Woman's Hour

Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell joins Nuala McGovern in an exclusive interview for the BBC. He'll be discussing a new report inspecting the work undertaken and progress made by the Probation Service over the last 5 years to protect victims and reduce domestic abuse by those on probation. When librarian Rosie Grant was researching cemeteries, she stumbled across a gravestone with a cookie recipe on it. She decided to make it and post a video of her cooking experiment to social media. It was such a success she has since travel across the US to find other gravestone recipes and make them too. She tells Nuala what she has learnt about life, death and family meals since starting her quest. A bar in Portsmouth is due to open later this month, which is themed on Jack the Ripper – described as an ‘immersive cocktail and dining experience with a modern horror twist.’ The publicity features a young woman in Victorian dress, being followed at night by a mysterious man. Objections have been raised to the whole idea of a business which trades on the notoriety of a mass murderer. However the trading licence has now been granted. The owner has said ‘There is always a fine line when working on things like this and we are working really hard not to upset anyone.’ Nuala speaks to Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five, in which she painstakingly reconstructs the lives of the five women killed by the so-called Ripper, in 1888. Black and Menopausal is the title of a recently published anthology of writing, capturing Black experiences of the menopause journey. Joining Nuala is Yansie Rolston, one of the editors and contributor Yvonne Witter.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

The award-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina has died from her injuries after a Russian missile hit a pizza restaurant in the eastern city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, where she was eating. Journalist Christina Lamb was a friend of Victoria’s – she tells Nuala about her and the impact her death has had.Half of prison officers in England and Wales do not feel safe at work, according to a recent large-scale survey. Alex South spent 10 years working as a prison officer, and she’s written a book, Behind These Doors, about her experiences. She speaks to Nuala about working in such a male-dominated environment and shares her stories. Up-and-coming actor Beth Alsbury takes the lead role in a new TV drama called Blindspot, which will be on our screens this week. Beth plays Hannah, who thinks she witnesses a potential murder, but struggles to get the local detective, played by Ross Kemp, to take her seriously. Beth joins Nuala to talk about going straight from drama school to set.On Holocaust Memorial Day earlier this year, Woman’s Hour featured an audio series about young girls who’d come to the UK on the Kindertransport and lived in Tynemouth and the Lake District. A photograph used on BBC Sounds for the series featured three young girls, one whose identity was ‘unknown’. A listener told us the ‘unknown’ girl was her mother, Hanna Singer. Her two daughters tell Nuala what happened next.The National Portrait Gallery has just reopened with an exhibition of the life and career of Yevonde, the pioneering London photographer who spearheaded the use of colour photography in the 1930s. Also open at the Photographer's Gallery is another exhibition of an influential female photographer, Evelyn Hofer, famous for documenting the lives of ordinary people, places, environments and objects. The curators of both exhibitions, Clare Freestone and Clare Grafik, tell Nuala why the contributions these women made may have been overlooked.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie Garton

The Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman is the patron of the arts charity Tender, having previously played a survivor of domestic violence in the film Tyrannosaur. She speaks to Woman’s Hour alongside Tender CEO Susie McDonald about the work they’re doing to try and prevent domestic violence.Do you breakdown your ‘to do’ list into hours and minutes? What if you broke down your day into how much energy you had instead? We discuss Energy Management Techniques with Lauren Walker, an Occupational Therapist and Charlie Thorne, who was a lawyer before she became burnt out.Baroness Margaret McDonagh, the first female general secretary of the Labour Party, has died aged 61. Her sister Siobhain McDonagh shared her tribute and explained why she's chosen to speak out so soon to push for more research into glioblastoma brain tumours.Rebecca Clancy from the Times reflects on the legacy of the all-female motor racing championship, the W Series.The author Caroline O' Donoghue speaks to us about her new campus novel, The Rachel Incident. She talks about writing sex, gay best friends and what happens when messing about in your 20s gets very serious indeed.The much acclaimed actor Rosamund Pike discusses playing a woman who fakes her own death in a BBC audio adaptation of the book People Who Knew Me.Presented by Hayley Hassall Produced by Lucy Wai Edited by Richard Hooper

