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Weekend Woman's Hour - Lockdown anniversary, Cryptocurrencies & Portraits of women Mar 27, 2021

Show notes

Last week marked the first anniversary of lockdown. We hear from three women of different ages, backgrounds and circumstances to discuss their experiences of having to stay at home. Actor and author Sheila Hancock and writers Kerry Hudson and Yasmin Rahman tell us about their highs and lows.

Friday marks 50 years of Bangladesh Independence. The BBC Asian Network presenter Nadia Ali and Shaz Aberdean, a community worker in Swansea tell us about the celebrations.

We discuss the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies and why young women are choosing to invest in these more than ever before with money expert Jasmine Birtles and Susannah Streeter a senior investment analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Last year the National Crime Agency assessed there were at least 300,000 individuals posing a sexual threat to children in the UK and warned of a spike in online child sexual abuse offending during the pandemic. Donald Findlater is from the charity The Stop it Now helpline, he tells us about the growing problem. We also hear from Chris who was arrested for possession of illegal sexual images and from Sarah about her husband’s arrest.

Zing Tsjeung, executive editor of Vice UK and Mai-Anh Peterson, co-founder of BESEAN the British East and Southeast Asian Network tell us about the increase in racially motivated attacks against women of Asian descent throughout the pandemic.

And the very last commission before the National Portrait Gallery in London closed for renovation involved two women - a portrait of the author Zadie Smith by the artist Toyin Ojih Odutola. But such a work is in stark contrast to much of the rest of the permanent collection, with 88% of the artists and 75% of the sitters being male. We hear from Curator and art historian Dr Flavia Frigeri, and from the artists Roxana Halls and Toyin Ojih Odutola about the women they paint and want to see in the gallery.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Equal pay judgement. Birth partners attending scans. Bangladesh at 50. Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

Today the Supreme Court will give its judgement on one of the largest ever equal pay claims . It could have implications for women working in retail all over the UK. It involves those working in the supermarket Asda stores, who are mainly women, who are being paid less than those working in the distribution depot, who are mainly men. The case has been going on for over 5 years. Reporter Melanie Abbott will tell us about its implications for workers across the sector and we hear reaction from Wendy Arundale, who worked at Asda in Middlesbrough for 32 years.

Since the start of lockdown many pregnant women have been campaigning to have their birth partners with them when they go for scans. At the end of last year NHS Trusts in England changed their advice and said ,dependent on a risk assessment, they should do all they can to ensure pregnant women are accompanied. But those doing the scans, the sonographers, feel their rights have been overlooked. One wrote a heartfelt letter about this to the professional trade magazine, headlined "We cannot allow professional ultrasound to become entertainment." Her hospital trust won't allow her to come on the programme. But her views are echoed by Gill Harrison who is the professional voice for Ultrasound at the Society of Radiographer.

Radio One’s Vick Hope presents a new BBC Sounds podcast called Songs To Live By, celebrating Black voices and experiences through the songs that shaped them. In each episode Vick talks to two guests of different generations about the music that has defined them - personally, politically, musically. She tells Krupa about some of the women involved and the music she enjoyed with her mum.

And to mark Bangladesh's 50th year of independence we talk to BBC Asian Network presenter Nadia Ali and Shaz Aberdean, a community worker in Swansea.

Presenter Krupa Padhy Producer Beverley Purcell

Covid 19 vaccines and children, East Asian Racism, Periods in lockdown, Young women and cryptocurrency Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

A newspaper article reported on discussions around children in the UK being offered COVID-19 vaccines as early as August, although a spokesperson from DHSC has said: "no decisions have been made on whether children should be offered vaccinations". In February the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine began testing on children. There are 300 volunteers aged between six and 17 taking part in the trial. So, what is the likelihood of all children being included in future vaccination programmes. Krupa Padhy discusses the issues with Saul Faust, Professor of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton.

Last Tuesday, eight people at three different spas and massage parlours in and around the US city of Atlanta were killed. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. Activists and advocates have pointed to an increase in racially-motivated attacks against Asian Americans throughout the pandemic. But that same rise in hate crime focussed at Eastern and South Eastern Asian communities has increased here in the UK too. Krupa talks to Zing Tsjeung, executive editor of Vice UK and Mai-Anh Peterson, co-founder of BESEA.n, British East and Southeast Asian Network.

There have been lots of discussions on the effect of the pandemic on our mental, physical and emotional well-being - but what about the impact on women's menstrual cycles? Anecdotally many women have said they have experienced changes in their cycle, more intense symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS. Last year Dr Anita Mitra, NHS gynaecologist, also known as the Gynae Geek, asked 'Have you noticed a change in your menstrual cycle or hormonal symptoms during lockdown?' More than 5,500 women responded. Two thirds of whom said yes. She now has an in-depth study of 15,500 women who've responded.

