoyed home schooling their kids during Covid and see it as an opportunity to explore a new way of learning. Critics however are concerned that it’s unregulated. We hear from Gail Tolley from the Association of Directors of Children's Services and to Hannah Titley from the Home Schooling Association. Trisha Goddard who had her own UK day time talk show for over a decade on why Oprah is the Queen of confessional TV interviews. Plus Stephanie Guerilus, senior editor and staff writer at the Grio, an American website with news and video content geared toward African Americans, tells us how the interview gone down with the American audienceFor over 20 years, Maria Cahill has stood by her claims that she was raped by a member of the IRA when she was 16, and was retraumatised when the issue was handled by a IRA kangaroo court. But a few days ago The Guardian newspaper issued an apology to her regarding a controversial article published in 2014. The journalist? Roy Greenslade, who used to write for The Guardian and later became a lecturer in journalism and ethics. Two weeks ago he disclosed that he was a supporter of the IRA and a member of Sinn Fein - a revelation that has caused major ripples, even prompting comment from the Prime Minister In that article from 2014, he criticised the BBC documentary which revealed Mairia's story for failing to include the fact that she belonged to an anti-Sinn Fein political party at one time. She tells Emma why she thinks the article and his recent disclosure of his political affiliations which were hidden at the time - undermine what she'd been through as a survivor of a rape, continuing to add insult to injury.Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was broadcast last night on CBS in the US. It is due to air here in the UK tonight on ITV at 9pm. What might be the repercussions of the interview with the two former working Royals? Emma talks to Jennie Bond who was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, activist, lawyer and author of This is Why I Resist.The broadcaster Clemency Burton Hill tells us about a special one off episode of the Classical Fix podcast celebrating women composers that she recorded with Emma Barnett as part of International Women's Day.British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been released from house arrest, but faces fresh charges next weekend. Nazanin was detained in Tehran in 2016, and sentenced to five years in prison for plotting to overthrow the Iranian government, which she has always denied. We hear the latest on her situation, from Richard Ratcliffe and Faranak Amidi, BBC World Service's Women's Affairs journalist.A new charity is being launched called MOCRA or ‘Mothers of Children Conceived in Rape and Abuse' which aims to provide support and advice to women and girls who become pregnant from rape, sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking and incest. They also want to provide services for children who find that they were conceived in acts of rape and sexual violence against their mothers. Founded by Dr Jessica Taylor, she joins Emma to discuss why her charity will fill a gap in services.

Pensions expert, Baroness Ros Altman talks about the state pension scandal which only affects women. Around 200,000 of them could be due pay-outs averaging £13,500 to top-up the underpayment of their state pension. We hear from the critically acclaimed and award-winning author, Isabel Allende. She tells us about her latest book 'The ‘Soul of a Woman’ - her memoir on feminism and what it means to be a woman. What can Greek goddesses teach us about ourselves today? Classicist, Natalie Haynes and Historian, Bettany Hughes discuss goddesses and what we can learn from them.35 million adults and a third of eleven year olds are overweight or obese in this country. Rachel Batterham is Professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology at UCL and one of the authors of a recent study into a drug, semaglutide, that can help some people lose 20% of their body weight. Jan, who took part in Rachel's trial and has struggled with weight since she was a child, talks about how taking part changed her life.When is maximialism too much? Interior designer, Abigail Ahern and head judge on BBC2’s Interior Design Masters, Michelle Ogundehin explain the the trend for patterns and bold, clashing colours.Classical violinist, Madeleine Mitchell talks about the concert at St John’s Smith Square celebrating A Century of Music by British Women (1921-2021) with her London Chamber Ensemble. Errollyn Wallen CBE joins Madeleine and explains what it feels like to be included in the celebration of the finest British female composers.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Kirsty Starkey

