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Women's Euro 2022 Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

In today's Woman's Hour we dedicate the programme to Women's Football after the Lionesses won the Euro 2022 Championship last night.

Rebecca Myers is a journalist for The Times and a prominent voice in Women's Sport, she joined Andrea to give a match report and described some of her favourite moments.

What will the legacy of last night’s Women’s Euro 2022 be? The former lioness and second highest goal scorer for England Kelly Smith joins Andrea Catherwood alongside Dame Heather Rabbatts, Dame Heather was the first female board member of the Football Association when she joined in 2012.

We will also discuss the grass roots of the game and what more oppurtunities could be given to girls who want to play at school and beyond, Andrea speaks to Baroness Sue Campbell the Director of Women’s Football at the FA.

David Kogan negotiated the sale of the TV rights for the Women’s Super League and is a long time advisor to the FA, he joins Andrea to discuss what next for the business side of the sport.

Neither the Wales nor Scotland women’s football teams qualified for the Euro 2022 tournament, but will England’s victory, and Northern Ireland’s involvement in the group stages, be a boost for all the nations of the UK? The Scottish crime writer and football fan Val McDermid joined us alongside Laura McAllister, former Wales international team captain and currently deputy chair of UEFA's Women's Football committee and Caragh Hamilton, a midfielder for the Northern Ireland team.

And Evelyn, a seven-year-old goalie from Leeds, has written a poem in honour of her favourite Lioness.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Emma Pearce

Actor Samantha Womack, The Lionesses win, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Dear Daughter podcast, Jane Roe's daughter, The Home Edit Jul 30, 2022

Show notes

The actor Samantha Womack on her new role as the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

As the Lionesses reach the final of the Euros on Sunday let's not forget that the FA, the Football Assocation, banned the women's game for fifty years. Jacqui Oatley, the first female Match of the Day commentator, reflects on the women's game.

Women with learning disabilities die on average 26 years younger than the general population. In her first interview since taking up the role of chair of trustees at the learning disability charity Mencap, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn tells Emma about why the life, and death, of her sister Diana Fairbairn, who had learning disabilities and cerebral palsy, has inspired her new campaigning role to improve support for people with learning disabilities.

Namulanta Kombo on her award winning podcast 'Dear Daughter', which started with her idea of writing letters to her young daughter with advice for life.

Norma McCorvey is the real person behind the Roe vs Wade court case of 1972. Her eldest daughter Melissa Mills discusses what her mum would have made of the court case she was so central to being overturned.

Friends and business partners Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin have become stars of pandemic feel-good TV with their Netflix show Get Organised with The Home Edit. They go into someone’s home and transform a cluttered space into something beautiful and functional.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Fiona Govan, Louisa McGeehan, Tom Bennett, Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, Namulanta Kombo, Helen Wood. Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

We talk to journalist Fiona Govan based in Madrid who writes for Olive Press about the controversy surrounding a new ad campaign in Spain proclaiming “All Bodies are Beach Bodies”. Posters including women of all shapes and sizes, including women with mastectomies with a slogan “Summer Belongs to Us too.” Helpful messaging? Or “absurd” as some opposition politicians claim which is creating “a problem where it doesn’t exist”.

Should children who misbehave be excluded permanently from school? Recently, Southwark Council in London hit the headlines when it urged its headteachers to sign up to an ‘Inclusion Charter’ to avoid school exclusions. Some campaigners argue that excluding troubled children leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and puts them at risk of becoming part of a world of crime. Others say that it is necessary to exclude pupils who are disrupting the education of others or pose a danger to staff and other children. Anita is joined by Louisa McGeehan, chief executive of Just for Kids Law, a legal charity for children and young people; Tom Bennett, School Behaviour Advisor to the Department for Education, and Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, headteacher of Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham.

We talk to Namulanta Kombo about her award winning podcast “Dear Daughter” which started with her idea of writing letters to her young daughter with advice for life.

And the writer and comedian Helen Wood who wrote shows such as ‘The Usherettes’ and ‘The National Trust Fan Club’ tells us about her latest production ‘Let’s Talk About Philip’ which explores the the mystery and secret surrounding her brother’s death 32 years ago.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

Clea and Joanna from The Home Edit, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Menopause report Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

Friends and business partners Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin have become stars of pandemic feel-good TV, with their Netflix show Get Organised with The Home Edit. They go into someone’s home – be it a Hollywood celebrity or a stressed family of five - and transform a cluttered space into something beautiful and functional. The emphasis is firmly on giving busy women back some time and headspace through better organisation of their homes. Clea and Joanna join Emma to give some pro tips and explain how they got the business off the ground with a little help from Hollywood actor and exec Reese Witherspoon.