Actress Olivia Colman is the patron of the arts charity Tender, having previously played a survivor of domestic violence in the film Tyrannosaur. She speaks to Woman’s Hour alongside Tender CEO Susie McDonald about the work they’re doing to try and prevent domestic violence. A special police unit used to spy on left wing political and activist groups was not justified and should have been disbanded in its early days. That’s one of the conclusions of the first part of a judge led inquiry into undercover policing, which covers the years 1968 to 1982. Sir John Mitting, Chair of the inquiry said most groups infiltrated by the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad posed no threat. His report details tactics such as forming sexual relationships while undercover and using dead children’s names to create false identities. Hayley Hassall is joined by ‘Alison’ who had a five year relationship with an undercover officer, and by Harriet Wistrich, who is Director of the Centre for Women’s Justice and part of the legal team that represented women in the inquiry.The writer, editor and disability activist Lottie Jackson has written a memoir called See Me Rolling. In it, she discusses the way that society views disability and the innate prejudices that we have. She also talks about fashion and how important it is in letting her express her identity. She joins Hayley.The journalist Afua Hirsch has made a new series of Africa Rising for BBC 2, about an African cultural renaissance. Afua visits three very different countries; Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, and interviews young creatives who are expressing new ideas which are gathering momentum across the continent. Afua joins Hayley to talk about the female artists she met and their inspiring visions.

A new study has suggested that women who take hormone replacement therapy to relieve their menopause symptoms may increase their risk of dementia. Scientists at Copenhagen University found that women who had taken HRT were 24 per cent more likely to get dementia or Alzheimer’s disease than women of the same age and background who did not use the treatment. But other researchers have said that the cognitive declines may not have been due to treatment. Joining Hayley are Professor Pauline Maki from the University of Illinois at Chicago who has conducted research on menopause and Dr Nelsan Pourhadi from the Danish Dementia Research Centre, the lead researcher on the study.This weekend, World Wrestling Entertainment is coming to the UK. Among the professional wrestlers performing at the 02 in London will be the current Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. She has had a meteoric rise to the top of WWE and joins Hayley to talk about her journey to becoming champion, as well as what it’s like to be a woman in such a masculine world. Baroness Margaret McDonagh, the first female general secretary of the Labour Party, has died aged 61. Margaret McDonagh became a key figure in the Labour party under Sir Tony Blair's leadership, and played a central role in the 1997 and 2001 Labour general election victories. Glioblastoma, a type of brain tumour caused her death. Her sister Siobhain believes more research is needed into the causes and treatment of glioblastoma. Next week is the start of Wimbledon. Last week marked the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the Women's Tennis Association, also known as the WTA. It was established by Billie Jean King in 1973, after a meeting in London of 60 of the world's best female tennis players at the time. Krupa Padhy recently spoke to Sue Barker, who has both played at Wimbledon and been the presenter of BBC TV coverage for three decades, before stepping down last year. Krupa asked Sue if she thinks women's tennis, driven by Billie Jean King, has improved since she herself was playing in the 1970s and 1980s.From Liz Hurley’s iconic safety pin dress, to Audrey Hepburn’s iconic ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ gown, the Little Black Dress has taken many forms over the years. The National Museum of Scotland opens an exhibition this weekend called ‘Beyond the Little Black Dress’ which will explore the evolution of the LBD and its relationship with female liberation since it came on the scene almost 100 years ago. Hayley is joined by the exhibit’s curator, Georgina Ripley to find out more. Presenter: Hayley Hassall Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Bob Nettles

