Woman's Hour

Reynhard Sinaga has been identified this week as ‘Britain’s most prolific rapist’. He was convicted of 159 counts of sex offences including 136 rapes, against 48 male victims and will serve a minimum of 30 years in prison. Police believe there may have been up to 200 victims. According to research 1 in 6 men have been targets of rape or sexual abuse. To discuss the issue of male rape and the support available to victims, Jenni is joined by Alex Feis-Bryce, CEO of SurvivorsUK and Neil Henderson, CEO of Safeline and Chair of Male Survivors Partnership. In our series’ How Fat Feels’ back in 2018 Mellisa talked honestly to our reporter Ena Miller about why she insists on calling herself fat and how her weight shapes her life. ‘Some days I use my fat as armour, some days it’s like a shroud’ she said then. Today Mellisa joins Jenni to listen to that interview again and consider how she feels now about her body. We’ve heard of the helicopter mum. Now here comes the snowplough. That’s the term used to describe an overprotective parent who clears anything in their path in order to ensure their child’s success. But what does this behaviour do to a child? Jenni is joined by Rebecca Glover, Principal of Surbiton High School who has created a TedX Talk ‘Do Snowplough parents remove true grit?’ and Dr Angharad Rudkin, a child psychologist. Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Alex Feis-Bryce Interviewed Guest: Neil Henderson Reporter: Ena Miller Interviewed Guest: Rebecca Glover Interviewed Guest: Dr Angharad Rudkin

Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial begins in New York today – two years after the first allegations against him were made public. .The Hollywood film producer who’s 67- faces five charges of rape and sexual assault involving two women. He’s pleaded not guilty. Dozens of other women have made allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against Weinstein since the publication of revelations in the New York Times in October 2017. He denies any non-consensual sex. Amanda Taub is a writer for the New York Times.In May 2018 we put out a call to our listeners, asking How Does Fat Feel? Ena Miller interviewed three of the dozens of listeners who got in touch. A woman we are calling Jules described herself as fat and said that as she got bigger her life got smaller. Her low self esteem was having an impact on her marriage and her general health was poor. Today 'Jules' joins Jane to listen again to that interview and to talk about how she feels now.Practising mindfulness can calm parents and children alike, according to Issy Judd who has written a book Mindfulness for Mums. She tells Jane about simple activities to relieve chaotic family stress, along with Sian Warriner, Consultant midwife at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who runs mindfulness courses for expectant parents.Presenter: Jane Garvey Interviewed guest: Amanda Taub Interviewed guest: Sian Warriner Interviewed guest: Issy Judd Reporter: Ena Miller Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Having to leave a child's bedside when they're being cared for in hospital can be a huge wrench. To help reduce the separation anxiety, a third of neonatal units in the UK are now using an app that helps parents stay in touch with their premature babies 24 hours a day. Doctors and nurses can send photos and video updates to parents when they can't be with their baby in hospital. So far, around five thousand families have used the service. Emma Barnett talks to Katharine Da Costa - a reporter for BBC South and Consultant Obstetrician Dr Maggie Blott.This year saw an unprecedented number of women winning major awards and prizes. What does being a winner feel like, and is it always good to win? Jenni Murray hears from the writer Edna O'Brien who won the David Cohen Prize for Literature. The award celebrates a writer who has broken down social and sexual barriers for women in Ireland and beyond, and moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing.Christmas is steeped in all sorts of tradition – but it’s not just trees, tinsel and turkey. Many families have their own festive rituals and the mere idea of doing things differently would make it feel… well, just not like Christmas. But why do we get so hung up on doing Christmas a certain way - even if it doesn't make us happy? What is it about human psychology that makes tradition so attractive? And if your family festivities make you want to run away and hide, what’s the best way to break the cycle? Jenni Murray talks to Dr Cristine Legare from the University of Texas at Austin about why rituals are an inevitable part of being human.We mark the centenary of women being able to enter the legal profession. Andrea Catherwood speaks to Cherie Booth QC, Dana Denis-Smith - founder of the First 100 years, Abi Silver, a former associate at a city law firm and now a legal consultant, Beth Collette, who's a barrister in her second year of tenancy, and Mari Takayanagi - a Senior Archivist at the Houses of Parliament.The actress and writer Joanna Scanlan is known for Thick of It, Getting On, No Offence Puppy Love and most recently The Accident. Her latest role is as Mother Superior in the BBC’s new adaptation of Dracula. She joins Jenni to discuss.Plus, the Glasgow-based close harmony quartet The All Sorts perform.

