Woman's Hour

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. Society sets us up to fail, according to the academic Dr Faiza Shaheen. Dr Shaheen studied at Oxford University, became a leading statistician, is standing for election as the Labour party candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green and has written a book ‘Know Your Place’. Some might describe Shaheen’s career as a personal success, evidence of working-class mobility, that anyone can do anything, but Shaheen thinks otherwise. She talks to Krupa about inequality in the UK.Stories have emerged in the French media of a man from Provence who allegedly drugged his unsuspecting wife every night so that scores of men could rape her. We haven't independently verified the story but French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that more than 50 men have been charged. Krupa is joined by Anglo-French journalist Benedicte Paviot to tell us more.In the final part of Woman's Hour series about women in India, Krupa looks at the rise of women skateboarders. Since its recent inclusion in the Olympic Games, skateboarding is becoming increasingly popular across the country. Atita Verghese is regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s skateboarding in India. She started skating aged 19, when she was the only woman in the skatepark. In 2015, she founded the Skate Girl India project and talks to Krupa about the events she is organising across India to empower girls.A new exhibition at the V&A celebrates the creative power and cultural significance of the ‘diva’. With a mixture of fashion, photography, design, costume and music DIVA will celebrates the personal stories and resilience of some of the best-known divas; Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Cher and Rihanna. Kate Bailey, curator of DIVA speaks to Krupa Padhy about what people can expect from the exhibition and why the concept of a diva still matters in our culture.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Studio manager: Duncan Hannant

Nuala speaks to a woman who discovered by chance that her fiancé was secretly filming her naked in the home they shared. Victoria, not her real name, reported him to the police and he later pleaded guilty and was convicted on voyeurism charges. Last month she also won £97,000 in compensation, some of which she is aiming to put towards trying to remove the images he made of her without her consent from the internet. According to data gathered from a global network of health scientists, five-year-olds in the UK are on average up to seven centimetres shorter than their peers in other wealthy nations. To discuss the contributing factors Nuala is joined by Anna Taylor, Executive Director of nutrition charity, The Food Foundation and also by Henry Dimbleby the former government food adviser who's also written a book "Ravenous" about our consumption of ultra processed food. In India, the majority of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in the later stages and between 2019 and 2021 less than 1% of women had undergone screening. But a team of blind and partially sighted women are trying to change this by training to become Medical Tactile Examiners where they use their hands to help detect the cancer at its earliest stage. Nuala is joined by Shalini Khanna, Director of The National Association of the Blind India Centre for Blind Women and Leena Chagla, President of the Association of Breast Surgery to discuss.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. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

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.We hear how new research shows napping is good for us and helps our brain with Dr Ivana Rosenzweig and Dr Maja Schaedel.The Windrush scandal began to surface in 2017 after it emerged that hundreds of Commonwealth citizens, many of whom were from the Windrush generation, had been wrongly detained, deported and denied access to healthcare and work. Most had no idea they had been silently affected by changing legislation. Five years after government apologised we talk to Human rights lawyer, Jacqueline McKenzie and victim of the scandal and advocate Glenda Caesars.Nalette Tucker is one of our Grassroots Power Listers. She set up Sunnah Sports, which aims to get everyone involved in sport in a safe and accessible way, including those like Muslim women and girls who often face barriers to joining in with sport normally. She joins Nuala to talk about how it felt to be on the list, and why she says sport is the reason she’s still here today. And we discuss whether the police, prosecutors and lawyers should have access to the therapy records of rape and sexual assault victims. We hear from Nogah Ofer from the Centre for Women’s Justice and the testimony of one woman’s experience of the system.Presenter: Nuala McGovern. Producer:Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Steve Greenwood

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.On Thursday, the UK will celebrate 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.Even if you aren’t a fan of the Archers you're probably familiar with the Helen and Rob storyline that featured coercive control and domestic violence back in 2016. Rob, the perpetrator, eventually got his comeuppance and was banished to the US. Now nearly seven years later Rob has returned. Joining Nuala to talk about the latest twists and turns is the actor who plays Helen, Louiza Patikas.

