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Layla AlAmmar, Anti-Obesity Drugs, Maximalism Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Silence Is a Sense is a new novel by Layla AlAmmar: a Kuwaiti now based in Lancashire. Her novel is about a young woman from Syria who's living in a block of flats in a small English city. It's about the people she watches from her window, and how she's settling in after leaving a war zone.

Two out of every three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. Usually the message is eat less and move more, but is there something else going on? Rachel Batterham, Professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology at UCL discusses the critical role of gut hormones in controlling appetite and the drugs that can help keep them in balance. And Jan from Kent talks about what she's learned about the causes of her own problems with weight and why she thinks anti-obesity drugs could change the lives of millions.

We look at the growing trend for ‘more is more’ in home decorating. Maximalism can mean having a riot of different patterns and colours and textures, and also making more space for your treasured objects to go on display. Emma talks to Abigail Ahern, interior designer and author of Everything – A Maximalist Style Guide and Michelle Ogundehin, head judge on BBC2’s Interior Design Masters and author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness.

Mothers' names on marriage certificates. The Budget. Captain Sir Tom's daughter Lucy Teixeira Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

From May mothers' names will finally be featured alongside fathers' details on marriage certificates, in England and Wales thanks to years of campaigning both inside and outside of parliament. We hear from Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler who started the campaign for change back in 2013 and Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar who is the Church of England’s Head of Life Events.

Today one of the most powoerful women in UK politics, Nicola Sturgeon has been giving evidence to a special committee set up by the Scottish Parliament to investigate the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. We look at the implications for her, her Party and for the Scottish Government.

If you still crave a career in music what are some strategies for survival? Sound Advice is a new handbook for aspiring musicians written by journalist Rhian Jones and PhD researcher Lucy Heyman.

Plus a lookahead to the Chancellor's speech with Mary-Ann Stephenson from the Women's Budget Group.

And Captain Sir Tom's daughter Lucy Teixeira on why her family are inviting people to come together to plant trees and grow a living legacy forest in his name.

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell

Afghan women and the current peace talks Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

As International Women’s Day approaches and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue, what are the most pressing issues facing women in Afghanistan? We hear from BBC Afghan reporter Mahjooba Nowrouzi and scholar and women’s rights advocate Dr Orzala Ashraf Nemat.

We're missing hugs, but maybe we'll get them back soon. A retired nurse in Scotland has been able to give her elderly mother a big hug for the first time in five months. Fiona Scott went to see her mum, Mary Cook, who's 90 and in a care home in Scotland yesterday. It's because restrictions have been eased a bit in Scotland - now people can go and see the one they love, INSIDE a care home, and touch them. Fiona and sex and relationships columnist for the Times, Suzi Godson, join Emma.

Actor Sue Johnston has spoken about the sexism older women face in theatre and screen. Johnston 77, has been cast as 61-year-old Sean Bean’s mother in Jimmy McGovern’s new BBC prison drama. Thirty years ago she played Sean Bean’s wife in a 1992 episode of Inspector Morse. Actor Dame Harriet Walter and film journalist and broadcaster Karen Krizanovich discuss why female actors age into older roles, while male actors remain in similar parts throughout their careers.

Pregnant women who lose their babies should be given two weeks' paid bereavement leave, according to campaigners. At the moment, only women who lose their baby after 24 weeks are entitled to statutory leave. Taylor Moss, who had a stillbirth at 23 weeks, has started a petition to change the law after she was not entitled to any time off. Her campaign is being backed by Cherilyn Mackrory, the Conservative MP who co-chairs the baby loss All Party Parliamentary Group. Taylor discusses her experience of loss, her impetus for starting the petition and what she hopes to achieve.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Mahjooba Nowrouzi Interviewed Guest: Dr Orzaa Ashraf Nemat Interviewed Guest: Fiona Scott Interviewed Guest: Suzi Godson Interviewed Guest: Dame Harriet Walter Interviewed Guest: Karen Krizanovich Interviewed Guest: Taylor Moss

Lockdown Hair, 'Red Wall' Mums, Greek Goddesses Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

As the government announces plans for summer school and tutoring to help children catch up on their learning we hear from parents who think it’s more important to just let them go out to play with their friends. Recent polling suggests that mums in the “Red Wall” seats of the Midlands and North of England – areas which traditionally voted Labour but have switched allegiance to back the Conservatives – are against cutting short summer holidays after such a difficult year. We hear from the mums and from Deborah Mattinson from the political consultancy Britain Thinks and from Justine Roberts at Mumsnet.

