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Off the Rails Film, Bella Mackie, Long Covid, #MeToo around the world Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Jules Williamson has directed her first feature film in her fifties. The premier is tonight. Off the Rails is a celebration of women. It centres round four friends who went Inter-railing when they were 19, who when one of them dies, revisit the same journey later in life taking her daughter this time. It’s a comedy drama with a great female cast - starring Sally Phillips, the late Kelly Preston (in her final role), Dame Judi Dench and Jenny Seagrove. Jules and Sally Phillips join Chloe Tilley to explain how long it took to bring this story to the screen, the messages of friendship and ‘anything is possible’, and why it has an iconic Blondie soundtrack.

The number of young people hospitalised with eating disorders in England has risen during the pandemic, a BBC investigation has found. Data from NHS Digital showed the number of under-20s admitted over the past year was more than 3,200 - nearly 50% higher than in 2019-20. Hospitals are warning they are running out of beds to care for these patients, and waits for community treatment have lengthened as the number of referrals has increased. BEAT estimate 1.25million people in the UK have an eating disorder. The condition can affect anyone at any time, but girls and young women aged 12-20 are most at risk. To discuss the issues Chloe is joined by Professor Sandeep Ranote, Consultant Paediatric Psychiatrist in Eating Disorders.

What has the impact of the ~MeToo movement had around the world? A new book ‘Awakening’: #MeToo and the Global Fight for Women’s Rights contains stories of women around the world who, inspired by the #MeToo movement have worked fearlessly in promoting the rights of women in their countries, sometimes at the risk of their own safety and potential imprisonment. We hear from Fakhrriyyah Hashim who pioneered the conversation on sexual violence in Northern Nigeria and from the book’s co-author, and former president of the Malala Fund, Meighan Stone.

How To Kill Your Family is the darkly comic first novel by Bella Mackie. Grace has calmly murdered six members of her family but is serving a prison sentence for a murder she didn't actually commit. Bella joins Chloe Tilley to talk about female rage and to explain how she became steeped in crime and murder as a small child while reading unsuitable true crime with her Dad.

Long Covid is estimated to have affected over two million people in the UK - with the majority being women. The condition is an umbrella term for a whole range of symptoms, from fatigue and brain fog to respiratory, heart and gut problems. But for those hospitalised with Covid-19, post-Covid symptoms can be so serious that a third will require readmission within six months and 1 in 8 will die. In an attempt to find treatments, a clinical trial is underway to test whether two safe and widely-available drugs can make a difference to long-term Covid recovery. A new trial called HEAL-COVID is being led by three female researchers. The lead is Dr Charlotte Summers from Cambridge University who tells Chloe about how people currently in hospital can take part.

Amy Winehouse remembered; Women's cricket; Botox and fillers; Violence against women strategy Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

This Friday marks 10 years since the tragic death of the singer Amy Winehouse from alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27. A new documentary film, Reclaiming Amy on BBC 2 on Friday at 9pm features Amy's closest friends and family and seeks to tell the story of the real Amy. We hear from her mother, Janis and close friend Catriona Gourlay.

A brand-new cricket competition, the Hundred is launching today. It's the first time a major team sport competition, which features both male and female teams, has opened with a women’s match. Despite a push for equality, the women playing in this tournament are set to earn thousands of pounds less than the men. Can this competition change things further for women in cricket? Head of the Women's Hundred and Female Engagement at the ECB, Beth Barrett-Wild and English international cricketer, Kate Cross join Chloe to discuss.

After a year long inquiry the all party parliamentary group on aesthetics beauty and wellbeing has called for much tougher regulation of Botox and fillers. MPs say the lack of proper regulation is putting women at risk. But their report stops short of recommending that only healthcare practitioners should be allowed to inject. We hear about the background and some of the horror stories from our reporter Melanie Abbott, and then from David Sines, who chairs the body registering practitioners and overseeing training providers, the Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners and Leslie Blair from the British Association of Beauty therapy and Cosmetology, which represents therapists.

Plans to tackle violence against women and girls following the mass protests when the marketing executive Sarah Everard was murdered on her way home from a friend's house, have been unveiled by the government. This strategy also comes amid concern about low rape conviction rates and a culture of sexual harassment at schools. Chloe is joined by Andrea Simon, Director of End Violence Against Women Coalition and BBC special correspondent, Lucy Manning.