Thousands of people gathered together on Thursday night to attend a vigil for those killed in the Nottingham attacks. The mothers of the murdered teenagers Grace O’Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber both paid tribute to their children. Clare speaks to another mother who lost her child to murder, Lisa Squire.Dr Laura Flexer, GP, emailed Woman’s Hour to ask the programme to talk about bone health, especially that of teenage girls with anorexia. Should young women with eating disorders be given oestrogen to boost bone density? Dr Flexer joins Nuala to talk about her research, along with Professor Sandeep Ranote, an expert clinical media spokesperson for the eating disorders charity BEAT and a consultant paediatric psychiatrist for eating disorders in the NHS.Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect, talks to Nuala about being awarded the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 2023, her work in disaster zones and helping the poorest communities impacted by climate change.The actor Cate Blanchett joins Clare to celebrate the work and life of Glenda Jackson, actor and MP who died this week.Jo Tongue is a sports agent who represents some of the best known sporting and broadcasting talent in the UK, including England footballer Leah Williamson. She is vocal in her push for parity of the profile and pay for women in sport - both on the pitch and in the media. For this reason, Jo earned herself a place on the Woman’s Hour Women in Sport Power List earlier this year. She joins Nuala to tell her about her career to date in a male dominated industry.A growing number of people are experiencing what psychiatrists have labelled eco-anxiety or eco-grief, an overwhelming sense of hopeless and doom due to the current climate situation. So what exactly is the impact on people and how can we turn the tables and help people to feel more hopeful about the environment? Krupa is joined by climate scientist turned campaigner Jen Newall from the Climate Majority Project, and Judy Ling Wong CBE, President of the Black Environment Network.Susanna Hoffs is a solo artist and a founding member of the Bangles. She joins Nuala to discuss her career and her first novel – This Bird Has Flown – described as "part British romcom, part Jane Eyre” – which gives a glimpse inside the music business.Presenter: Clare McDonell Producer: Lottie Garton

The actor Cate Blanchett celebrates the work and life of Glenda Jackson, who died this week. The mothers of Grace O'Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber spoke about their loved ones at a public vigil in Nottingham. Lisa Squire's daughter Libby was murdered as she walked home from a night out. Did choosing to go public and share her emotions and pain with a wider audience help her deal with her grief?For the first time four British women have reached the quarter-finals of the same WTA (Women's Tennis Association) Tour event. Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage have joined Heather Watson in the women's last eight in the Nottingham Open. Tennis reporter Karthi Gnanasegaram explains the significance. Girlguiding has announced the closures of British Guiding Overseas and all five of its Activity Centres. Guide leader Aimmee Scholfield and Kirsty Patterson, also a leader and spokesperson for the campaign against the moves, explain why they are holding an overnight protest vigil and singalong outside Girlguiding UK headquarters.The radio presenter and broadcaster Aasmah Mir was a teenage introvert and loner. She talks about her memoir ‘A Pebble in the Throat’, which tells the story of her childhood, growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in Glasgow, and traces in parallel the story of her mother’s own life as a young woman In Pakistan in the 1950s before she moved to Scotland. Does the key to our happiness lie in ‘decluttering’ our love life? Inspired by Japanese organising expert Marie Kondo, journalist Lucy Holden has been deleting photos, throwing away clothes and unfollowing social media accounts of her ex-partners. Lucy along with comedian Cally Beaton, a self-proclaimed ‘joyous midlife dater’, discuss the pros and cons of a love life spring clean. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Dianne McGregor

Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells that sidestep the need for eggs or sperm. The news was presented yesterday at the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s annual meeting and the full details will be published at a later date. This could have a real impact on understanding IVF and early miscarriages. Krupa speaks to the Guardian journalist who broke the story, Hannah Devlin and Dr Helen O'Neill a lecturer and molecular geneticist at the Institute for Women’s Health at University College London.A growing number of people are experiencing what psychiatrists have labelled eco-anxiety or eco-grief, an overwhelming sense of hopeless and doom due to the current climate situation. So what exactly is the impact on people and how can we turn the tables and help people to feel more hopeful about the environment? Krupa is joined by climate scientist turned campaigner Jen Newall from the Climate Majority Project, and Judy Ling Wong CBE, President of the Black Environment Network. Lynzy Billing, an Afghan-Pakistani journalist has been investigating how her family were killed in Afghanistan's Civil War. She has made an animated short film ‘The Night Doctrine’ about her journey to discover the truth of what happened when she was just two years old. The film has had its debut at this year's Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. She joins Krupa to share her story.Suzie Fletcher, has been the BBC's The Repair Shop's resident leatherworker and master saddler since 2017. She has now released her memoir 'The Sun Over The Mountains' which explores her career, life in America, as well as giving an honest and intimate account of her marriage with her late husband. Suzie joins Krupa to discuss her abusive relationship.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Andrew Garrett

