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Carol Ann Duffy and Kathryn Williams, Care worker shortages, Peng Shuai, Divisive TV Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

Former poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Mercury-nominated songwriter Kathryn Williams have released new album 'Midnight Chorus'. We ask them about their collaboration and how they avoided the clichés of Christmas.

With added pressure from Covid and fewer staff because of Brexit, the demand for care workers has risen. In October this year there were 130,000 vacant care worker posts in England, leaving many people without the care they need. Last week, government advisors said that care worker jobs should be placed on the shortage occupation list, which would make it easier for employers to hire and sponsor migrant workers in these roles. What would this mean for the care sector? Emma speaks to Karolina Gerlich, executive director of The Care Workers Charity and Louise Arnold, Managing Director of Peninsula care homes.

There has been widespread concern for the safety of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai since she posted sexual assault allegations against a former top political figure a few weeks ago. She disappeared and then returned saying she was safe and well. Now the tennis player has denied saying she was sexually assaulted. What are we to make of this? Emma speaks to Kerry Allen, China Media analyst for BBC Monitoring.

The Christmas Radio Times is out and we now know what TV we can look forward to watching over the festive period. But can TV divide a household rather than unite it? Are women the gatekeepers of family TV? Or do men rule the remote? Professor of Media and Communications, Catherine Johnson, has looked at the impact lockdown has had on our family TV watching styles, and journalist Emma Beddington tells us what she’ll be tuning into in her house.

Last week on the programme, we heard from Jess Duckworth - a junior doctor who has combined her two passions - music and medicine - to create an EP of relaxing music. We asked to hear about your side hustles, and the things you love doing. Today we meet two listeners; Lucy Symons is the stadium announcer for her local football club and Jenny Fyall runs her own pumpkin patch in Aberdeenshire.

Claire Foy as the Duchess of Argyll, Janey Godley, Karen Teasdale-Robson, Edwina Paisley Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Emma Barnett talks to the award winning actor Claire Foy about playing the Duchess of Argyll in the BBC One TV series A Very British Sacandal this Christmas. Margaret Argyll was branded a nymphomaniac by her husband the 11th Duke of Argyll in their explosive 1963 divorce hearing and he was granted a divorce on the grounds of his wife’s adultery.

The Scottish comedian Janey Godley tells us about her recent diagnosis of ovarian cancer. The sixty year old is best known for her parody voiceovers of Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of her daily press briefings made during lockdown. Just a month ago Janey Godley was forced to cut short her UK tour when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The father-daughter bond can for some be a difficult one - but for others, a joy. Karen Teasdale-Robson from Blaydon, near Newcastle has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure her father, Bryan isn't forgotten when he dies. Her dad for the majority of his life was a poet and a songwriter but an assault ten years ago left him with a brain injury. Care workers told Karen to prepare for the worst earlier this year, which led her to release a recording of lullaby he had written her almost 60 years ago, to ask for the public's help in re-recording it

And Edwina Paisley on her work as the Director of Space Programmes at the satellite communications company Inmarsat.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Produer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

Weekend Woman's Hour: Tamsin Greig, bell hooks, Grandparents and childcare Dec 18, 2021

Show notes

Actor Tamsin Greig on starring as the formidable theatrical agent Peggy Ramsay in the revival of ‘Peggy For You’, at the Hampstead Theatre. She also talks about her role in “wild” hospital comedy Green Wing, playing Debbie in The Archers since 1991, and Friday Night Dinner.

Journalist Ash Sarkar and Professor Heidi Safia Mirza discuss the legacy and significance of the American feminist author and activist bell hooks, who died this week aged 69.

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth - the national police co-ordinator for violence against women and girls - unveils her new strategy and gives her opinion on whether misogyny should be made a hate crime.

