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Menopause in Parliament, Rebel Wilson, Women and Gaming, Sibling Sexual Abuse, Growing up in Albania. Jun 14, 2022

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The House of Commons is going to become a 'menopause-friendly' employer. Speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle said after he signed a Menopause Workplace Pledge yesterday, that he hopes to "break the taboo" around the menopause. Practical adjustments could be included in Westminster, such as well-ventilated rooms and fans, flexible working and breathable uniforms. But will a pledge in Parliament have any impact of the lives of women across the UK? Journalist and author of Cracking The Menopause, Mariella Frostrup and academic and author Dr Lara Owen join Emma to talk about changing the culture around menopause.

The Australian actor Rebel Wilson has revealed she is in a relationship with a woman. Last Friday, she shared a picture with her new partner on Instagram saying she had found her "Disney princess". But it was revealed the following day, the Sydney Morning Herald wrote they'd known about the relationship before it was public. Their celebrity reporter said he had given Wilson 1.5 days to provide comment for a story. That report sparked widespread criticism on social media, with LGBTQ+ campaigners saying it was unacceptable to put pressure on people to come out. The paper has since removed that gossip column and offered an apology. Emma is joined by the journalist and feminist campaigner Julie Bindel to discuss.

Lea Ypi, professor of Political Theory at the London School of Economics, has written a prize-winning memoir, Free: Coming of Age at the End of History. Lea grew up in Albania and for the first eleven years of her life, it was one of the most isolated countries in the world, Europe’s last Stalinist outpost. Then, in December 1990, the regime collapsed. Lea joins Emma to talk about her extraordinary coming-of-age story.

A new report funded by the Home Office suggests that sexual abuse of a child by their brother or sister – sibling sexual abuse – may be the most common form of sexual abuse within the family. Many experts say it is not given enough attention and resources need to be set aside to support families dealing with this. Emma speaks to reporter Livvy Haydock and Stephen Barry, who is the Lead Clinician at 'Be Safe' Bristol, part of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health partnership NHS Trust.

Fancy taking your rage at the patriarchy out on a computer game? Well a developer in Plymouth has come up with The Glass Ceiling Games, where you fire slingshots back against catcalls, slice machetes at unsolicited nude photos, and point a ray-gun against mansplaining. So does it make a difference when women write computer games? Emma is joined by Hannah Wood creative director of The Glass Ceiling Games, and Karla Reyes, a game designer and Head of Business Development at Code Coven - an award-winning game development accelerator for underrepresented talent.

Young women and poverty, Below the Belt, British Gymnastics, Rosie Kinchen, Grenfell Tower anniversary Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

New research from the Young Women’s Trust paints a bleak picture for many young women as they come out of the pandemic and into the cost of living crisis, with young mums experiencing particular disadvantages. We hear from young mums Charlotte and Jyndi, and speak to Claire Reindorp CEO of the Young Woman’s Trust.

Rosie Kinchen found herself deeply depressed after the birth of her second child. After rescuing an ailing houseplant she started dragging herself out of the house to look at plants in supermarkets and garden centres. The Ballast Seed is her memoir.

Nearly two years ago in July 2020 a significant number of gymnasts, and parents of gymnasts, made allegations about mistreatment within the sport of gymnastics to British Gymnastics. Eloise Jotischky, a former elite acrobatic gymnast and now 19, has become the first to win a civil case against them for the abuse she experienced in the sport. British Gymnastics has admitted full liability and reached a settlement. BBC Sports correspondent, Natalie Pirks joins me now.

A new film, Below the Belt, directed by Shannon Cohn features four women with endometriosis. Shannon who previously directed Endo What joins Emma.

One of the UK's worst modern disasters, it will soon be the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. Seventy-two people died. The artist Tuesday Greenidge is sewing a quilt the size of Grenfell Tower to "symbolise justice" for survivors and the people affected. The singer Sophie DeMasi was involved in a song called West Side Story which came out this year in honour of the anniversary. They join Emma to discuss how art can help in the aftermath of such tragedy.

