Woman's Hour

Frankie Bridge is best known as one fifth of 'The Saturdays' and outside of music has established herself as a TV presenter & digital influencer. She became a Mind ambassador after opening up about her experiences of anxiety, depression and panic attacks, after her hospitalisation in May 2012. Having initially dealt with these issues in silence, she now sees that asking for help can save your life. She talks to Jane about her new book OPEN which features practical guidance and advice from the psychologist and psychiatrist who helped her.Fifty years on from the first Women’s Liberation Conference in 1970, Women's Place UK organised one last weekend. 900 women gathered to discuss ending violence against women and sex discrimination and to defend women only spaces and single sex services. We hear from some of the women who were there and Professor Sophie Scott and journalist, Helen Joyce discuss what they hope the event will achieve. And, Janice Okoh‘s new play ‘The Gift’ is directed by Dawn Walton and was inspired by the story of Sara Forbes Bonetta – born Omoba Aina in 1843. A Yoruba princess, Sara was taken into slavery, released to the Lieutenant-Commander of the HMS Bonetta, then offered as a gift to Queen Victoria. The play is set in both 1862 and the present day, and explores themes of cross-racial adoption, colonialism and what it means to be British. Janice Okoh and Dawn Walton join us to discuss the play.Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Ruth Watts

In January, midwives at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary complained that expectant dads were treating maternity wards ‘like a hotel’. Issues ranged from dads sharing beds with new mums, ordering takeaway food and making other new mothers embarrassed about breastfeeding. But as NHS policy states that maternity services should be ‘mother-focussed and family-centred’, should more be being done to welcome fathers onto wards? Jenni speaks to Dr Jeremy Davies from the Fatherhood Institute, NHS midwife Leah Hazard, and Cathy Nolan, who gave birth to her son last May.

Last month, midwives at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary complained that expectant dads were treating maternity wards ‘like a hotel’. Issues ranged from dads sharing beds with new mums, ordering takeaway food and making other new mothers embarrassed about breastfeeding. But as NHS policy states that maternity services should be ‘mother-focussed and family-centred’, should more be being done to welcome fathers onto wards? The UK government is chartering a final flight to bring British nationals back from the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. In China alone, there are now more than 24,300 cases of the virus, with the death toll at nearly 500. Dr Clare Wenham Assistant Professor in Global Health at the LSE tells us why she believes that the response to health emergencies should not be gender neutral. We asked you to share your experiences of being part of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Today a listener tells us about fighting for the right to sterilisation when her husband withheld his consent. Plus the impact joining the movement had on her life. Plus we hear from Syrian paediatrician Dr Amani Ballour, now the focus of an Oscar–nominated documentary called ‘The Cave’. Presenter Jenni murray Producer Beverley PurcellGuest; Dr Clare Wenham Guest; Dr Amani Ballour Guest; Dr Jeremy Davies

Right now, there are thousands of people working hard in other people’s homes to keep them running smoothly. But what’s it like working in domestic service in modern Britain? Juliet Adame and Dawn Nickless talk about their experiences of the relationship between employer and employed, and the extent to which class still plays a role in people’s attitudes towards domestic workers. Jenni also speaks to Dr Lucy Delap from the University of Cambridge about how much the life of a cleaner, nanny and gardener has changed – or not – in the past 100 years, and why so many women feel mortally embarrassed about being the boss. Women’s rugby is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and 29% of all rugby players are women. Since it was announced as an Olympic sport in 2009, the number of participants has grown globally from 200,000 to over 2.6 million. As preparations are underway for this year’s Women’s Six Nations Catherine Spencer the former Captain of the England talks to Jenni about her memoir Mud, Maul, Mascara: How I Led my Country, and Lived to Tell the Tale.Goth, punk, raver – what kind of teenager were you? The Museum of Youth Culture is currently touring their exhibition “Grown Up in Britain”, which showcases artefacts from teenagers throughout the decades. We discuss how teenage subcultures have evolved from the 50s to today with Ruth Adams, senior lecturer at Kings College London and Lisa Der Weduwe, Archives Manager at the Museum of Youth Culture, before kicking off our four-part feature series “A Short History of the Teenage Girl” with Kay from Derby.Presenter - Jenni Murray Producer - Anna Lacey Guest - Lucy Delap Guest - Julieta Adame Guest - Dawn Nickless Guest - Catherine Spencer Guest - Ruth Adams Guest - Lisa der Weduwe

We speak to Hannah Pearson who's 25 and has anorexia and bulimia. She recently asked for help from a specialist NHS eating disorder service close to where she lives but because she isn’t considered underweight enough she’s been told she has to wait 18 months. We hear from Hannah as well as Agnes Ayton from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Last night, Americans living in Iowa had their say on who they think is the best Democrat candidate to beat Donald Trump. Women candidates include Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. We speak to Dr Anne-Marie Angelo, originally from Virginia, who’s now Senior Lecturer in American History at Sussex University in Brighton. There was a time when domestic service was the single biggest employer of women in the UK but many of their stories have been forgotten. Author and historian Annie Gray is putting things right with her new book, Victory in the Kitchen. It tells the story of Georgina Landemare’s journey from scullery maid to the much-admired cook of the Churchill family. She's joined by Edwina Brocklesby, Georgina’s granddaughter.

