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Weekend Woman's Hour: Women and Equalities Minister, Rachael Denhollander & USA Gymnastics, Betty Boo Mar 12, 2022

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Why in 2022 is there no position in the Cabinet solely dedicated to the job of Women and Equalities? Why is it always tagged onto another cabinet role? We hear from Amber Rudd who juggled the job of being Home Secretary, while she was also Work and Pensions Secretary and from Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Anneliese Dodds, who's also Chair of the Labour Party.

There have been elections in India this week and one journalist who’s been covering them is Rana Ayyub. She’s an Indian, Muslim journalist who writes for the Washington Post but she’s based in Mumbai. At the moment she’s under extreme pressure because of her work. She's experiencing serious online abuse, so much so that international monitoring groups worry that her life is in danger.

Anne Dickson's book, A Woman In Your Own Right: The art of assertive, clear and honest communication, was first published 40 years ago. It has been in print ever since. Anne outlines the skills and techniques she pioneered and why they are still relevant today.

Our TV screens are full of Ukrainian refugees - mainly women and children - who are fleeing their country. However, we're increasingly seeing women who are staying. We hear from the Ukrainian MP, Inna Sovsun.

In 2016 Rachael Denhollander became the first woman to publicly accuse the USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. Rachael talks about her fight for justice and the impact on elite gymnastics culture.

The singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades.

Betty Boo, Rana Ayuub, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC Mar 11, 2022

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She’s been credited with inspiring the likes of the Spice Girls and Madonna – singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990’s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades. She joins Anita Rani to reflect on her career and music

There have been elections in India this week and one journalist who’s been covering them is Rana Ayyub who joins us live. She’s an Indian, Muslim journalist who writes for the Washington Post but she’s based in Mumbai. At the moment she’s under extreme pressure because of her work. She's experiencing serious online abuse, so much so that international monitoring groups worry that her life is in danger. She’s also had police charges filed against her. She says it’s because she’s an outspoken critic of the Indian Government and the Indian Prime Minister, Narenda Modi, and they don’t like her shining a light on how the BJP, which is the Hindu ruling party, treats Muslims in the country.

This week a misogyny act for Scotland created exclusively for women has been recommended to the Scottish government by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC following a year of Chairing the Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group. She’s been credited with inspiring the likes of Spice Girls and Madonna – singer and songwriter Betty Boo is back. The platinum success artist made a name for herself in the 1990’s for her unapologetic attitude, and combination of Pop and Hip Hop music. Betty Boo has now released her first solo single in almost three decades. She joins Anita to reflect on her career and music.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Gayl Gordon

Figs in Wigs & 'Little Wimmin', Former Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Rachael Denhollander & USA Gymnastics Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Northern Ireland politics are once again in flux and the government can't really function. At the beginning of February, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill lost her role in Stormont after First Minister Paul Givan, a member of the DUP, resigned. In her role as Deputy over the years, she worked closely with former DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster. Now she could be on track to become the first Nationalist First Minister of Northern Ireland. In her first interview with Woman's Hour, she joins Emma.

When you think of Little Women, you might not think of climate change, astrology or contemporary feminism. However, all-female performance collective Figs in Wigs have updated the classic for a new generation in Little Wimmin, a surrealist theatre show. What starts as a faithful adaptation of the book gradually becomes an absurdist and hilarious commentary on the issues facing women today. We discuss with cast members Sarah Moore and Alice Roots. In 2016 Rachael Denhollander became the first woman to publicly accuse the USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. Her stand led to hundreds of other women coming forward to tell their stories of how Nassar had also abused them under the guise of medical treatment. Their testimony, as well as the discovery of tens of thousands of child sexual abuse images on his computer, eventually led to his imprisonment. Rachael talks about her fight for justice and the impact on elite gymnastics culture.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Michelle O'Neill Interviewed Guest: Sarah Moore Interviewed Guest: Alice Roots Interviewed Guest: Rachael Denhollander Photographer: Rosie Collins

Joss Stone, Maya Forstater Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

With worldwide sales in excess of 15 million albums, the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Joss Stone is without question among the most iconic soul singers of the modern era. She rose to fame at the age of 13 by winning a BBC talent competition and more recently won The Masked Singer. Joss has now reunited with legend Dave Stewart for her new album Never Forget My Love.