Throughout the course of the history of Greek mythology there have been many Greek goddesses. These goddesses tend to have exaggerated personalities and are often plagued with personal flaws and negative emotions , but do we know everything we need to know about these mythological women and what if anything can we learn from them today? Writer and classicist Natalie Haynes along with historian Bettany Hughes are talking about Greek Goddesses as part of this year’s WOW - Women of the World Festival running online from today until the 21st of March.

Just last week Cara Delevigne posted a photo of her new darker brown hair on Instagram saying 'Blondes have more fun but brunettes ....' So are you like Cara embracing your darker locks? Is the nondescript colour often described as 'mouse' making a comeback bought on by lockdown three? To discuss the latest hair trends is the writer and broadcaster Sali Hughes.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Weekend Woman's Hour - Camila Batmanghelidjh, Surrogacy, Women in Jazz Feb 27, 2021

Show notes

David Watkins is one of the first single men in the UK to have a surrogate baby after a law change in January 2019. David talks about becoming a father to baby Miles in July 2020. Faye Spreadbury, a married mother of two, explains what it was like to take on the role of surrogate.

How important is empathy in leadership? Chef Angela Hartnett, and Belinda Parmar, CEO of the Empathy Business, discuss empathy and how business leaders can use it as a tool to manage staff emotions in the workplace.

Charlotte Sibtain talks about her collection of more than 400 vintage wedding photos from charity shops, markets and the internet and her quest to track their owners.

Novelist Julie Ma talks about her first book Happy Families which is centred around a Chinese takeaway, the Yau Sum in West Wales, and closely resembles the one she grew up in and now runs with her brother.

BBC correspondent Mariko Oi explains Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announcement that women will be invited to its all-male meetings: as long as they don't speak.

Are women in the UK jazz scene facing discrimination and sexual harassment? Sarah Raine, an academic and anthropologist and Jas Kayser, who's a jazz drummer and musician, discuss gender equality in the music industry.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Weekend Woman's Hour: Women at breaking point, Revenge porn, The term 'witch' Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

Why the latest lockdown has left so many women feeling at breaking point as they try to juggle home schooling and working from home simultaneously. Annie tells us her story and we hear from Leann Cross the Director of Homestart Greenwich and Sam Smethers the former Chief Exec of the Fawcett Society,. Model and TV personality, Zara McDermott talks about revenge porn. Intimate images of her were shared without her consent when she was 14 and again when she was 21. Sharing explicit or intimate images without consent has been illegal since 2015, when Baroness Morgan was in office as Minister for Women and Equalities. Baroness Morgan joins the discussion to talk about the change to the law, which has been failing women and girls.

Harry Dunn was just 19 when he was was killed on his motorbike in Northamptonshire in 2019 when an American woman was driving on the wrong side of the road. His mum Charlotte Charles tells us about the latest ruling in the campaign to get Harry justice.

Why are so many girls and women suffering from vulva anxiety? Alix Fox, a sex journalist, broadcaster and educator, and Dr Naomi Crouch, the Chair of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology discuss.

A new TV campaign is urging people from BAME backgrounds to take the Covid-19 vaccine, We hear from Mehreen Baig who's backing the campaign and Dr Binita Kane a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Manchester University Foundation Trust. And the Classics scholar Mary Beard on how the term ‘witch’ has been used as an insult which she believes is an attempt to discredit her and older women generally.

Presenter Anita Rani Producer Rabeka Nurmahomed

Buying sperm online. Author Julie Ma. Vintage wedding photos Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

People wanting to start a family, who need to use a sperm donor say they feel forced into finding sperm online in unregulated spaces because NHS funding is rationed or they don’t qualify for it and it's too expensive to go to a private clinic. The UK’s fertility regulator has warned that doing so carries “significant risks”. We hear from the Chair of the HFEA and from two women who sought donors via the internet.

Julie Ma's first novel Happy Families won the Richard and Judy/WH Smith 'Search For A Bestseller Competition' in October and has just been published. She talks to Anita about the book which is centred around a Chinese takeaway the Yau Sum in West Wales which closely resembles the one she grew up in and now runs with her brother.

And Charlotte Sibtain who's collected more than 400 vintage wedding photos from charity shops, markets and the internet and tries to track their owners.