NHS England is going to open 10 new clinics this year to deal with childhood obesity. The clinics will provide "intensive" support to thousands of children with severe obesity and their families aged between two and 18. We know that mothers are on the frontline with managing doctors' appointment and family's health issues. So are these clinics the answer? Nuala speaks to Tam Fry, the Chair of the National Obesity Forum.Jo Tongue is a sports agent who represents some of the best known sporting and broadcasting talent in the UK, including England footballer Leah Williamson. She is vocal in her push for parity of the profile and pay for women in sport - both on the pitch and in the media. For this reason, Jo earned herself a place on the Woman’s Hour Women in Sport Power List earlier this year. She joins Nuala to tell her about her career to date in a male dominated industry.With automation threatening swathes of jobs, there’s growing momentum behind the idea of a universal basic income (UBI): an unconditional payment from the state regardless of any other income. For those unable to perform or find paid work, it would provide enough to live on. For those who can work, it would allow an escape from the ‘poverty trap’, where the loss of welfare benefits makes low-paid work uneconomic. A think tank called Autonomy is planning to pilot a UBI scheme, giving a flat payment of £1600 a month to participants. Nuala McGovern speaks to Cleo Goodman from Autonomy and also Eir Nolsoe, Senior Economics Reporter at the Daily Telegraph.Investigative journalist Sian Norris believes that anti-abortion movements across the world are not so much rooted in religious belief, but in far right extremism, white male supremacy and fascism. She joins Nuala to explain why she has come to that conclusion, and written a book called Bodies Under Siege – How the far right attack on reproductive rights went global. Presented by Nuala McGovern Produced by Lucy Wai Edited by Sarah Crawley

Is current abortion legislation fit for purpose? It's a question debated this morning following the conviction and sentencing of Carla Foster for inducing an abortion outside the legal time limit using pills at home. Nuala is joined by barrister, Harriet Johnson and Ruth Rawlings from CBR UK, Centre for Bioethical Reform which seeks to challenge views on abortion. Dr Laura Flexer, a GP, emailed Woman’s Hour to ask the programme to talk about bone health, especially that of teenage girls with anorexia. Should young women with eating disorders be given oestrogen to boost bone density? Dr Flexer joins Nuala to talk about her research, along with Professor Sandeep Ranote, an expert clinical media spokesperson for the eating disorders charity BEAT and a consultant paediatric psychiatrist for eating disorders in the NHS. Last Friday climate activist Greta Thunberg took to twitter to mark her final school strike for climate. We wanted to take this opportunity to look back at the impact of Greta’s work so far and cast forward to the future. Guardian climate journalist Fiona Harvey and Climate activist Mikaela Loach join Nuala. Susanna Hoffs is a solo artist and a founding member of the Bangles. Blending ’60s garage rock, harmonies, and jangly guitars, they became a seminal band of the 1980s with a string of hits including ‘Manic Monday’ , ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ and ‘Eternal Flame.’ She’s since written and recorded for and appeared in the Austin Powers movies. She joins Nuala to discuss her career and her first novel – This Bird Has Flown – described as "part British romcom, part Jane Eyre” – which gives a glimpse inside the music business.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore Studio Manager: Steve Greenwood

The Scout Association is not doing enough to protect and safeguard children from child abuse, that’s according to two young women who have set up a website which launches tomorrow (Tuesday) asking for people to share their own testimonies of abuse. They are also calling on the Government as well as the Scout Association to do more. On Tuesday BBC Radio 4’s File on Four investigates the Scouts handling of such cases. Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect, talks to Nuala on being awarded the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 2023, her work in disaster zones and helping the poorest communities impacted by climate change.The last in our series Under Pressure about how couples cope when their relationship comes under great strain. An American study from 2010 found that couples who had experienced stillbirth were at a 40% greater risk of their relationship ending. Jo Morris went to meet Mustafa and Hawra who told their story.Presented by Nuala McGovern Reporter Jo Morris Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel