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Parental Alienation, Afghan Judges, Being Average, Women Vets, Lady Evelyn Cobbold Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

Parental Alienation is the unjustified rejection of a parent by a child, encouraged by the other parent. We hear from one woman who hasn't seen or spoken to her daughter in six years. Dr Amy Baker, Parental Alienation expert, and Louise Barretto, a divorce and family solicitor, join Emma to discuss the impact on children, and the belief that a child's voice should always be listened to in a court of law.

As the UK's evacuation mission draws to a close in Afghanistan, we look at the situation facing the country's female judges, described as being 'uniquely at risk'. We hear from a senior judge on the desperate situation she is in.

Is there more pressure on us these days to be extraordinary? Listener Sarah suggested we talk about being average- and why it should be celebrated. Author Eleanor Ross and faculty member and former Head of Content at The School of Life, Sarah Stein Lubrano join Emma to discuss.

Over 3 million households acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, but vet practices are said to be overwhelmed. One listener got in touch to ask us to look at the challenges facing women vets.

Lady Evelyn Cobbold was a Scottish aristocrat who became the first recorded British woman to convert to Islam and undertake the hajj - the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Listener Sadia was inspired by her story, and joins Emma to talk about why Lady Evelyn's 1933 pilgrimage is so meaningful to her today. We also hear from the University of Manchester's Professor Zahia Smail Salhi on how Lady Evelyn's story fits into the bigger picture.

Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Frankie Tobi

Listener Week: Sahraa Karimi escape from Kabul, Extinction Rebellion, Doughnut Economics, Early SEN diagnosis, Circo Rum Ba Ba Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Circo Rum Ba Ba describe themselves as an exuberant troupe of all women performers who bring extraordinary spectacle and performance into unconventional settings where it is least expected. Founder and artistic director, and Woman’s Hour listener, Marianne Grove, a trained actor explains why she went from performing in theatres into the street bringing the magic of the circus and theatre to a wider audience.

We hear from Sahraa Karimi an Afghan film director and the first female chairperson of the Afghan Film Organisation who tells us of her recent escape to Kiev in the Ukraine. What does she make of the current Taliban guidance for working women to stay at home for their own safety?

Extinction Rebellion is protesting in London for a fortnight. They've warned to expect disruption. Listener Fiona Atkinson from Kendal got in touch with us to say that she's joined the group at the age of 65 and was there on Monday. She'd due to return next week. Her email to us began by saying, "I and thousands of women will be in London on Mon 23rd August in Trafalgar Square at the start of 2 weeks of the Extinction Rebellion protest. I would love you to cover the women involved in the Climate Crisis debate/protests and focus on how it will affect our children and grandchildren.” She is joined by Marion Malcher, 66, who was arrested on Monday for lying in middle of a street with her arm in a suitcase. She was released without charge and is back at Piccadilly Circus this morning. So what is motivating older women to protest and is it effective?

Many listeners have been in touch with their concerns about the planet, especially in relation to our ‘growth-at-all costs’ economic system. One psychoanalyst called Phoebe Wieland emailed us about how she is ‘increasingly seeing clients from all walks of life who feel deep existential anxiety about the climate and ecological situation we face." Phoebe asked us to invite mental health professional Sally Weintrobe on to the programme whose new book on the psychological roots of the climate crisis has just been published. Listeners also asked us to speak to Kate Raworth who is a prominent eco-economist whose groundbreaking work Doughnut Economics has helped them find hope.

There are approximately 351,000 children with a learning disability in the UK - but an assessment and diagnosis can take years. One listener - called Lauren Gibson - is in this waiting period wants some advice. She joins us to discuss, alongside Salena Begley, the Scottish Partnership Engagement Manager at Family Fund UK.

Attic memories; Afghanistan; Food and climate; ME and Covid; Neanderthals Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

What should we do with all our attic memorabilia? Vicki from South Wales talks about the joy of clearing our her attic with her daughters and Maryam from Rotherham talks about her mother's suitcase brought over from Pakistan in the 1950s.