Why are young women investing in cryptocurrencies? New research released by the Financial Conduct Authority shows new investors are more likely to be female, younger and from BAME backgrounds. They're more reliant on social media for tips and to be using investment apps. There's also a concern that they are taking bigger risks using 'gut instinct'. Krupa talks to money expert Jasmine Birtles and Susannah Streeter, senior investment analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, about why volatile products like cryptocurrency and foreign exchange are attracting women and how they can protect their investments.

Presented by Krupa Padhy Produced by Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

Endometriosis, NI Abortion, Portraits Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body, often around reproductive organs, bowel and bladder. This can cause inflammation, pain and scar tissue. We hear about a new study which uses Dichloroacetate as a treatment. Jessica Rafferty talks to use about her experience which includes more than 200 visits to the hospital. And we also hear from Andrew Horne, Professor of Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.

Litter! Get annoyed when it’s all over the place? Find yourself picking up other people's rubbish? What about all those covid masks? Is it mostly women leading the charge on litter? We hear from you.

Theoretically women can now get an abortion in Northern Ireland. The new law came into force last year but in reality it's a very different story. It's hard to access services and some women are still travelling to England and Ireland. The Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis, has stepped in and said the Northern Ireland Executive must do something about it. We get the latest from Jayne McCormack, political reporter at BBC Northern Ireland, and Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

And we talk about the portraits on display at the National Portrait Gallery. Why are most of them of men, and why are they created by mostly male painters? How do experts plan to change things?

Lockdown anniversary, Nicola Sturgeon, Misogyny as a hate crime Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

It's exactly a year since Boris Johnson delivered the instruction to stay at home. To mark the occasion, we've assembled three women of different ages, backgrounds and circumstances to discuss their experiences of being confined for the most part in the home. Actor and author Sheila Hancock and writers Kerry Hudson and Yasmin Rahman join Emma.

The future of Nicola Sturgeon has been in the balance in recent weeks as she's faced not one but two major inquiries. Yesterday afternoon an independent inquiry by James Hamilton QC cleared the First Minister of breaching the ministerial code. But this morning a separate cross-party committee of inquiry said the Scottish government's handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond was "seriously flawed", that Nicola Sturgeon had misled their inquiry in her evidence and that women had been badly let down by the government. Political correspondent Alex Massie, crime writer Val McDermid and Alex Massie from the Spectator join Emma.

Last week’s announcement that the police in England and wales are going to start recording misogyny as a hate crime in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard was heralded as a victory by many women’s rights campaigners but that reaction has been far from uniform. Many groups working in the arena of domestic abuse and violence against women actually think it could be counter productive and even make the situation worse. We talk to Dr Fiona Vera-Gray from the University of Durham who has written The Right Amount of Panic who thinks the move to change the law is a knee jerk reaction and also to Professor Louise Mallany who has worked with Nottinghamshire Police which has recorded misogyny as a hate crime since 2016

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Navigating the perimenopause; Increase in online accessing of child sexual images; Nawal El Saadawi's death at 89 Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

The average age of menopause is 51, and menopause itself only lasts for one day, because it simply marks the one-year anniversary of your last period. Perimenopause, on the other hand, refers to the period of time in which you’ll have cycles, but start to experience ‘menopausal’ symptoms. Three quarters of women experience significant symptoms during the perimenopause, yet there is little in the way of evidence based information available. Comical descriptions of symptoms including hot flushes and mood swings are widespread and prevent essential details on the myriad of other symptoms and signs a woman is perimenopausal. Maisie Hill is a women's health advocate and author of Perimenopause Power. She joins Emma to discuss the symptoms and her toolkit of tips and techniques women can use to help themselves.

Last year the National Crime Agency assessed there were at least 300,000 individuals posing a sexual threat to children in the UK, and warned of a spike in online child sexual abuse offending during the pandemic. The Stop It Now helpline, a part of child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, is a nationwide service which offers advice and support for men viewing illegal sexual images of under 18s or feeling they are on the verge of doing so. They have reported an increase in people seeking help for their illegal online behaviour since the beginning of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns. Emma speaks to Donald Findlater, Director of the helpline since it started in 2002.

The pioneering Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi has died at the age of 89. She was a doctor, feminist and writer who was described as "the Simone de Beauvoir of the Arab World" and as "Egypt's most radical woman'. BBC Cairo correspondent Sally Nabil joins Emma to talk about her life and work.