The UK left the European Union on Friday night – so what can women expect from British politics. There have been weeks of speculation about a February reshuffle – we discuss the women who will win and lose. And what of the women among the voters who the Prime Minister has often said “lent” him their votes? Jane talks to Helen Lewis, staff writer for the Atlantic and to Anne McElvoy, senior editor at The Economist about how women’s interests will figure in post-Brexit politics. Last Wednesday, in our series about breaking free from damaging relationship patterns, we heard a moving account from “Sadie” who described her ex-partner as a narcissist. Today we explore further the subject of narcissistic abuse. Life for girls in Afghanistan can be dangerous – and with no set education system, they can often find themselves selling tea in the street or married early. But a centre in Kabul is teaching children from poor areas to read, write and… skateboard. It’s the subject of a BAFTA winning film Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) by Carol Dysinger, who joins us to discuss the project.BBC stories has been following Danielle Thomas on her journey to find out if she has inherited the gene for Huntington’s disease. Her mum is in the late stages of the disease and there’s a 50:50 chance that she could have inherited it. Jane talks to her about her decision to discover if she’s a carrier and the impact it’s had on her life.Presenter: Jane Garvey Interviewed guest: Helen Lewis Interviewed guest: Anne McElvoy Interviewed guest: Katherine Baldwin Interviewed guest: Carol Dysinger Interviewed guest: Danielle Thomas Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

The double discrimination faced by black parents with autistic children. Damaging relationships - why do we so often repeat the same patterns of behaviour?Forestry England's writer in residence. Plus Marion Dunn who took up boxing for fitness in her 50's. The campaign to reform the disclosure of criminal records. And Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop Lab - why are so many of us so keen on advice and products that are not backed up by any scientific research?Producer Olivia Cope Editor Beverley PurcellGuest; Pam Aculey Guest; Venessa Bobb Guest; Marion Dunn Guest; Leigh Hardy Guest; Rachel Tynan Guest; Zakiya McKenzie Guest; Louise Tickle Guest; Jenny Beck Guest; Penny Guest; Prof Tali Sharot Guest; Dr Anjali Mahto Guest; Anne-marie Lodge

Rachel Clarke is a doctor working at a hospice. She’s a palliative care doctor and says the “currency of a hospice is kindness”. She's talking about sweet and thoughtful gestures that make a difference to dying patients and their loved ones. She’s also a great believer in talking to patients and relatives about how death comes, and says the reality of it is normally not as awful as we fear. Sixty thousand children stay at home for their education and do very well. They're taught by dedicated mums and dads. However, there are fresh concerns about home schooling due to a couple in Northamptonshire who are now in jail for child cruelty. They told their son's school that they wanted to teach him at home but he suffered four years of abuse. There's been a Serious Case Review into what happened and it concluded that home-schooling regulations in England and Wales need ‘urgent care’. We discuss with the Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield. Do you have a criminal record for a relatively minor offence from years ago. Is it stopping you doing the jobs you'd like to do, like being a nurse, caring for children or working in a library? Two legal charities have launched a campaign called #FairChecks. They want the government to reform the way people have to disclose criminal records. Jenni talks to two women who've had DBS problems and to Rachel Tynan, from the charity Unlock.Georgie Codd, author of We Swim to the Shark, is really really scared of fish. She suffers from ichthyphobia – a fear of fish. She joins Jenni to talk about the drastic steps she took to overcome her phobia.

Next month sees the fiftieth anniversary of the first Women’s Liberation conference at Ruskin College, Oxford. The event produced four key demands for equal pay, equal education and job opportunities, free contraception and abortion on demand, and 24-hour nurseries – and it is widely seen as a defining moment in the development of Second Wave Feminism. Jenni discusses its significance and legacy with the organiser of the 1970 meeting, Sally Alexander and with the historian Selina Todd.In parts of of Uganda, men are pressuring their wives into breastfeeding them before their babies. New research has explored why and how men are doing this, and how the practice may be coercive. We’re joined by a researcher on the project, Dr Rowena Merritt, and BBC reporter in Kampala, Patricia Oyella.And, how do we break damaging relationship patterns and what does research tell us about what makes relationships strong and healthy? Jenni is joined by Penny Mansfield, co-director of the relationships charity One Plus One and Simone Bose who works for Relate. Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Ruth Watts

Getting the right information and support to raise a child with autism can be difficult for any parent. But if the child is from an ethnic background, research has shown that this can act as a 'double discrimination'. Why is this the case? We hear from Pam Aculey whose oldest son has autism and now has produced a series of children's picture books. And Venessa Bobb who has two children with the condition and now runs her own charity - A 2nd Voice - set up to help families like hers.