On Monday, the TV journalist Daisy Goodwin accused the Tory mayoral candidate Daniel Korski of groping her breast during a meeting at No 10 in 2013. He has denied the allegation "in the strongest possible terms". She has now contacted the Cabinet Office asking to make a formal complaint. Nuala speaks to the assistant editor of The Spectator, Isabel Hardman for her take on the situation. Ensuring fairness in sport is a much debated topic, most recently following World Athletics and British Cycling joining swimming, triathlon and rugby in banning transgender women from competing in the women's category. Someone who has been campaigning on this issue is Sharron Davies, an Olympic silver medallist and swimmer who competed in many international championships for Great Britain. Nuala speaks to Sharron about her new book Unfair Play: The Battle For Women's Sport.Doctors are calling for better support and care for the thousands of women whose lives are devastated by anal incontinence after childbirth. New research by the University of Warwick's Medical School reveals more than 20% of women who give birth vaginally experience this, which can devastate their personal and professional lives. The team discovered missed opportunities in getting a diagnosis, no clear pathway to get treatment and a lack of awareness amongst not only healthcare professionals but also mothers themselves who often keep it secret. We hear from associate professor at the University of Warwick's Medical School, and GP, Dr Sarah Hillman, who led the research, and Anna Clements who experienced severe injuries during the birth of her 3rd child, and has anal incontinence. She now works for the MASIC Foundation which supports women who are injured having their babies.Rosamund Pike made her breakthrough film role as a Bond girl in Die Another Day and followed that with Pride & Prejudice, Made in Dagenham, Jack Reacher and A Private War to name just a few. She was Oscar-nominated for Gone Girl, won a Golden Globe for I Care a Lot and an Emmy for State of the Union. Recently she’s won an award for Best Female Narrator for her narration of the first book in the Wheel of Time novels by Robert Jordan. She joins Nuala to discuss her current role of Connie , a woman who fakes her own death in a BBC audio adaptation of the book People Who Knew Me.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The actress Archie Panjabi made her film debut in East is East and then went on to play Pinky in Bend it Like Beckham. She won the Primetime Emmy Award in 2010 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in “The Good Wife”. She joins Nuala to discuss her latest role in Hijack, a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane in real time across seven hours and seven episodes. The English Cricket Board has been told to secure equal pay for its male and female cricketers by 2030 as part of the report by The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC). The report also found that racism, sexism and class-based discrimination are widespread and deep-rooted within the game. Sports commentator and journalist Georgie Heath joins Nuala. Do you breakdown your ‘to do’ list into hours and minutes? What if you broke down your day into how much energy you had instead? For years people with medical conditions like M.E and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have used Energy Management Techniques. Could we learn a thing or two by using the techniques, even if we don’t have extreme fatigue? Nuala talks to Lauren Walker, an Occupational Therapist and Charlie Thorne, who was a city lawyer before she became burnt out. In 1911 Emily Wilding Davison hid in Parliament so she would appear on the census as having been there. But far before her, there were women working within Parliament who held much more power and influence than you might expect. Mari Takayanagi is a parliamentary archivist, and has written a book alongside Elizabeth Hallam-Smith that tells the stories of these unknown working women, from cleaners to housekeepers to typists. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

The all-female motor racing championship, the W Series, has goneinto administration. The series was founded in 2019 in response to the lack of female representation at the highest levels of the sport - Formula 1 has not had a female driver compete in a race since 1976. The W Series saw three seasons of racing, where it showcased the talents of racers such as three time champion Jamie Chadwick, Alice Powell and Sarah Moore. Rebecca Clancy, motor racing corrrespondent at the Times and Sunday Times explains more. Woman's Hour broadcast live from Glastonbury for the first time on Friday. Ahead of their performance on The Other Stage Anita interviewed The Nova Twins. A feminist band who have destroyed the narrative about who gets to make rock music. Amy Love and Georgia South discuss their love of Glasto, their unique bond and holding the music industry to account.In The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue Rachel is looking back at herself in Cork in Ireland in 2010. She’s in her early 20’s, at University, in love with her professor, working in a bookshop, trying to work out who she is and then she meets her soulmate. But nothing is at it seems and life gets very messy indeed. Caroline joins Krupa to talk about writing sex, gay best friends and what happens when messing about in your 20’s gets very serious indeed.Adored by millions for their wholesome image, BBC investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou talks about her new Radio 4 Intrigue podcast series Burning Sun, which explores the sex scandals of 2019 in Korea that brought down some of the world’s biggest K-pop Stars. She also delves into the world of spy cams and talks about the misogny that some believe is causing a crisis in the country. The UK’s wealth management industry has traditionally been male-dominated, with only 16% of financial advisers being women, and only 5% of advisers having a differentiated strategy for attracting and retaining female clients. Now financial experts are saying that this industry needs to change to better meet the needs of a growing sector of wealthy women. Krupa speaks to Tamara Gillan, who has created a network called WealthiHer, which aims to help wealthy women take control of their financial futures and advise wealth managers on how to better tailor their services women, and to Sarah Roughsedge at Eva Wealth Management for Women. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Dianne McGregor