In November 2020 a family court found that the conservative MP Kate Griffiths' then husband, Andrew Griffiths (also a former conservative MP and former minister) raped, abused & coercively controlled her. These were civil proceedings, so the finding was based on the balance of probabilities, rather than the criminal standard of probable doubt. As is the norm in family cases, this information was private and not made public. But following a successful application by journalists, supported by Kate Griffiths, the details of this case, with both parties' names attached, were published last week. Andrew Griffiths has denied allegations made by his ex-wife and ‘adamantly denied’ rape. We hear from Dr Charlotte Proudman, the barrister who represented Kate Griffiths.

During a recent Business Questions in Parliament Jacob Rees Mogg took a moment to mark the feast of St Æthelgifu, and called the medieval abbess one of Britain’s leading saints. But was she? What do we really know about Æthelgifu and the other leading medieval women at this time? We talk to Florence Scott, a historian of early medieval England.

Fridge Girl, Gen Z, bell hooks Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Ebony Louise Barrett has now become Fridge Girl, after a video she put on TikTok went viral. It was a tall, free-standing fridge falling on top of her as she danced. She's OK, but even Janet Jackson has picked up on it. How has it changed her life?

Three young women from Generation Z talk about the big social issues of the year, and why they feel the label 'woke', which is often attached to this age group, is off the mark. We have Maisie Thompson from Manchester, Jessie Stevens from Devon and Mia Manttan from London.

Inspirational quotes from an American author and feminist called bell hooks are being shared. She died this week at home in Kentucky. She was considered a trailblazer in feminism and published 40-odd books. We've got two of her admirers: Ash Sarkar and Heidi Safia Mirza.

We speak to Elaine Parker who's just set up a new app which she hopes will make online dating safer. She was inspired to create it because of the bad experience she had with a man she met online. She explains to Anita how it works.

And we continue our Food Fridays with Julie Lin MacLeod, who's the founder of a Malaysian restaurant in Glasgow’s southside. She's also opened a second restaurant during the pandemic. She talks about bringing people together through food, creating a positive working environment, and how the pandemic has changed the amount we eat for Christmas dinner.

Lucy Chappell; Æthelgifu the Medieval Abbess; Women on Boards; Women and Festive TV. Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

During a recent Business Questions in parliament Jacob Rees Mogg took a moment to mark the feast of St Æthelgifu, and called the medieval abbess one of Britain’s leading saints. But was she? What do we really know about Æthelgifu and the other leading medieval women at this time? We talk to Florence Scott, a historian of early medieval England, studying for a PhD at Leeds University, and who runs the blog Aelfgif-who?

A new survey shows that for the first time more women than men are sitting as non executive directors on boards. But at the same time nine out of ten executive directors are still men. We talk to Tessa Bamford from Spencer Stuart the organisation that conducted the research and also to Ann Cairns Executive Vice Chair of Mastercard who is also the lead non-executive board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

On Tuesday we talked about pregnant women getting jabbed, getting the booster and fears that some women have about how it will affect their fertility. All pregnant women have been able to get COVID-19 vaccines since April, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised they should be offered two vaccine doses at the same time as the rest of us based on their age and clinical risk group. Despite this, the government has come under fire for months for not encouraging enough pregnant women to get vaccinated, with many women concerned about what they see as mixed messages coming at them. So what needs to be done to get more pregnant women vaccinated and get the booster? Professor Lucy Chappell is the Chief Scientific Officer for the Department of Health and Social Care.

The Christmas Radio Times is out and we now know what TV we can look forward to watching over the festive period. But can TV divide a household rather than unite it? Are women the gatekeepers of family TV? Or, do men rule the remote? Professor of Media and Communications, Catherine Johnson, has looked at the impact lockdown has had on our family TV watching styles. Journalist Emma Beddington tells us what she’ll be tuning into in her house.

Picture of Æthelgifu courtesy of illustrator Pollie Scott.