Weekend Woman's Hour: Women and confidence in the police; Syria; the future of the handbag Mar 20, 2021

Show notes

Susannah Fish, former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police and Olivia Pinkney Chief Constable for Hampshire talk about how confident women can be in reporting crime to the police.

We hear from Conroy Harris, CEO of A Band of Brothers, David Challen, domestic violence campaigner and Mike Berry, Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist on why men attack women and what can be done to stop it.

Why is inclusion in beauty important? Make-up artist and model Sasha Pallari and founder of MDMflow, Florence Adepoju tell us how beauty brands can be more diverse and the damage face-filters can have on mental health.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of conflict in Syria. Dr. Rola Hallam, CEO and Founder of CanDo explains why women and children have been disproportionately affected.

How has lockdown changed what we want from our handbags? Lucia Savi curator of the V&A's Bags: Inside Out exhibition tells us about the history of handbags and how they will be used after lockdown.

Singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson tells us about her career and sound which she describes as an eclectic, soulful sound with roots in soul, classical, with reggae and jazz influences.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Louise Corley

Singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

The Supreme Court are today announcing their judgement on the so-called "pizza test". That is whether a residential or home carer who "sleeps in" is entitled to the minimum wage. The reason it is named the "pizza test" is that they are required to be on site, and cannot leave to go and buy a pizza, even if they're not actually performing some specific caring activity. The case was brought by a highly-qualified care support worker called Clare Tomlinson-Blake. If the Supreme Court find in her favour it will have huge implications as it could cost the sector over £400 million in back pay. Anita Rani is joined by our reporter, Melanie Abbott, who has been speaking to Claire, and Christina McAnea, the general secretary of UNISON.

The British multi-national consumer goods company, Unilever announced last week that it will remove the word ‘normal’ from 200 of its beauty products, in an attempt to create a ‘more inclusive definition of beauty’. They will also ban excessive editing of photos in relation to ‘body shape, size proportion and skin colour’. This includes models, as well as social media influencers who have been paid to promote its products. Florence Adepoju, founder of MDMflow and Sasha Pallari, the make-up artist who campaigned for better regulations on social media beauty advertisements, discuss why diversity in the beauty industry is important and what brands can do to work towards inclusivity.

All week on Woman's Hour we have been thinking about and discussing the murder of Sarah Everard. Today Jacqueline Rose is one of the world's leading feminist literary and cultural critics discusses her new book, 'On Violence and On Violence Against Women'.

The singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson has a rare sound that combines classical music and eclectic soul. She was nominated for her first MOBO Award in 2012. Her recent release 'Rise Up', featuring Akala, has become a revolutionary anthem for young Black people. Part of the WOW UK Festival, which is online now and will be running until Sunday 21st March, she joins Anita in the studio.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Claire Tomlinson-Blake Interviewed Guest: Christina McAnea Interviewed Guest: Florence Adepoju Interviewed Guest: Sasha Pallari Interviewed Guest: Jacqueline Rose Interviewed Guest: Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Men and Violence Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

Today we have three men on Woman's Hour talking about male violence. They're discussing why some men attack women and what can be done to stop it. We know that statistically more men than women are likely to be victims of male violence, but we also know that most women have felt frightened when walking alone on the streets, and most change what they do to keep safe. Sarah Everard's death has provoked a national conversation about women's safety, so today we're getting a male point of view. We have Conroy Harris from A Band of Brothers, an organisation which works with young men who have been violent in the past; David Challen who's a domestic violence campaigner and whose mother Sally went to prison for the murder of his father Richard, and Mike Berry who's a Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist.

Gloria Hunniford joins us too. She's telling us about why she's doing something she never thought she would, and even dissuaded her children from doing when they were young: that's getting a tattoo.

Women and confidence in the police, Maria Ressa, and the future of the handbag post pandemic Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

The death of Sarah Everard has led to concerns for women's safety in public. Women have been encouraged to put their trust in the police if facing harassment or any kind of jeopardy. But following last Saturday's vigil on Clapham Common, where the Met police were criticised for their response, just how confident can women be in the police? Did their behaviour at that event reveal an institutional misogyny? Emma talks to Susannah Fish, former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police force and Olivia Pinkney, Chief Constable for Hampshire, representing the National Police Chief’s Council.

We talk to Maria Ressa who is one of the Philippines most outspoken journalists who was named a Time magazine Person of the year in 2018. She’s a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime and his deadly war on drugs, his attempts to silence the press and the rise of disinformation and fake news on social media.

And we hear from Lucia Savi, the curator of a new handbags exhibition at the V&A museum in London about learn how this fashion accessory - like much else in life - has been impacted by the pandemic and lockdown.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Duncan Hannant

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