Presenter Anita Rani Producer Beverley Purcell

illustration Chris Vallance

Camila Batmanghelidjh Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

In her first in-depth broadcast interview since winning the High Court disqualification case regarding the disbanded children's charity Kids Company, its founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, psychotherapist and author, joined Emma earlier this week. The High Court judgement came about because the Official Receiver claimed that Camila Batmanghelidjh, and seven former trustees of the charity Kids Company, had failed to properly manage the charity in the final months of its existence. After a three and a half year case, and 10 weeks in court, Mrs Justice Falk praised Camila Batmanghelidjh for the “enormous dedication she showed to vulnerable young people over many years” and her achievements in building a charity that “until 2014 was widely regarded as a highly successful one". Camila tells Emma why she fought so long and hard to be cleared.

Last week, the BBC obtained videos in which Princess Latifa, the daughter of Dubai's ruler described being held in solitary confinement after trying to flee the United Arab Emirates. Now BBC News has seen a letter from Princess Latifa which asks Cambridgeshire Police to re-open an investigation into her sister’s disappearance 20 years ago. Emma discusses the story with Jane McMullen, the BBC journalist who broke this story for Panorama with her film The Missing Princess and Rothna Begum, a senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

Surrogacy and Single Fatherhood Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

It's been announced that around 31,000 women in England will be offered the opportunity to do a smear test at home. It's all part of a trial by the NHS and experts hope it'll be a way to encourage more women to screen for the early warnings of cervical cancer. It's another step in helping women take charge of their own reproductive health. There are two consultations open at the moment. One which may see us being able to buy two brands of the contraception ‘Mini’ pills over the counter. The other is looking at whether to make permanent the current temporary arrangement allowing early medical home abortions, using pills sent through the post. Professor Lesley Regan, former chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists joins Emma to discuss the impact of these potential changes.

David Watkins is a 42 year old teacher from Southampton and is one of the first single men in the UK to have a surrogate baby after a law change in January 2019. Previously, only couples were able to apply for a parental order, which transfers parentage from the surrogate to the intended parents after the baby is born. With the help of surrogacy and egg donation, David became a father to baby Miles in July 2020. Faye Spreadbury, a married mother of two, took on the role of surrogate. They join Emma to discuss the experience.

Many of us have learned to work remotely over the last year and Parliament is no exception. This has allowed MPs to attend to Parliamentary business from their home. The Centenary Action Group is a cross-party coalition of over 100 activists, politicians and organisations that campaigns to lower barriers to women’s political participation. They say these measures should be allowed to continue once the pandemic ends as it would not only benefit MPs but would allow and encourage more women, those with BAME backgrounds and people who have disabilities to enter politics. Their 'Remotely Representative House' report sets out 21 recommendations for the future. The convenor of the group is Helen Pankhurst and Daisy Cooper MP is the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats.

CBBC's Newsround has made its first ever film dedicated to menstruation, in the hope of breaking taboos and getting more girls - and boys - to talk about periods. The presenter, Lauren Layfield, talks about why ‘Let’s Talk About Periods’ is needed and what it was like discussing her own menstruation on film. She's joined by Chella Quint, the founder of Period Positive and a tireless campaigner for better menstrual education in schools and for society as a whole. Chella explains why there's still so much shame around menstruation and what needs to happen to break the cycle.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Professor Lesley Regan Interviewed Guest: Faye Spreadbury Interviewed Guest: David Watkins Interviewed Guest: Dr Helen Pankhurst Interviewed Guest: Daisy Cooper Interviewed Guest: Lauren Layfield Interviewed Guest: Chella Quint

Leadership and the effect of Covid-19 on leadership styles, Sex, Gender & the Census, Breast Reduction Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

Is being a tough guy (or girl) no longer the key to getting on? How important is empathy in leadership now that we know the effect that working from home, juggling child-care, concerns about unemployment and dealing with grief are having on mental health and well being. Can businesses afford to be empathetic? Emma speaks to Chef Angela Hartnett and Belinda Parmar, CEO of the Empathy Business. The census is being held next month and for the first time the public will be asked about their gender identity as well as what sex they are. The campaign group Fair Play for Women isn’t happy about the guidance which has been issued to help people answer the sex question and they’re threatening legal action if the Office for National Statistics doesn’t make changes. Dr Nicola Williams from Fair Play for Women and the CEO of Stonewall Nancy Kelley talk to Emma Barnett about the issue.

Kelly Michaud is 26 and has been left in ‘crippling pain’ due to her size H breasts. She’s now raising money to get a reduction after failing to get the operation funded by the NHS. She talks to Emma to her about why she decided to crowdfund for the operation and how to plans to raise awareness of the problem and help others too.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

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