In an exclusive interview in the week that her employment tribunal case continues, Maya Forstater speaks to Emma about losing her role at a company in 2019, after she had posted tweets and had conversations about sex and gender. She took her case to an employment tribunal on the basis that, amongst other claims, she had been discriminated against because of her belief – that biological sex is real, important, immutable and cannot be conflated with gender identity. Maya lost the preliminary hearing, on the basis that her beliefs were not protected under the Equality Act 2010, but she appealed and in June 2021 that decision was overturned. The ruling meant that gender critical beliefs are a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010. This week the next part of her employment tribunal starts, and it will decide whether her employer discriminated against her because of her belief.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Mangaer: Tim Heffer

Women and Equalities Minister. Celebrating the achievement of mothers. Ukraine refugees. Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Why in 2022 is there no position in the Cabinet solely dedicated to the job of Women and Equalities? Why is it always tagged onto another cabinet role? Emma talks to Amber Rudd who juggled the job of being Home Secretary while she was Work and Pensions Secretary too. Plus, Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Anneliese Dodds, who's also Chair of the Labour Party.

When the war in Ukraine was just unfolding we spoke to Iryna Terlecky who's Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain. Since then she's has been busy responding to the refugee crisis by representing the Ukrainian community in meetings with the Government, talking to both Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, and with the Home Secretary Priti Patel. Emma spoke to her about what she makes of the latest government response to what's going on.

Do you think motherhood gets enough recognition? We meet Agnes Agyepong, the founder of the Glomama Awards, a space celebrating the achievements of mothers, and one of this year’s winners, Safiyya Vorajee.

Plus, why more and more organisations are seeking out staff and volunteers with direct experiences to help them front campaigns, fundraise and inform policy. We hear from Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at Beat, the UK’s Eating Disorder Charity and Miriam Taylor, a psychotherapist and author who specialises in trauma about why is it so important to have people with what's termed "lived experience" and why safeguards must be in place to protect them.

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

HER Ensemble, Dame Margaret Hodge MP, Surrogacy & IVF in Ukraine, Anne Dickson Mar 07, 2022

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Emma speaks to BBC Ukraine correspondent Zhanna Bezpiatchuk about the situation in Ukraine. Today the Commons discuss the long-awaited Economic Crimes Bill. A cross party alliance of MPs will be tabling amendments to strengthen the bill. Amongst them is Labour MP, Dame Margaret Hodge who has been calling for tougher anti-corruption laws for many years, and has said there are "worrying loopholes in the bill". She joins Emma Last year, just 5% of the classical music pieces performed worldwide were written by women. That’s the highest percentage recorded to date. When the violinist Ellie Consta found this out she brought together a string orchestra called Her Ensemble to perform a range of music written by women. Ellie and violinist Sarah Daramy-Williams joins Emma. Anne Dickson's book, A Woman in your own Right: The art of assertive, clear and honest communication, was first published 40 years ago. It has been in print ever since. Anne joins Emma to outline the skills and techniques she pioneered and to discuss why she believes they are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago. One of the unforeseeable consequences of the war in Ukraine is how it has affected the hundreds of people from the UK and Ireland who visit the country every year to undergo fertility treatment or use Ukrainian surrogates. This has left families in a quandary about whether or not to continue treatment, and worried about the welfare of surrogate mothers and what could happen to any babies born during the conflict. Emma hears from Senator Mary Seery Kearney who is campaigning for surrogate women to be given refuge in Ireland and from Rend Platings who was due to return there this month for her next round of IVF.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Weekend Woman's Hour: Priya Ragu, Women in the Ukraine, Inheritance laws Mar 05, 2022

Show notes

Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll – joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste. She tells us how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’.

All week we've been covering Ukraine. We hear from Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP who describes her new reality of being trained to use an assault rifle to defend her family and her country and Olena Symonenko who decided to flee Kyiv, and has escaped to Poland with her 6 year old son.

If the Mona Lisa could speak what would she say? A new novel by Natasha Solomons gives voice to the painting and lets her tell her own story. We speak to Natasha and the Da Vinci expert Professor Martin Kemp.

A person guilty of manslaughter or murder is already prevented from inheriting their victim’s estate by what’s known as the Forfeiture Rule. But should that law be extended to somebody guilty of domestic abuse? We speak to MP Florence Eshalomi, who is attempting to change the law. We also hear Tom Guha's story. He has had to deal with exactly this issue since his mother died and his stepfather’s behaviour was found to have a direct link to her death.

Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu, who has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll -joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste, talks to Anita about how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’.

Danielle Marin is the author of Top Girl, a book exploring her first-hand experiences with drug dealing, gangs and violent crimes. Danielle wants people to know about young women who get caught up in this kind of lifestyle, and how she found a way out.

And in our new series called Threads, celebrating the emotional power of old clothes, listener Sarah tells us about a very special pair of knickers, given to her by her dear friend Ruth on her 21st birthday almost 40 years ago.

Priya Ragu, Olena Symonenko, Mountain climbing Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

We have music and chat from the Swiss-Tamil singer Priya Ragu who has been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2022 Poll – joining Adele, Jessie J and Celeste. She tells us how her music plays homage to her heritage and is a fusion of traditional Tamil music, RnB and Soul, which she uniquely calls ‘Ragu Wavy’.