Dame Emma Thompson, Binner or Flusher, Spare Rib & Virago at 50, Surgeon Ian Paterson, Dolly Alderton Jun 11, 2022

Show notes

Oscar-winner Dame Emma Thompson on women's pleasure and full frontal nudity in her latest acting role in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Are you a 'flusher' or a ‘binner’? New research says 2.4 million tampons are flushed down UK toilets every day leading to sewer blockages and pollution. We talk to Martha Silcott who's developed a simple product to encourage you to bin and Daisy Buchanan who says more needs to be done to make a product which flushes without causing environmental harm.

In 2017 surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent. Mr Paterson was diagnosing cancer when there wasn’t any and cutting his patients open for no reason, performing unnecessary and damaging surgery. He also carried out unregulated "cleavage-sparing" mastectomies, in which breast tissue was left behind, meaning cancer returned in many of his patients. Ahead of a new ITV documentary Emma speaks to the whistleblower who raised concerns about Ian Paterson – Mr Hemant Ingle, and one of Paterson’s victims Debbie Douglas, who is still campaigning for a change in the law to prevent anything like this from happening again.

50 years ago this month the first edition of the iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib was published. Also in that year - 1972 – and inspired by its founders, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe, Carmen Callil founded the book publisher Virago which still gives a voice and platform to female writers today. Emma hears from the three trailblazing women.

Can platonic love survive romantic love as we grow up? The writer Dolly Alderton on her new BBC TV series, an adaptation of her 2018 memoir ‘Everything I Know About Love’.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Binner or Flusher, Ms Marvel, Feral Girl Summer Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

Are you a 'flusher' or a ‘binner’? We’re talking about getting rid of tampons and towels. What makes you decide whether to flip that bin lid, or just drop and flush? New research is out which says 2.4 million tampons are flushed down UK toilets every day leading to sewer blockages and pollution. We talk to Martha Silcott who's developed a simple product to encourage you to bin and Daisy Buchanan who says more needs to be done to make a product which flushes without causing environmental harm.

She's finally arrived! Ms Marvel the latest character from the Marvel universe. What's special about her? Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. Newcomer Iman Vellani, stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. We speak to Hafsa Lodi, a Pakistani-American journalist and author all about the series.

Nellie Bly was the most famous American woman reporter of the 19th century. Her investigation of what was called back then an "insane asylum" sparked outrage, legal action, and improvements in the way that patients were treated. Louisa Treger’s new book ‘Madwoman’ is a fictional reimagining of Nellie's early life and her time at the asylum. We also have Martine Croxall, BBC news presenter who was chose Nellie Bly as her specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind.

Last year we talked about "Hot Girl Summer". This year we're talking about "Feral Girl Summer". On TikTok, the hashtag alone has already been viewed more than seven million times. But what's this trend all about, and should we celebrate it? Olivia Petter, relationships writer at The Independent and Lydia Venn, Features Editor at The Tab discuss.

Dame Emma Thompson. Brandon Lewis MP. Dame Paula Rego. Childcare. Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Oscar-winner Dame Emma Thompson has graced our screens for four decades. As an actor, she's played all kinds of women, from her role as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility to her heart-breaking Karen in Christmas favourite, Love Actually. But now she's taking on a different kind of acting role. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande tells the story of Nancy Stokes, a 55-year-old widow (played by Thompson) who decides to hire a significantly younger male sex worker, played by the Irish actor, Daryl McCormack. She joins Emma to talk about women's pleasure, full frontal nudity and the #MeToo movement.

Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland two and half years ago, following a vote by MPs in Westminster. But despite this significant intervention, abortion in the province has been called “a post-code lottery,” with some women still travelling to England to get one. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, has stepped in and last month he announced new regulations to speed things up. He's on record saying, "I'm determined to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland can access abortion services in the same way as those living in the rest of the UK." But what might slow down progress is the stalemate that Stormont is in once again, after elections last month, and the political tension around the Northern Ireland protocol. So, just how quickly will abortion become more available in Northern Ireland? Emma Barnett talks to Brandon Lewis.

The renowned Portuguese-British artist Dame Paula Rego has died at the age of 87. Last year she had a retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain and over a six-decade career she was known for characters inspired by fiction, fairy tales and her own life, and for focussing on women's rights. Emma talks to the Director of the Tate, Maria Balshaw and the art historian Lisa Modiano.