Typewriters; Canadian residential schools; Isy Suttie; Stealthing Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

In the digital age, the humble typewriter seems rather quaint. But according to a new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, the typewriter is a technology with a key role in the story of female emancipation. The exhibition's principal curator, Alison Taubman, talks to Chloe Tilley about how typewriters provided a key opening into the world of work, propelled women into the public sphere, and played a major role in the fight for women's suffrage.

More than 1000 bodies of indigenous children have been found in unmarked graves outside of former residential schools in several parts of Canada over the last few months. Assistant Professor in the History & Classics Department from the University of Alberta tells us about the history of these schools - and the impact they had on the indigenous communities in Canada. And President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Lorraine Whitman joins us to talk about the aftermath of these discoveries - and the fight for justice for the many missing and murdered indigenous women across the country.

'Jane is Trying' is the first novel by comedian, writer and actor Isy Suttie. Jane is trying in three senses. She is trying to get pregnant (or she was before her life fell apart and she had to run home to mum and dad), she is trying to deal with her anxiety and she is trying in the sense of being a bit irritating and needy. Isy joins Chloe Tilley to talk about writing a relatable character and how the concept of 'home' shapes the novel.

Journalist and the author of Millennial Love, Olivia Petter wrote about being stealth raped, a term used to describe the act of removing a condom without a partner’s consent. Following the article, she was contacted by women telling her they’d also been stealth raped and detailing the impact and trauma they had experienced. Olivia explains why it’s important for women to share their experiences and is joined by lawyer Harriet Johnson.

Maria Callas, Loulou Storey & Lucy Adlington on casual workwear, International Aid legal challenge & slavery reparations Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

Maria Callas is one of the most famous opera singers. She was brought up in New York and Greece by an emotionally abusive mother who forced her to sing. Despite being admired by Hollywood stars and royalty, she fought sexism to rise to the top but never had a happy private life. Lyndsy Spence's new book Cast a Diva draws on previously unseen documents to reveal her tragic story.

Stacie Marshall has inherited her family's farm in a small Appalachian valley in the US state of Georgia. She'd vaguely known about the history of her family and their land but it wasn't until she moved into her grandparents house that she realised her family had in fact owned seven enslaved people. Now Stacie, the only young woman running a farm in the valley, is trying to make amends for the wrongs of her ancestors. She joins us live from Georgia and we also hear from Nkechi Taifa a civil and human rights lawyer and long-standing reparations advocate.

A charity that provides sexual and reproductive support to disadvantaged women around the world is threatening legal action against the UK government, over their recent decision to cut the international aid budget by around £4 billion. We speak to Mina Barlow, Director for External Relations at The International Planned Parenthood Foundation.

And we look at the new casual officewear trends with Fashion Historian Lucy Adlington & Style Coach Loulou Storey to consider if the way we dress for work has changed forever?

Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

Weekend Woman's Hour: The Three Hijabis, 150 years of Female GPs & going braless Jul 17, 2021

Show notes

Three female football fans – hashtag ‘TheThreeHijabis - as they called themselves set up a petition calling for racists to be banned for life from all football matches in England. Shaista Aziz, Amna Abdullatif and Huda Jawad tell us about the petition which now has over a million signatories.

As the Royal College of GPs marks 150 years of women in general practice we ask why more than half of GPs in the UK are women. We also discuss why women GP’s may still face issues like lower pay compared to men in their field. We hear from the President of the Royal College of GPs, Dr Amanda Howe and GP trainee, Dr Sophie Lumley.

After more than a year of working from home during the pandemic, a third of women say they want to ditch their bra forever. Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, is Professor in Biomechanics at the University of Portsmouth she talks about the pros and cons of not wearing a bra.

A Government challenge to a Parole Board decision to release Colin Pitchfork has been rejected - paving the way for the double child killer to be freed in the next few weeks. Pitchfork has served 33 years in prison after being jailed for raping and murdering 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in the 1980s. We hear from Philip Musson the uncle of Dawn Ashworth and from Belinda Winder, a Professor of Forensic Psychology and Research Director of the Centre of Crime, Offending, Prevention and Engagement (COPE) at Nottingham Trent University, and from David Wilson Emeritus Professor of Criminology at Birmingham University.

Deborah James is a the host of the BBC's You, Me And The Big C podcast, a campaigner, writer and mother of two. She tells us about her recent experience of liver failure followed by sepsis and how she attended Wimbledon only 12 hours after leaving hospital.