Women with learning disabilities die on average 26 years younger than the general population. This shocking figure is contained in a new report which investigates health inequalities for people with learning disabilities, and the resulting premature and, often, entirely avoidable deaths. In her first interview since taking up the role of Chair of Trustees at the Learning Disability charity Mencap, the former Director General of the CBI Dame Carolyn Fairbairn tells Emma about why the life, and death, of her sister Diana Fairbairn, who had learning disabilities and cerebral palsy, and who died last December, has inspired her new campaigning role to improve support for people with learning disabilities.

As the Women and Equalities Committee in Parliament releases its final report into the overlooked impacts of the menopause, Emma speaks to the Chair of that Committee, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, about the actions she wants the government to now take up. These include consulting on making menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act – meaning employers would have to make reasonable adjustments for menopausal women in the workplace.

Last month, we asked listeners about the matriarchs in their lives, the redoubtable women whose stories deserve to be told. Today, listener Kate from Cambridge tells her Grandmother ‘Babushka’s story.

Jane Roe's daughter, Lionesses semi-final, Voices of Power and Women's Health Apps Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

It’s been just over a month since Roe vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in the United States. On this programme we’ve covered the aftermath of this ruling many times, but what about the woman at the centre of it all? Jane Roe, or a name you might be less familiar with, Norma McCorvey, the real person behind the Roe vs Wade court case of 1972. Her eldest daughter, Melissa Mills, joins Emma Barnett to discuss what her Mum would have made of the court case she was so central to, being overturned.

Last night the England women’s team won in a decisive 4-0 victory against Sweden in the Euro semi-final at Bramall Lane. Emma speaks to BBC sports commentator Robyn Cowen, former England player, Anita Asante and sports commentator Jacqui Oatley about what this means for the sport.

A new oratorio, Voices of Power, that contemplates the nature of female power across the centuries is set to make its world premiere at Hereford Cathedral tomorrow. Composed by Luke Styles and set to libretto by Jessica Walker, it features the thoughts from seven women from across two millennia, including the likes of Boudica, Margaret Thatcher and Eleanor Roosevelt. Luke and Jessica join Emma to discuss.

Period and fertility tracking apps have been growing in popularity for years, but new analysis reveals the majority share sensitive personal data, with experts warning it could be used to target women with tailored advertising. We speak to Fatima Ahmed, obstetrician, gynaecologist and ORCHA'S clinical lead for women’s health.

Samantha Womack as the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

After an eight month UK tour the children’s classic, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe comes to London's West End with Samantha Womack - best known for playing Ronnie in Eastenders - taking on the role of the White Witch.

Following last night's first TV debate Emma's joined by two women who will have a vote but have yet to decide whether to back the former chancellor Rishi Sunak or the foreign secretary Liz Truss. Sally Ann Marks is the chairman of the Maidstone and Weald Conservative Association and Lizzie Hacking is Deputy Chairman of the Hastings and Rye Conservative Association.

If I said the phrase ‘girly drink’ to you, what image would it conjure up? A sweet cocktail, a fizzy wine? Or would you challenge the very notion that some drinks are for women and others for men? To discuss the history of women’s consumption of alcohol and their involvement in making it, Emma is joined by the historian and writer Mallory O'Meara, whose new book is called Girly Drinks – A World History of Women and Alcohol and Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of The Ultimate Book of Craft Beer.

Plus as wedding season is upon us - some people will spend thousands on their special day. However Nell Frizzell, an author and journalist whose new novel is called Square One, had a different approach. How surprised was she that when she tweeted that she'd spent just four pounds on the fabric for her dress and her shoes cost one pound went viral.

And the woman now campaigning for rights for women to get time off work after a miscarriage after losing three babies herself..

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

The vegan stock car racing driver Leilani Münter, Lynne O'Donnell, Abortion stories Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

The BBC’s first Green Sport Awards has announced the winner of its Evergreen Award. Leilani Münter is an American former professional stock car racing driver whose environmental activism has been central to her career. Leilani used her race car as “a 200mph billboard” to get environmental messages in front of the 75 million race fans in the USA. Leilani joins Emma.

A new reoprt by MPs says the NHS in england is facing its worst staffing crisis in history. Women make up 77% of NHS staff. Dame Jane Dacre is a Professor from UCL Medical School and contributed to the report joins Emma alongside Dr Radhika Vohra who is a GP and menopause specialist.