Anita Rani talks to the Chilean author Isabel Allende, also to the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. To mark International Women's Day we have music with Madeleine Mitchell & Errollyn Wallen and we look at the future of workwear post lockdown. Will power suits and formal wear be a thing of the past after a year of lounging in comfies? Emma Jacobs from the Financial Times considers our appetite for zoom casual clothing and what we can expect when we all return to the office in the coming months. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: John Boland

Silence Is a Sense is a new novel by Layla AlAmmar: a Kuwaiti now based in Lancashire. Her novel is about a young woman from Syria who's living in a block of flats in a small English city. It's about the people she watches from her window, and how she's settling in after leaving a war zone.Two out of every three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. Usually the message is eat less and move more, but is there something else going on? Rachel Batterham, Professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology at UCL discusses the critical role of gut hormones in controlling appetite and the drugs that can help keep them in balance. And Jan from Kent talks about what she's learned about the causes of her own problems with weight and why she thinks anti-obesity drugs could change the lives of millions.We look at the growing trend for ‘more is more’ in home decorating. Maximalism can mean having a riot of different patterns and colours and textures, and also making more space for your treasured objects to go on display. Emma talks to Abigail Ahern, interior designer and author of Everything – A Maximalist Style Guide and Michelle Ogundehin, head judge on BBC2’s Interior Design Masters and author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness.

From May mothers' names will finally be featured alongside fathers' details on marriage certificates, in England and Wales thanks to years of campaigning both inside and outside of parliament. We hear from Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler who started the campaign for change back in 2013 and Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar who is the Church of England’s Head of Life Events.Today one of the most powoerful women in UK politics, Nicola Sturgeon has been giving evidence to a special committee set up by the Scottish Parliament to investigate the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. We look at the implications for her, her Party and for the Scottish Government.If you still crave a career in music what are some strategies for survival? Sound Advice is a new handbook for aspiring musicians written by journalist Rhian Jones and PhD researcher Lucy Heyman. Plus a lookahead to the Chancellor's speech with Mary-Ann Stephenson from the Women's Budget Group. And Captain Sir Tom's daughter Lucy Teixeira on why her family are inviting people to come together to plant trees and grow a living legacy forest in his name. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

As International Women’s Day approaches and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue, what are the most pressing issues facing women in Afghanistan? We hear from BBC Afghan reporter Mahjooba Nowrouzi and scholar and women’s rights advocate Dr Orzala Ashraf Nemat.We're missing hugs, but maybe we'll get them back soon. A retired nurse in Scotland has been able to give her elderly mother a big hug for the first time in five months. Fiona Scott went to see her mum, Mary Cook, who's 90 and in a care home in Scotland yesterday. It's because restrictions have been eased a bit in Scotland - now people can go and see the one they love, INSIDE a care home, and touch them. Fiona and sex and relationships columnist for the Times, Suzi Godson, join Emma.Actor Sue Johnston has spoken about the sexism older women face in theatre and screen. Johnston 77, has been cast as 61-year-old Sean Bean’s mother in Jimmy McGovern’s new BBC prison drama. Thirty years ago she played Sean Bean’s wife in a 1992 episode of Inspector Morse. Actor Dame Harriet Walter and film journalist and broadcaster Karen Krizanovich discuss why female actors age into older roles, while male actors remain in similar parts throughout their careers.Pregnant women who lose their babies should be given two weeks' paid bereavement leave, according to campaigners. At the moment, only women who lose their baby after 24 weeks are entitled to statutory leave. Taylor Moss, who had a stillbirth at 23 weeks, has started a petition to change the law after she was not entitled to any time off. Her campaign is being backed by Cherilyn Mackrory, the Conservative MP who co-chairs the baby loss All Party Parliamentary Group. Taylor discusses her experience of loss, her impetus for starting the petition and what she hopes to achieve.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Mahjooba Nowrouzi Interviewed Guest: Dr Orzaa Ashraf Nemat Interviewed Guest: Fiona Scott Interviewed Guest: Suzi Godson Interviewed Guest: Dame Harriet Walter Interviewed Guest: Karen Krizanovich Interviewed Guest: Taylor Moss

As the government announces plans for summer school and tutoring to help children catch up on their learning we hear from parents who think it’s more important to just let them go out to play with their friends. Recent polling suggests that mums in the “Red Wall” seats of the Midlands and North of England – areas which traditionally voted Labour but have switched allegiance to back the Conservatives – are against cutting short summer holidays after such a difficult year. We hear from the mums and from Deborah Mattinson from the political consultancy Britain Thinks and from Justine Roberts at Mumsnet.Throughout the course of the history of Greek mythology there have been many Greek goddesses. These goddesses tend to have exaggerated personalities and are often plagued with personal flaws and negative emotions , but do we know everything we need to know about these mythological women and what if anything can we learn from them today? Writer and classicist Natalie Haynes along with historian Bettany Hughes are talking about Greek Goddesses as part of this year’s WOW - Women of the World Festival running online from today until the 21st of March.Just last week Cara Delevigne posted a photo of her new darker brown hair on Instagram saying 'Blondes have more fun but brunettes ....' So are you like Cara embracing your darker locks? Is the nondescript colour often described as 'mouse' making a comeback bought on by lockdown three? To discuss the latest hair trends is the writer and broadcaster Sali Hughes.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

In her first in-depth broadcast interview since winning the High Court disqualification case regarding the disbanded children's charity Kids Company, its founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, explains why she fought so long and hard to be cleared.David Watkins is one of the first single men in the UK to have a surrogate baby after a law change in January 2019. David talks about becoming a father to baby Miles in July 2020. Faye Spreadbury, a married mother of two, explains what it was like to take on the role of surrogate.How important is empathy in leadership? Chef Angela Hartnett, and Belinda Parmar, CEO of the Empathy Business, discuss empathy and how business leaders can use it as a tool to manage staff emotions in the workplace.Charlotte Sibtain talks about her collection of more than 400 vintage wedding photos from charity shops, markets and the internet and her quest to track their owners.Novelist Julie Ma talks about her first book Happy Families which is centred around a Chinese takeaway, the Yau Sum in West Wales, and closely resembles the one she grew up in and now runs with her brother.BBC correspondent Mariko Oi explains Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announcement that women will be invited to its all-male meetings: as long as they don't speak. Are women in the UK jazz scene facing discrimination and sexual harassment? Sarah Raine, an academic and anthropologist and Jas Kayser, who's a jazz drummer and musician, discuss gender equality in the music industry.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Why the latest lockdown has left so many women feeling at breaking point as they try to juggle home schooling and working from home simultaneously. Annie tells us her story and we hear from Leann Cross the Director of Homestart Greenwich and Sam Smethers the former Chief Exec of the Fawcett Society,. Model and TV personality, Zara McDermott talks about revenge porn. Intimate images of her were shared without her consent when she was 14 and again when she was 21. Sharing explicit or intimate images without consent has been illegal since 2015, when Baroness Morgan was in office as Minister for Women and Equalities. Baroness Morgan joins the discussion to talk about the change to the law, which has been failing women and girls.Harry Dunn was just 19 when he was was killed on his motorbike in Northamptonshire in 2019 when an American woman was driving on the wrong side of the road. His mum Charlotte Charles tells us about the latest ruling in the campaign to get Harry justice.Why are so many girls and women suffering from vulva anxiety? Alix Fox, a sex journalist, broadcaster and educator, and Dr Naomi Crouch, the Chair of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology discuss.A new TV campaign is urging people from BAME backgrounds to take the Covid-19 vaccine, We hear from Mehreen Baig who's backing the campaign and Dr Binita Kane a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Manchester University Foundation Trust. And the Classics scholar Mary Beard on how the term ‘witch’ has been used as an insult which she believes is an attempt to discredit her and older women generally.Presenter Anita Rani Producer Rabeka Nurmahomed