If you’re a woman and you have a baby it’s going to cost you £70,000 in lost earnings over the next decade according to new research from the Think Tank, the Social Market Foundation, which is setting up a cross party commission to tackle the spiralling costs of childcare. Emma talks to Director of the Foundation James Kirkup about its findings, and one woman working as a senior mental health nurse who says she takes home just £100 a week after childcare costs. We also get the view of the Early Years Alliance, a charity that represents child minders, nurseries and pre-schools.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Alison Carter

Photo credit: Nick Wall © GoodLuckLeoLimited

Sarah Brown, Dr Julia Shaw, Ian Paterson Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

This year marks 20 years since Sarah and Gordon Brown lost their daughter Jennifer, who died ten days after being born seven weeks prematurely. In a search for answers, they founded the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory in 2004, which looks into the causes and consequences of premature birth. Around 1 in 13 babies in the UK are born prematurely –before 37 weeks. Sarah is Chair of the charity Theirworld and tells Emma about the latest research.

It's been over a year since Sarah Everard was adbucted, raped and murdered by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens, who's now in prison for life. The vigil that followed in London followed to remember Sarah, ended up with clashes with the police and arrests. Now it's been reported that some police officers thought the event was an anti-police protest. The Evening Standard newspaper has printed what certain officers have told Westminster magistrates court this week. They say they faced resistance when they tried to break up the crowd, had feared being attacked, and were branded “murderers” by some people in the crowd. At the moment, six people are being prosecuted by Scotland Yard over the vigil. Jamie Klinger is one of the founders of Reclaim These Streets, which tried to organise the vigil.

Psychologist and co-host of BBC podcast Bad People Dr Julia Shaw’s new book Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality combines her own experiences of being bisexual and her background in the psychological sciences to explore and celebrate a sexual identity she says remains marginalised and forgotten.

It's been described as "one of the biggest medical scandals ever to hit this country". In 2017 surgeon Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent. Mr Paterson was diagnosing cancer when there wasn’t any and cutting his patients open for no reason, performing unnecessary and damaging surgery. He also carried out unregulated "cleavage-sparing" mastectomies, in which breast tissue was left behind, meaning cancer returned in many of his patients. Ahead of a new ITV documentary being broadcast this weekend, Emma speaks to the whistleblower who first raised concerns about Ian Paterson – Mr Hemant Ingle, and one of Paterson’s victim’s Debbie Douglas, who is still campaigning for a change in the law to prevent anything like this from happening again.

Joan Armatrading, Spare Rib and Virago at 50, Defra Minister Victoria Prentis MP, Mermaids Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

The singer songwriter Joan Armatrading received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996. Best known for hits such as Love And Affection, Me Myself I and Drop The Pilot, she has released more than 20 studio albums. Later this week Joan will receive The Music Producers Guild Outstanding Contribution Award. She joins Emma to discuss her music and this latest achievement.

50 years ago this month the first edition of the iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib was published. It set out to offer an alternative to existing women’s magazines at a time when the women’s liberation movement was challenging women’s secondary place in society. Also in that year - 1972 – and inspired by its founders, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe, Carmen Callil founded Virago – the book publisher which still gives a voice and platform to female writers today. Tonight a party is being held at the British Library in celebration, and Emma is joined by all three women.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won the backing of a majority of Tory MPs in a confidence vote despite a significant revolt against his leadership. He won 59% of the vote, meaning he is now immune from a Conservative leadership challenge for a year. In all, 211 Tory MPs voted they had confidence in the PM's leadership while 148 voted against him. We've since heard from a number of male MPs, but where are all the female MPs? Vanishingly few women from the Conservative Party have spoken publicly on this - especially from the rebel side. Emma is joined by Victoria Prentis, Minister of State for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

Every year HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria kill more than 5 million people. Much has been done to try to eradicate these diseases, and international donor funds are intent on curing them by 2030. The UK has historically been one of the main donors, but due to the covid-19 pandemic, priorities have shifted and some funds have been redirected. The Kenyan campaigner Maurine Murenga, who lives with HIV herself, is asking for the international community to bring their attention back to these deadly diseases. She joins Emma in the studio.