The number of refugees leaving Ukraine has reached a million. If you were listening last week you'll remember the heart-breaking interview we did with Olena Symonenko. She had decided to flee Kyiv, and was down in a bunker with her 6 year old son. She had left her flat, which she had lived in as a child and all her adult life: and just as well she did, because her block of flats had been bombed and was on fire. She sent us a picture. We've been keeping in touch with Olena all week, tracking her journey and she's now in Poland.

Sharmadean Reid is the Founder and CEO of The Stack World. Her mission is to create economic and social empowerment for women through technology and media. She has been building Women's communities for 16 years, starting with a print magazine called WAH which she created while at university. She tells us about The Stack World, and how the platform helps women entrepreneurs to monetise their micro communities through buying and selling from each other.

We celebrate the emotional power of old clothes and today we hear from Sarah who tells us about the Janet Reger frilly knickers she received from her friend Ruth on her 21st birthday nearly 40 years ago.

Mountains have long inspired climbers to write about their adventures. It’s been a male dominated field but we hear from two women who are inspiring the next generation of climbers. The author and poet Helen Mort tells us about her memoir ‘A Line Above the Sky’ and author Amy McCulloch talks about her adult fiction debut ‘Breathless’.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

Women's safety, Paralympics Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

'Enough'. That’s the name of a new communication campaign launched by the Home Office this week to tackle violence against women and girls. It comes in the week of the anniversary of the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard in London, by a serving police officer. So one year on, where are we in the fight to deal with violence against women and girls? We speak to Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson who is the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, and to Woman's Hour listeners Polly and Rebecca about their concerns.

The Winter Paralympics begin tomorrow in Beijing and ParalympicsGB are sending 24 athletes to compete - the biggest British Winter Paralympic team in nearly thirty years. There are five female athletes including alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick, who won four medals in Pyeongchang four years ago. Jessica discusses our medal prospects with Andy Stevenson, 5 Live’s Paralympic Winter Games reporter; and the International Paralympic Committee's decision not to allow Russian or Belarussian athletes to take part with Rebecca Myers, journalist at The Sunday Times.

On Sunday the BAFTAs red carpet rolls out to recognise the very best in British film. One of the nominees in the short film category is about a small and unique community in the heart of South London - locals at the London Palace Bingo Club. Their beloved club is being forced to close down, and the film follows the regulars who have depended on it for years. Jessica speaks to the director Jo Prichard. The film is available to stream on the Bertha DocHouse website this weekend.

Dr Suzanne Simard & plant intelligence, Refugee women, Scottish govt & GRC, Inheritance laws & abusers, Sexist uniforms Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

For over thirty years Dr Suzanne Simard has done ground-breaking research on plant communication and intelligence. She is Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of a gripping scientific memoir, Finding the Mother Tree, in which she reveals the highly complex ways trees interact and communicate. Suzanne joins Jessica in the studio.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, around 660,000 refugees, most of whom are women and children, have now fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past six days. That's according to the latest data from the UN Refugee Agency. They say Europe could face it’s largest refugee crisis this century. Many have fled to Poland where they have been welcomed in cities like Warsaw. But while many countries are opening their arms to refugees, the charity CARE International UK is warning that women and girls can be particularly at risk during widespread displacement in war situations, as they can face exploitation while trying to reach safety. Suzy Madigan is the charity’s Senior Humanitarian Advisor on Gender and Protection.

The Scottish Government is expected to introduce its long-awaited Gender Reform Bill at Holyrood tomorrow - a law that would make it easier for transgender people to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate. The BBC's Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon joins us to discuss.

A person guilty of manslaughter or murder is already prevented from inheriting their victim’s estate by what’s known as the Forfeiture Rule. But should that law be extended to somebody guilty of domestic abuse? MP Florence Eshalomi is attempting to change the law after one of her constituents wrote to her. Tom Guha has had to deal with exactly this since his mother died and his stepfather’s behaviour was found to have a direct link to her death. Tom clarifies the circumstances and Florence Eshalomi explains why she wants to alter the inheritance rules.

Last month a new high-end sushi restaurant in Surrey came under scrutiny for publishing a dress code that asked women to wear “sexy black ankle-strap heels with a form-fitting top” or “bodycon dresses”. The restaurant has since apologised and changed the “sexist” uniform requests. Anna Sebastian is a Hospitality Consultant who has experience with hotels, bars and restaurants. Claire Curzon is the Managing Director of Brighter Directions – a marketing and communications agency. Both Anna and Claire discuss how attitudes towards women and dress codes have changed.

Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Dr Suzanne Simard Photographer: Diana Markosian Interviewed Guest: Suzy Madigan Interviewed Guest: Lorna Gordon Interviewed Guest: Florence Eshalomi Interviewed Guest: Tom Guha Interviewed Guest: Anne Sebastian Interviewed Guest: Clare Curzon

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