And we have music and chat from Bronwen Lewis a Welsh singer songwriter whose style sits between Country, Pop, Folk and Blues.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Bronwen Lewis, Football Racists Ban and 'The Three Hijabis', Pregnancy & the Covid Vaccine, The Joy of Skating Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

Bronwen Lewis is a Welsh singer songwriter whose style sits between Country, Pop, Folk and Blues. She starred in the BAFTA Award Winning and Golden Globe nominated film ‘Pride’ where she sang the theme song ‘Bread and Roses' and brought Tom Jones to tears during her time on BBC’s The Voice in 2013. Proudly bilingual, this year her TikTok following grew as she went viral for her Welsh language covers of famous Pop songs and singing the Welsh National anthem in the lead up to the Wales v Denmark Euros game. She joins Anita to discuss her passion to promote the Welsh language and the inspiration behind her new music.

Three female football fans – hashtag ‘The Three Hijabis - set up a petition calling for racists to be banned for life from all football matches in England. This was in response to the shocking levels of racism that was directed towards Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka on social media after their missed penalties resulted in England losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Within 48 hours Shaista Aziz, Amna Abdullatif and Huda Jawad had more than a million signatories and on Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced that he would ensure the football banning regime was changed and that people guilty of online racist abuse towards players would be banned from football matches. And yesterday it was announced that people have been arrested after the English footballers were racially abused online.

Like many others our reporter Ena Miller took up a new hobby over lockdown - skating. As a form of socially distanced, COVID -compliant exercise it's boomed over the last 18 months and manufacturers of skates are struggling with demand. Ena is still learning and for us she put on her beautiful new roller skates and gingerly joined the legions of women who skate in car parks, on the streets and in halls all over the country. Pregnant women are facing a “perfect storm” of risks according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). They’re concerned that the combination of restrictions easing from next week, an increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and hesitancy to get vaccinated will lead to a further increase in infections among pregnant women. We talk to Asma Khalil Professor of Obstetrics at St George’s Hospital, University of London. She is also the Obstetric lead for the national maternity and perinatal audit with the RCOG.

Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

Going braless; Em Sheldon and trolling; Continued shielding; Anne Theroux Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

After more than a year of many of us working from home during the pandemic, there's been a lot of talk about the lack of requirement to put on a bra. Just this week actor Gillian Anderson announced that her relationship with bras is over. Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor in Biomechanics at University of Portsmouth talks to Emma about the pros and cons of not wearing a bra.

Social media influencers who document their lifestyles receive daily online abuse which increases when they promote products and make money. Instagram influencer Em Sheldon spoke to MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee yesterday about the trolling she receives which she claimed comes predominantly from adult women. Em joins Emma to discuss what should or could be done.

It’s been confirmed that from next Monday 19 July all COVID requirements, including mandatory face masks and social distancing, will be lifted in England. But for more than one million of the most vulnerable people, shielding will continue. How are women across the country planning to cope? And what difference – if any – will so-called Freedom Day bring? Lucy Catchpole is a disability writer and has two young children. Mary Slattery is a disability advocate and artist. Sarah Clarke has two teenage children with disabilities.

Why would you want to tell all about the ending of a painful marriage that happened 30 years ago? Emma speaks to Anne Theroux about her marriage to the writer Paul Theroux. She's written The Year of the End A Memoir of Marriage, Truth and Fiction.

Deborah James; Colin Pitchfork Parole and Falling in love with an object Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

Deborah James is a the host of the BBC's You, Me And The Big C podcast, a campaigner, writer and mother of two. As @bowelbabe she blogs about living with stage 4 bowel cancer since Christmas 2016. After trialling experimental drugs she was told she had ‘no sign of active disease’, not once but twice. She joins Emma to discuss her recent experience of liver failure followed by sepsis, how she attended Wimbledon only 12 hours after leaving hospital, her mission to protect cancer care, and why she is rewriting her next book, How to Live When You Could Be Dead.

Yesterday the Government's challenge to a Parole Board decision to release Colin Pitchfork was rejected - paving the way for the double child killer to be freed in the next few weeks. Pitchfork has served 33 years in prison after being jailed for raping and murdering 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in the 1980s. A judge-led independent review rejected a bid by ministers to halt his release. Philip Musson, the uncle of Dawn Ashworth tells Emma how disappointed the family are by the decision. David Wilson Emeritus Professor of criminology at Birmingham City University and former prison governor, is concerned that Pitchfork has “gamed” the rehabilitation system. Belinda Winder, a Professor of Forensic Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, whose primary field is sexual offending explains how carefully parole boards come to their decisions and the importance of reintegration into the community.