Quaranteens, New police strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, Jess Duckworth Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

There is no doubt that the pandemic is still affecting people's social lives, but perhaps the most affected are teenagers or 'quaranteens'. Many young people have missed out on major social milestones - parties, teen romances and opportunities to be with their mates - which can be so formative. What is the impact of missing out on these experiences? And how can adults best support 'quaranteens'? Emma talks to Laverne Antrobus, a consultant child and educational psychologist.

The woman charged with co-ordinating the national police response in England and Wales to violence against women and girls unveils her strategy on Woman’s Hour. Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth is the new national police co-ordinator for violence against women and girls. The aim is give the 43 police forces around the country a uniform approach, and make women and girls feel safer in their daily lives. We’ll also get reaction to the new strategy from Amelia Handy from Rape Crisis Centres.

It’s been a particularly stressful couple of years for staff working in the NHS, including junior doctors like Jess Duckworth. When she isn’t busy with patients at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital, she is treating herself and others in the hospital to some relaxation with her piano playing. Combining her two passions – music and medicine - she’s researched the types and style of music people find relaxing, and it’s resulted in a second EP to be released in February next year, The Piano Doctor Volume II – A Year of Reflective Piano Music. The single ‘Into The Light’ is out this week.

Statistics out this morning show UK inflation has increased to 5.1 per cent last month - the highest in a decade - after prices rose across the economy including for fuel and food bills. Some observers are talking about she-flation with some of the poorest in society - often women on low and part time work - being affected more. Professor Heather McGregor, Head of the Business School at Heriot Watt University joins Emma to discuss.

Actor Tamsin Greig. Pregnant women and the booster jab. Volunteering. Miss World at 70. Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

Actor Tamsin Greig on her latest role as the legendary agent Peggy Ramsay.

The Prime Minister has announced that all over 18s in England are being offered a Covid-19 booster vaccination. But as he sets out this new target has that message reached pregnant women? Emma talks to Dr Viki Male a Reproductive Immunologist based at Imperial College London

Tens of thousands of volunteers are needed to come forward to support the NHS booster campaign. Do you plan to volunteer? What are the benefits of volunteering?

And as Miss World celebrates being 70, we hear from women who protested against it in the 1970's.

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

PHOTO CREDIT; Shaun Webb.

Grandparents providing childcare, Kate Griffiths MP's barrister Charlotte Proudman; Under pressure - Fibromyalgia Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

The company SAGA has decided to give employees who've just become grandparents some special leave. They say it's about helping new grandparents celebrate but also it's to highlight how important older workers are, not just to the company but to families and wider society. So if you're a grandparent providing childcare for your kids, what's the cost? What does it take out of you, time-wise and energy wise? How much are you saving your kids? And do you see it as a precious thing you’ll never have the chance to do again, or after a while is it too much pressure? We hear from one of our listeners Linda who looks after two of her grandchildren and Shireen Kanji, a Professor of Work and Organisation at Brunel University.

New Covid measures are being introduced across the UK, because of the threat posed by the Omicron variant. In England it's known as Plan B, and mandates mask-wearing, working from home and Covid passports. However, around 75 Conservative MPs are expected to rebel as it's put to a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday. As parliament debates these new restrictions, where do you stand on taking personal responsibility for containing the virus, and how will it affect your Christmas? To discuss, Emma is joined by Guardian journalist Lucy Mangan and Lucy Fisher, Deputy Political Editor at The Telegraph. In November 2020 a family court found that the conservative MP Kate Griffiths' then husband, Andrew Griffiths (also a former conservative MP for the same Staffordshire seat and former Conservative minister) raped her in her sleep, abused & coercively controlled her. These were civil proceedings, so the finding was based on the balance of probabilities, rather than the criminal standard of probable doubt. As is the norm in family cases, this information was private and not made public. But following a successful application by journalists, supported by Kate Griffiths - the details of this case, with both parties' names attached, were published last Friday. In the recent judgement, judges from the Court of Appeal referred to the ‘mother's right to tell her story.’ Andrew Griffiths has denied allegations made by his ex-wife and ‘adamantly denied’ rape. Dr Charlotte Proudman, the barrister who represented Kate Griffiths joins Emma.