If you happened to be strolling along the seafront at Plymouth at the start of the Jubilee weekend you may have looked down and spotted a very large gathering of mermaids sunning themselves. Pauline Barker organised the event to kick off celebrations in the city by the sea, and to try and break a Guiness world record - she tells Emma how it went.

Writer Dolly Alderton. Sue Biggs CBE on moving on from her role as the RHS's DG. Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Can platonic love survive romantic love as we grow up? Emma Barnett talks to to the writer Dolly Alderton about her new BBC TV series, an adaptation of her 2018 memoir ‘Everything I Know About Love’,

A round-up of the weekends events for the Queen's platinum jubilee from Roya Nikkah - royal editor of The Sunday Times and Dame Prue Leith on being part of the final part of the final pageant on the Mall.

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s largest gardening charity For the last 12 years Sue Biggs CBE has been its director general. She's been pivotal in creating and carrying out a huge investment programme. As she prepares to step down later this month, she talks to Emma Barnett about her work over the last decade and her plans for the future.

The non-fatal strangulation law comes into effect tomorrow as part of the Domestic Abuse Act, following a successful campaign by groups such as the Centre for Women's Justice and cross-party MPs and peers. We discuss its significance and next steps with Nogah Ofer from the Centre for Women's Justice and forensic physician Dr Catherine White, who is calling for specialist training for groups who work with victims of NFS.

Plus as Boris Johnson faces a vote of No Confidence in the Commons this afternoon, we hear from attorney general for England and Wales Suella Braverman and our deputy political editor Vicky Young. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Weekend Woman’s Hour: Grease stars Olivia Moore & Jocasta Almgill, Female Bouncers & the Power of Silence Jun 04, 2022

Show notes

As the nation celebrates the Queen’s 70 year reign this jubilee weekend we ask what impact will the changes to primogeniture mean for future British monarchs? We hear from five historians, Alison Weir, Lady Antonia Fraser, Jung Chang, Tracey Borman and Kate Williams.

Author Julie Myerson’s new book is Nonfiction, a novel about a couple struggling with a daughter who is addicted to heroin. It's partly inspired by the experience of her own son's drug addiction. Julie joins Andrea Catherwood to talk about addiction, maternal love and the ethics of novel writing.

Grease IS the word! We meet actors Olivia Moore and Jocasta Almgill, who are taking on the roles of Sandy and Rizzo in a new production of one of the best-loved musicals of all time.

The Women’s Prize for Fiction has launched a campaign to encourage more men to read novels by women. Research, conducted for Mary Ann Sieghart’s The Authority Gap, found that of the top 10 bestselling female fiction authors, including Austen, Atwood and Agatha Christie, only 19% of their readers are men. We hear from Kate Mosse a best-selling novelist, playwright and founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

What’s it like to be a female bouncer? With the industry saying staff shortages are impacting their ability to keep people safe, they are making plans to hire more women. Michael Kill is CEO of the Night Time Industries Association and Carla Leigh is a Door Supervisor and is setting up her own security business focusing on getting women in to the industry.

Tahmima Anam is an anthropologist and a novelist. She's a big fan of silence and believes it can be harnessed to challenge sexism and expose bad behaviour.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Karen Dalziel

PHOTO CREDIT: Manuel Harlan

'Our Greatest Queens' with Anita Rani and Lady Antonia Fraser, Alison Weir, Kate Williams, Tracy Borman and Jung Chang Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

As the nation celebrates the Queen’s 70 year reign this jubilee weekend we have our own tribute to Her Majesty with a special programme to champion some of the other great Queens in history. Anita Rani brings five eminent historians together to champion their candidate including Lady Antonia Fraser on Marie Antoinette, Kate Williams on Liliʻuokalani the last Queen of Hawaii, Tracy Borman on Elizabeth I, Jung Chang on Empress Dowager Cixi from China and Alison Weir on Eleanor of Acquitaine. They consider what each brought to their reign and the nature of Queenship. What traits do all queens share including Elizabeth II ? and what impact will the changes to primogeniture mean for future British monarchs?

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson and Flora McWilliam Studio Engineer: Duncan Hannant

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