On Thursday, the UK celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush which made the 5,000 mile journey from the Caribbean to England in 1948. The passengers were mainly made up of ex-servicemen along with over 200 bold, pioneering women. Veteran nurse and founder of the Windrush Cymru Elders, Roma Taylor, former nurse Allyson Williams and journalist Amina Taylor join Nuala to discuss their experiences of leaving home to help rebuild Britain after WWII.As visitors walk through the doors of the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery in London, they will see 45 hand-drawn portraits of women by British artist Tracey Emin, that have been cast in bronze. They are said to represent every woman. Tracey speaks to Krupa Padhy about her creative process and what she hopes people will take away from the images.Professor Irene Tracey is only the second ever female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In the last few weeks she has had to deal with several angry protests in Oxford over the appearance of Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union. She allowed the talk to go ahead, saying, ‘we have to defend free speech’. Professor Tracey joins Nuala to talk about the battle over free speech, as well as what it’s like being a woman in the world of academia.Comedian Bridget Christie’s stand-up has been credited with putting the funny in feminism. You might know her from Taskmaster or Ghosts. Now she’s created and stars in a comedy drama called The Change, which starts this week on Channel 4. She plays Linda, a woman who turns 50, discovers she’s menopausal and abandons her family to go off and find herself in the Forest of Dean. Bridget joins Nuala in studio.Nuala McGovern talks to Rosa Abraham & Rituparna Chakraborty about the fact that nearly half of the population in India is female, but the number of working women has fallen to record lows.For the first time ever, Woman's Hour broadcast live from Glastonbury. Four time Grammy nominee and folk legend Allison Russell joined Anita live for a very special performance. Alongside being a singer and songwriter Allison is a poet, an activist and a multi-instrumentalist. Fresh from performing alongside the one and only Joni Mitchell earlier this month she is at Glastonbury, performing on The Acoustic Stage.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Engineer: Bob Nettles

For Woman's Hour's first ever live broadcast from Worthy Farm Anita is joined by BBC 6 Music's Jamz Supernova. Jamz gives Anita her top tips and talks us through the women she's most excited to see perform this year. Emily Eavis has been co-organising Glastonbury since 1999, working alongside her father and founder of the festival, Michael Eavis. Over the years, she's booked some of the biggest names in music, from Beyonce and Adele to the Rolling Stones. Emily has been committed to making the festival more sustainable, banning single-use plastics in 2019 and she's been vocal about improving gender equality within the live music industry. So how does she feel about this year’s line-up of all-male headliners? Four time Grammy nominee and folk legend Allison Russell joins Anita live for a very special performance. Alongside being a singer and songwriter Allison is a poet, an activist and a multi-instrumentalist. Fresh from performing alongside the one and only Joni Mitchell earlier this month she is at Glastonbury, performing on The Acoustic Stage.There are no female headliners at Glasto this year, what does this mean for women in the music industry? Anita is joined by a top panel including Vick Bain who has been in the business for over 25 years and founded The F List – a directory of female musicians, the Welsh songwriter and producer The Anchoress and 6 Music DJ and founder of Future Bounce record label Jamz Supernova. Rebecca, Diana and Kristine invited Anita to their camp site. The three friends, who are festival lovers and Woman’s Hour listeners, share their Glasto memories and tell us why it’s such a magical place. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Emma Pearce