The word ‘concussion’ might sound like a benign knock to the head but it can have lasting consequences. Women are particularly at risk. With all else being equal, women are two to three times more likely to experience a concussion, will have worse symptoms and take longer to recover. Dr Willie Stewart from Glasgow University has been trying to find out why – but has been hampered by the lack of female brains available to study. He’s now asking women to consider donating their brains in the name of science and understanding how sex differences affect the outcome and treatment of traumatic brain injury. Jane is also joined by Samantha Ainsworth, who talks about her experience of post-concussion syndrome. Back in October we spoke to the anti-abortion group who put up graphic posters of aborted foetuses in the constituency of the MP Stella Creasy. At the time she was heavily pregnant. The same group, called CBR UK, is now planning regular anti-abortion demonstrations at Cardiff University. They've had three of them already, just before Christmas. We speak to the student who encouraged an automatic pro-choice stance at Cardiff University, and a recent graduate who's part of a group which helps students who are against abortion to express their views. Also, Dr Pam Lowe from Aston University who has been researching attitudes to abortion at UK universities. Women are the main readers of fiction. They outnumber men in all categories of fiction bar fantasy, horror and science fiction. In her new book Why Women Read Fiction, Professor Helen Taylor draws on over 500 interviews with women readers to examine how and why women consume fiction and why reading fiction is so important to huge numbers of women. The government’s official advisers on youth justice are calling for a full review of the age of criminal responsibility. They would like it raised by at least two years to 12, as Scotland has done recently. So why do England and Wales continue to set theirs at ten despite it being the lowest in Europe? Should children as young as ten caught committing a crime receive welfare interventions rather than being dealt with by the justice system? Jane is joined by Dr Eileen Vizard, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Institute of Child Health in UCL and Louise King, Director of Policy and Campaigns, from the legal charity, Just for Kids Law.Presenter - Jane Garvey Producer - Anna Lacey Guest - Isadora Sinha Guest - Madeline Page Guest - Pam Lowe Guest - Samantha Ainsworth Guest - Willie Stewart Guest - Eileen Vizard Guest - Louise King Guest - Helen Taylor

Last weekend Lucy Edwards made history when she became the first blind person to present on Radio 1. How did she begin her career in broadcasting?After a six year battle, Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld were finally able, as a heterosexual couple, to opt for a civil partnership. They talk about how their campaign began and their plans for their future.The power of the habit that’s become entrenched. How do habits form and how easy are they to break? Author Catherine Gray on her latest book – the Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary. Plus, as the Teenage Cancer Trust reveals that nearly thirty per cent of the young people who need to be treated don’t have any discussion about the impact it might have on their fertility we ask; What difference can such a discussion make? And we look at one of the big issues of the new decade, social care.Presenter Jenni Murray Producer Rosie Stopher Editor Beverley PurcellGuest; Catherine Gray Guest; Lucy Edwards Guest; Charles Keidan Guest; Rebecca Steinfeld Guest; Dr Heather McKee Guest; Kate Raworth. Guest; Angela Saini Guest; Dr Sarah Jarvis Guest; Bea Campbell. Guest; Professor Pamela Kearns Guest; Dr Louise Soanes Guest; Ellie Waters

Tracking apps can share a friend or loved ones location with you at all times, so you always know where they are. So it's little wonder that some parents see them as an easy way to keep tabs on their teenagers. But does it stop them becoming independent? And can it ruin trust in your relationship with your children? In this week's Woman's Hour Parenting Podcast, we hear from two different perspectives. Debby Penton tells Jenni Murray why she uses location tracking apps to keep track of where her kids are, while Nicola Morgan explains why she has some concerns about the technology

Young children may know they can deceive others but their first lies are often more humorous than effective. Imagine the child who claims not to have eaten any cake while her mouth is still full, or who blames the family dog for drawing on the wall. But is lying actually an important sign other cognitive skills are also developing? As a child matures how does the nature and motivation behind lying change? And is it ever a cause for concern? Consultant child and educational psychologist, Laverne Antrobus explains.What is it like to have to care for young children or the elderly while facing the bushfires and extreme heat in Australia? The Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria are currently being ravaged by bushfires and temperatures exceeded 40C in every state and territory at the start of the week. How do you look after the vulnerable in such a difficult situation? On Monday’s phone-in we talked about making and breaking habits. A review of the available international research and research at the University of York looks more broadly at how science can help us understand how people makes changes to their lives . Ian Hamilton a Senior Lecturer in Addiction and Mental Health tells us more about the findings and why the impact of addiction on women is not fully understood.In 2013 Catherine Gray was at rock bottom, feeling suicidal and drinking far too much. Six years on she has made significant life changes and completed a trio of books, the first, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, the second The Unexpected Joy of Being Single, and now, The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary. She joins Jenni to describe how she made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled. Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Dr Rob Gordon Interviewed Guest: Sara Lander Interviewed Guest: Calla Wahlquist Interviewed Guest: Laverne Antrobus Interviewed Guest: Ian Hamilton Interviewed Guest: Catherine Gray

The Children’s Commissioner for England says that we need an urgent review of the care system. She is concerned that around 30,000 children in care are living miles away from friends and family, while others are living in unregulated and inadequate placements. Anne Longfield explains what she thinks needs to be done. Cancer treatment can have an impact on fertility, but a recent survey by the Teenage Cancer Trust suggests that nearly a third of young people did not have a discussion about their fertility before starting treatment. We speak to 18 year old, Ellie Waters who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer aged 14, Dr Louise Soanes, a Teenage Cancer Trust Nurse Consultant for Adolescents and Young People and Professor Pamela Kearns, a Consultant Paediatric Oncologist. Elsie Widdowson was one of the British dietitians responsible for overseeing the government-mandated addition of vitamins to food and wartime rationing in Britain during World War II. Dr Venki Ramakrishnan the President of the Royal Society tells Jenni about her achievements. Many parents see location tracking apps as an easy way to keep tabs on their teenagers. We discuss the merits and drawbacks of on keeping tabs on your teenagers.Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Ruth Watts

As we stand at the start of a new decade we look at three key issues that will shape women’s lives in the 2020s. And we hear some big ideas on how things could change.How do we tackle the crisis in social care in the next decade? Given the fundamental caring roles women perform in households, what new ways of thinking about and valuing care work might help find solutions?In women’s health - are we getting access to the right treatments and diagnosis? With the growing visibility of conditions such as endometriosis, so long down played as 'women’s troubles', we’ll ask what treatments and drugs are getting funded and why. How could science and medicine better serve women?What does the workplace of the future need to look like for women, and how do we get there? Our guests are Kate Raworth, a self-described renegade economist, the sciences author Angela Saini, GP and Clinical Director of PatientAccess.com, Dr Sarah Jarvis, and the writer and activist Beatrix Campbell.Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Helen Fitzhenry Guest: Kate Raworth Guest: Angela Saini Guest: Dr Sarah Jarvis Guest: Beatrix Campbell

Civil partnerships have been in place for same-sex couples since December 2005 but as of today they're open to mixed sex couples. We hear from the campaigners, Rebecca Steinfield and Charles Keidan who first appeared on the programme nearly six years ago after they announced their intention to be civilly married in the Jewish Chronicle. Since then they've fought to be able to legally register their union. We hear from them today as they are finally able to become civil partners in the eyes of the law.Yesterday a 19 year-old woman was found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in Ayia Napa in Cyprus. She withdrew her allegation after a lengthy late night interrogation by police during which no lawyer was present. She will be sentenced next week. Women’s groups and criminal justice campaigners have expressed their concerns about the police investigation, and the judge's handling of her case. Joan Smith explains her concerns about the conviction and what is likely to happen next. Sue Elliott Nicholls has had a lot of mothers, some were hers and some she has deliberately found for herself for a little extra maternal back up. She thought it was just her thing but it turns out that spare mother-figures are more common than we might think. Lucy Edwards made history last week when she became the first blind person to present their own show on BBC Radio 1. She joins Jane to discuss her ambitions and what she's learned from her first shows.Presenter Jane Garvey. Producer Beverley PurcellGuest; Rebecca Steinfield Guest; Charles Keidan Guest; Lucy Edwards Guest; Joan SmithReporter Sue Elliott Nicholls