The desperation of many thousands of people trying to get out of Afghanistan in the last couple of weeks has been on our screens and the front page of our newspapers for days now. Many, outside of the country, are trying to do what they can to help get their colleagues, friends, loved ones get out – as Alice Bromage, previously a Major in the UK army , told us yesterday. She talked about the Sandhurst Sisterhood, around 2500 ex-army women officers, who are constantly being messaged by women, and men, who they have trained and worked with in Afghanistan. Jude, as an ex-military officer, is one of the network. Based in Dubai, she and her husband, an ex-Royal marine of 24 years, run a small local security business in Kabul, and have done for about a decade now. What role are they playing in the ongoing evacuation?

What are the best food choices to make for the environment? And can going vegetarian or vegan really help with the issue of climate change? That's what Woman's Hour listener Judith wants to know - so Sarah Bridle, physics professor at Manchester University and author of Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air is on hand with some answers! She joins Emma to crunch the numbers and give some practical advice on ways to make our breakfast, lunch and tea less harmful for the planet.

About a quarter of a million people in the UK suffer from myalgic encepahalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. It's a condition that affects more women than men, but patients still face doubts about their symptoms and there is controversy about treatment. Since the pandemic began, as many as two million people in the UK may have long Covid, with women 1.5 times more likely to experience ongoing symptoms than men. The symptoms of long Covid range from fatigue and muscle pain to coughs and headaches and have been linked to ME. Scientists and ME/CFS patients hope that research into long Covid will be an opportunity to learn more about long term consequences of viral infections. Dr Nina Muirhead, specialist surgeon in dermatology who has ME and Dr David Strain, the British Medical Association's lead on Long Covid and medical advisor to Action for ME discuss the links between long Covid and treatment of ME/CFS.

What was it like to be a Neanderthal woman? That's what listener Hannah wants to know. She emailed asking to hear from female archeologists, such as Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes, about their view on the Neanderthal female lifestyle and how it compares to our own. So, we asked Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes to come on the programme to tell us. Did they hunt? Did they look after the children? Did they have the menopause? Her book, Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, aims to tell a completely new story about Neanderthals.

Listener Week: Women and trades, Afghanistan, Stealthing, Dumping a friend Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

A recent survey revealed that tradespeople are £35,000 better off than university graduates. But only 14.5% of the construction workforce as a whole is female, and that drops to just 2% when it comes to skilled manual trades, according to CITB figures. Barbara Marshfield has been a painter and decorator for 25 years, and got in touch. She joins Emma to discuss, along with Steph Leese who has her own successful business, and Fiona Sharp, Social Value Director for Procure Plus.

Reports from this morning and over the weekend reveal a desperate situation for many women and children in Afghanistan trying to flee. We've heard a lot, and seen pictures of the male British troops who have and are currently serving on the ground in Afghanistan. But what about the women? How differently do women approach these situations... Alice Bromage served in Afghanistan as a Major. She did 2 tours, and left in 2016.

In the past few months, a number of women have spoken out about stealthing -a form of sexual violence that involves non-consensual condom removal. One listener wants to know if there is a male equivalent, and if not, how the gender of a victim impacts the way society views rape. Emma is joined by the barrister Harriet Johnson and Dr Siobhan Weare, Senior Lecturer at the Lancaster University Law School who has researched criminal justice and male survivors of sexual violence.

The breakdown of romantic relationships can have a significant impact on us - but so too can the breakdown of friendships, sometimes being even more painful. Listener Melanie joins us to discuss her experience of losing a friendship, as does journalist and writer, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and relationship expert and author, Liz Pryor.

Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Frankie Tobi

Lesley Manville, Afghanistan, Menopause and dental health, Conceived by rape, Ruby Wax, Pens Aug 21, 2021

Show notes

The actor Lesley Manville on her mission to change the way the world sees older women - not least in her latest TV performance in Channel 4's I am series. Lesley plays Maria, who at 60 and after 30-odd years of marriage, is finding it suffocating and decides she wants more from life.