It’s almost a year since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. Lynne O’Donnell has years of experience reporting from the country and decided to return earlier this month. She says she was detained, abused and threatened by the Taliban. Lynne is safely out of Afghanistan and joins Emma Barnett.

Following the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US more women have talked about having had an abortion but many never speak openly about their experiences. In a series first broadcast in 2019 we hear five different personal testimonies from women. Today, a woman who felt her mental health was at risk when she found she was pregnant 10 months after the birth of her third child.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Weekend Woman's Hour: Vicky Pattison, Bananarama, Women's Health Strategy Jul 23, 2022

Show notes

TV personality Vicky Pattison shot to fame on the reality show Geordie Shore, where her extreme party-girl lifestyle in Newcastle was lived out in front of the cameras. Now, she’s taking a long, hard look at her past in a new documentary which centres around her father’s struggle with alcoholism for most of his adult life. She explains how this has, in part, contributed towards her own unhealthy relationship with drinking.

England's first ever Women's Football team will finally be recognised with caps for a match that took place in 1972. Sue Whyatt, the reserve goalkeeper of the team shares what this recognition means to her and her teammates.

Earlier this week the government launched its much awaited Women’s Health Strategy for England. We discuss with Women's Health Minister Maria Caulfield; Dame Professor Lesley Regan, the newly appointed Women's Health Ambassador; and BBC Health Correspondent Catherine Burns.

Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward from Bananarama come into the Woman's Hour studio to talk about how it all started, their friendship and their new album, Masquerade.

The author RJ Palacio discusses the 10th anniversary of her bestselling children's book Wonder, and shares her top tips for writing a book.

Presenter: Paulette Edwards

Bananarama, The Baby, Tour De Femmes Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward from Bananarama come into the Woman's Hour studio to talk about how it all started, their friendship and their new album, Masquerade.

The Baby is a new TV drama about a woman who suddenly gets a baby. It literally lands in her arms without warning. What's she going to do when she never wanted a baby in the first place? We have Michelle de Swarte who plays 38-year-old Natasha who finds herself with the baby, and Executive Producer Naomi De Pear.

This Sunday we've got the Tour de France Femmes. It’s been called a “seminal” moment for women’s cycling because for the first time women will be able to wear the yellow jersey across eight days of gruelling cycling. We have Dani Every from British Cycling and cyclist Elinor Barker, an Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion.

This week the government launched its Women's Health Strategy, pledging to take women's health much more seriously, at every stage of a woman's life. Period education is only briefly mentioned, but we talk to Chella Quint, teacher and period campaigner, about her ideas to get it into the school curriculum for boys and girls.

Vicky Pattison, Women's Darts, Period Loss and Iranian Feminists Cyberattack. Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

TV personality Vicky Pattison shot to fame on the reality show Geordie Shore, where her extreme party-girl lifestyle in Newcastle was lived out in front of the cameras. Now, she’s taking a long, hard look at her past in a new documentary which centres around her father’s struggle with alcoholism for most of his adult life. She explains to Nuala McGovern how this has, in part, contributed towards her own unhealthy relationship with drinking.

We look ahead to this weekend’s historic event in the world of women’s darts as the World Matchplay tournament which takes place in Blackpool is the first female tournament to be fully televised. We catch up with the woman known as ‘Queen of the Palace’, Fallon Sherrock, about her career, her success and also about how the sport has grown.

Did you know that diet and exercise can cause period loss, even if you're considered to be a generally healthy person? FHA – functional hypothalamic amenorrhea – is when over-exercising, under-eating or stress causes the body to stop menstruating. It's estimated that FHA affects between 2-5% of women, with 30% of women who exercise, including elite athletes considered to be at peak health, experiencing period loss. On Tiktok, the hashtag #periodloss has over 2.9 million views, and is full of women talking about their experiences with FHA. Nuala is joined by Martha Williams, a Senior Clinical Advice Coordinator at Beat, a charity working to tackle eating disorders, and Olivia Nevill, an online fitness coach who has experienced FHA.

At least 20 Iranian feminists, most connected to Iran's #MeToo Movement, have written a letter of complaint to Instagram and Facebook after they were bombarded with thousands of fake followers. They say they've been deliberately targeted and want META - the owner of the social media platforms - to take action. They say they're under a "coordinated cyberattack". Because the bots have made their accounts unmanageable, they've had to put their accounts on private mode which limits their social media reach and the community they're trying to build. Nuala is joined by Samaneh Savadi, an Iranian women’s rights activist based here in the UK.

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