Have you ever been in love with an object? Yes, that's right. Not a person: a thing, or maybe a building? There's a new French film out called Jumbo, and it's about a young woman who falls in love with a fairground attraction. Zoe Wittock is the director.

A number of high profile gruesome cases of women dying after their partners claimed “rough sex gone wrong” as a defence led to a change in the law earlier this year. The Domestic Abuse Act states that even if consensual, the infliction of serious harm, or worse will lead to prosecution. The veteran labour MP Harriet Harman was instrumental in getting the law changed but she says it’s not always working in practice and she joins Emma Barnett to explain why she’s calling for the Director of Prosecutions Max Hill to review two cases of particular concern.

150 years of female GPs. Chief Constable of the British Transport Police Lucy D’Orsi. Anne Sebba on US spy Ethel Rosenberg. Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

This week, the Royal College of GPs is marking 150 years of women in general practice. More than half of GPs in the UK are women - but despite this, many still face issues like lower pay compared to men in their field. President of the College, Dr Amanda Howe and GP trainee, Dr Sophie Lumley join Emma to discuss why general practice is so appealing to women - and if they should continue to fill the ranks.

Lucy D’Orsi, the new Chief Constable of the British Transport police is declaring a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on sexual harassment. She tells us why she wants to make tackling the problem a priority and for all of us to call out bad behaviour.

In June 1953 Ethel and her husband, Julius Rosenberg were executed for spying, for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Their story gripped the American imagination and has inspired novels, plays and even non fiction. We hear from the author Anne Sebba who's written a new biography about Ethel Rosenberg, the first in 40 years.

It's the time of year, when more of your body is on show and you might head to your local beauticians for a wax or pedicure or other treatment. How do you react when your teen or tween is starting to show an interest? What would you say if your 12 year old wanted to shave her legs or get rid of unwanted hair on her face or body? What about treatments like facials or if they asked to get things like eyelash extensions. Treatments are often now marketed as mother/daughter bonding experiences. How do you feel about that? Do you think there are other activities we should be encouraged to bond over. When's the right time and what's the right way to talk to your child about beauty treatments - if you should at all.

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Baroness Cumberlege, Euro 2020 men's football final, Equality in opera Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Baroness Julia Cumberlege, who led a critical review into how the health service has treated female patients, says she is angry and frustrated that not enough progress has been made. A year ago her report looked into two drugs and a medical device which caused women or their babies harm. It made a list of recommendations to support victims and prevent future, avoidable damage. The four UK governments are still considering the recommendations. Baroness Cumberlege joins Emma.

It’s been four weeks of competition that concluded last night when England lost to Italy in the final. Despite the ultimate outcome, the Euro 2020 men's football competition really seemed to capture the imagination of many, and was a much needed tonic after a year and a half of the Covid pandemic ruling our lives. Emma speaks to a panel of female football experts about what all this momentum could mean for the future of the women's game. Dr Martha Newson is a cognitive anthropologist at the Universities of Kent and Oxford, and has researched the behaviour of football fans around the world; Faye White was Captain of the England’s women’s team who got to the finals of the 2009 Euros; Kelly Simmons is director of the Women’s Professional game at the FA and Seema Jaswal has been one of ITV's main hosts of the Euros.

The Engender Festival begins today and celebrates the work of women and gender minorities while seeking equality across all sectors of opera, both on and backstage. Creative Producer for The Royal Opera and founder of the Engender Festival Kate Wyatt talks about changing the gender imbalance in opera and music theatre. Emma is also joined by Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Alison Buchanan who conceived Mami Wata, a concert which brings together a range of diverse composers.

Last Friday the police officer Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering Sarah Everard, the 33 year old marketing executive who went missing on her walk home in March of this year. He has yet to be sentenced. It seems there were clues that Wayne Couzens was a risk. There have been flashing allegations: one alleged to have happened just a few days before he abducted Sarah. The Daily Mail wrote that he was once reported for driving naked from the waist down, and colleagues nicknamed him "the rapist". Emma speaks to Emily Spurrell, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, who believes officers should be trained to spot signs of misogyny within their own ranks.

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