The BBC journalist Zarghuna Kargar who used to present Afghan Woman's Hour found herself translating a Taliban press conference. It was her voice telling us what a Taliban spokesman said about women.

How menopause affects your dental health. We hear from Louise Newsom, NHS Advisor for the National Menopause Programme and Dr Uchenna Okoye, Clinical Director of London Smiling Dental Group.

'When Ruby Wax Met…' features some of her most memorable interviews. Ruby tells us about a particularly memorable encounter with a future US President- a Mr Donald Trump and when she fell in love with Carrie Fisher.

The woman who took her birth father to court for raping her birth mother in the 70s. It is thought to be the first of its kind.

And the people who love their pens - they even watch others using them. We hear from stationery enthusiast Rhiannon Morgan, who runs mummy of four YouTube channel and Jenna Meyers, a TikToker and hand-letterer who creates content about her favourite pens and handwriting.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Divorce, Ruby Wax, the FIRE movement, Strings duo Balladeste Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

How common is it to experience ‘hate’ towards someone you once loved? We tend to think of 'hate' as one of the strongest emotions we can have, so what happens if you find yourself 'hating' your former partner, particularly if you have children with them. We discuss why some people experience this during or after the breakdown of their relationship, and how to move on from it.

In the early 1990s Ruby Wax smashed out of the TV studio and rewrote the rule book on the celebrity chat show with 'When Ruby Wax Met…'. She joins Anita to look back at some of these encounters with stars such as Grace Jones, Carrie Fisher, Imelda Marcos, and one particularly memorable encounter with a future US President and his new girlfriend - a Mr Donald Trump.

As part of our money series, we are looking at the FIRE Movement. The acronym, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early, is a method of extreme saving, in order to retire – or stop working – decades earlier. Recent studies suggest that over half of millennials do not see themselves as 'emotionally and behaviourally' connected to their job and company. Exhausted from high-pressure jobs and with a growing sense of burnout, some millennials are turning to the FIRE strategy in an attempt to become financially independent, sooner. Emma-Lou Montgomery is a personal finance and investment writer at Fidelity International, and Sarah Pennells is a Consumer Finance Specialist from the Royal London.

Indian-American violinist Preetha Narayanan and British cellist Tara Franks met while studying at the Guildhall School of Music and went on to form a strings duo – Balladeste. Their style has been described as Contemporary Classical meets Folk in its broadest form - Indo-Baroque meets alt-folk minimalism. For their new album, Beyond Breath, they have taken fragments of melodic lines from a set of Indian devotional songs learnt in Preetha’s childhood as inspiration. They join Anita to discuss the cross-cultural melding of their musical ideas and styles.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Ruby Wax Interviewed Guest: Sara Davison Interviewed Guest: Fahima Mahomed Interviewed Guest: Sarah Pennells Interviewed Guest: Emma-Lou Montgomery Interviewed Guest: Preetha Narayanan Interviewed Guest: Tara Franks

Afghanistan, Adoption, Lesley Manville Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

We continue reporting on what's happening to women and children in Afghanistan. We hear from our BBC corespondent in Kabul, Secunder Kermani. Also Larissa Brown who's Defence Editor at The Times tells us about women soldiers in Afghanistan, and we speak to Zarghuna Kargar who used to present Afghan Woman's Hour and this week found herself translating a Taliban press conference. It was her voice telling us what a Taliban spokesman said.

We hear from Andrea Leadsom, MP who's the government's Early Years Adviser.

Two women who've adopted talk to us about the ups and downs.

And we've also got Lesley Manville on talking about her new TV drama called I Am, which is about a woman called Maria who's 60 and bored.

Priti Patel on Afghan crisis, Aisha Jawando as Tina Turner Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

The UK government has announced plans to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees over the coming years, with 5,000 coming to the UK in the first year. This will be in addition to those such as interpreters and teachers who helped UK forces on the ground, and are already being offered homes here. Emma speaks to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, on how the announcement will aim to prioritise vulnerable women and children.