The next in our series Under Pressure which looks at what happens to relationships when life gets in the way. Carla and Brendon met at school. Their lives looked to be on track and then everything changed when Carla was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Jo Morris reports.

The nominees for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021 have been revealed. There have been 66 recipients of the award, but only 13 of these have been women. Anna Kessel, Women’s Sports Editor at The Telegraph talks to Emma about the women on the shortlist and who is favourite to win.

Jazz musician Zoe Rahman, IVF regulation, County Lines, Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace Dec 11, 2021

Show notes

Musician and composer, Zoe Rahman has won a MOBO, a British Jazz Award, and this week Zoe was awarded the ‘Impact Award’ at the 2021 Ivors Composer Awards.

Julia Chain the chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, made a plea for the 1990 Act governing fertility clinics and practice in this country to be updated. She argues that after 30 years, the science and culture around IVF has changed so much, and that the law needs to catch up.

This week Ministers revealed a 10-year drugs strategy which includes £300m for combating more than 2,000 county lines gangs. Sahira Irshad and Jen Jones are part of Mums United, a group of local mothers fighting against rising gang violence in Sheffield.

23-year-old Vee Kativhu was told Oxford university wasn't for people like her - she proved her teachers wrong by graduating recently from there with a degree in in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History. She's now studying International Education Policy at Harvard. Her popular Youtube channel gives out studying tips and she has a new book out - Empowered: Live Your Life with Passion and Purpose.

Last week the government set out how it will improve life for women in the armed forces, in response to the Women in the Armed Forces report which came out in July. It found that service-women who were victims of bullying, harassment, discrimination and serious sexual assault were being ‘denied justice’ by a ‘woefully inadequate’ military complaints process. We heard from the Secretary of State for Defence, MP Ben Wallace.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Catfishing, Caribbean Christmas Food & Gloves Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Catfishing is the practise of using a fake profile to start an online romance. The podcast Sweet Bobby has been shining a light on this issue through the story of Kirat Assi, a 42-year-old radio presenter who started a relationship with a person she thought to be Bobby, a handsome cardiologist, via Facebook. However, when he repeatedly fails to visit her in person, she slowly comes to learn his true identity. She shares her story with Anita, and is joined by investigative journalist Alexi Mostrous who explains the current legislation around catfishing.

Is the world of horse racing being forced to face up to its own #metoo moment this week? A light has been shone on the bullying and harassment endured by professional jockey, Bryony Frost, on and off the track by a male jockey who has now been banned for 18 months, with three months suspended. We hear from race trainer Gaye Kelleway, the first woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot, and from Annamarie Phelps, the Chair of the British Horseracing Authority.

Earlier this week, Ministers revealed a 10-year drugs strategy, allocating £780m in funding for the drug treatment system in England. This will include £300m for combating more than 2,000 county lines gangs. County lines is a form of criminal exploitation where urban gangs persuade, coerce or force children and young people to store drugs and money and/or transport them to suburban areas, market towns and coastal regions. Anita speaks to two mothers whose respective families and communities have been impacted by county lines gangs. Sahira Irshad founded Mums United in Sheffield, a charity led by mothers to tackle youth violence and child drug exploitation. She is joined by Jen Jones a volunteer mother from the group.

Chef and food-writer Keshia Sakarah is a second-generation West Indian of Montserratian and Barbudan heritage. Her restaurant Caribe' celebrates the diverse cuisine of the Caribbean, representing dishes from across the region. Keshia joins Anita to talk about the traditions and history behind Caribbean Christmas food.

From the hand-knitted mittens to the Bluetooth-enabled glove that acts like a phone, the humble glove has been linked to honour, status and identity but also to decadence and deceit. Dr Anne Green, Emeritus Professor of French at King’s College London tells us about her new book Gloves. An Intimate History.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed

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