“I am more than evidence, more than a witness, more than a product of rape. I am not your shame.” That was what our next guest said in her court victim statement, after a man was convicted of raping her mother, when she was then 13, and had gone to his house to babysit. Our guest was conceived from that rape. The man is called Carvel Bennett and he was found guilty of rape, and a fortnight ago he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Now in her 40s, it's taken years for our guest to secure his conviction. We're not giving her name for legal reasons.

A musical on the life of the singer and songwriter Tina Turner has just reopened in London’s West End. Aisha Jawando previously played the part of Tina’s sister, Alline Bullock. Now, she has stepped into the lead role telling the story of a woman who dared to defy the bounds of racism, sexism and ageism to become the global Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Aisha joins Emma and sings live in the Woman’s Hour studio.

Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Frankie Tobi

Dental health and menopause, Lisa Nandy, Police disclosures, Joy of stationery Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Hot flushes are probably the first thing you associate with going through the menopause. But Radio 2's Liza Tarbuck had an interesting angle on it she wanted us to investigate - gums! Decreases in oestrogen can have a significant effect on your dental health including bleeding gums, burning, a dry mouth and even tooth loss. But the link to menopause and perimenopause is often missed. Dr Uchenna Okoye, Clinical Director of London Smiling Dental Group and Dr Louise Newsom, NHS Advisor for the National Menopause Programme, discuss the signs to watch out for and things you can do to help.

Today the government is pulling together a specific plan to help Afghan refugees come and settle in the UK. Girls and women will be especially helped. Women's rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has called for world governments to open their borders and take 'bold stances for the protection of women and girls' in Afghanistan. But what might that bold stance look like? Emma Barnett speaks to Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Rape prosecutions have fallen dramatically - to the lowest ever level since data started being collected. But to what extent is this a result of intrusive requests by police and the CPS to access victims' records? Rape crisis centres around the UK are telling Woman's Hour that requests for everything from counselling records to school reports can deter women from taking the case further. Denying access to records may also lead to the case being dropped. Melanie Abbott reports on the burden women feel to prove a perfect life history in order to move forward with rape prosecutions.

It's August and for lots of parents, it's time for back to school supply shopping. But it's not just kids that want all the latest products. In 2020 alone, households in the UK bought £3.52 billion pounds worth of stationery and drawing materials. And today, we're looking specifically at pens - buying them, trying them out and even watching videos of people writing with them. Pen TikToker and hand-letterer Jenna Meyers and mum Rhiannon Morgan, who runs mummy of four YouTube channel, join Emma to discuss all things pen-related.

Clothes sizing, Afghan women, What's driving men who define themselves as incels? Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

Many bigger-busted women find it difficult to find clothing tailored to their chest size. The last time a national size survey was conducted in the UK was back in 2001, so why don’t clothing manufacturers take our bra sizes into account? Edaein O’Connell is a 32H, and has written about her struggle to find well fitting clothes. Dr Kathryn Brownbridge is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion and Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

City after city has fallen to the Taliban in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul. Blame is being apportioned for who is responsible - the Americans, the weak former government in Afghanistan or our own foreign policy. What seems certain is that women's lives will change dramatically. Lynne O'Donnell is a journalist who until yesterday was in Kabul. Homira Rezai lived in Afghanistan until 2006, aged 13 she moved to Dudley in the West Midlands . Pashtana Durani runs an education charity in Kabul.

As the country reels from and mourns the loss of life after the Plymouth shooting last week, what is really driving men who define themselves as incels? Why do they claim to hate women as much as they do? Lily O'Farrell is a feminist cartoonist who decided to discover more about these groups. Joan Smith is an author, journalist and the co-chair of the mayor of London’s Violence Against Women and Girls board.

Plus how do you feel about sweating? We spend on antiperspirants and deodorants – £54 billion a year – we put an awful lot of effort into pretending we DON'T sweat and certainly DON'T smell. Science journalist Sarah Everts talks about the research in her new book, The Joy of Sweat: The strange Science of Perspiration.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

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