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Women's football; Black women running for office in the US; Sue Miller's novel Monogamy Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Why are the world’s best female footballers signing for English clubs? In the past few weeks some of the world’s best female footballers have signed for clubs in the Women’s Super League, highlighting a power shift in women’s football globally and setting up an enticing season, which will be watched, at least remotely, by more fans than ever before. The new arrivals include five of the US World Cup-winning team, most notably Alex Morgan at Tottenham Hotspur, who scored one of the goals that knocked England out of the 2019 World Cup. To discuss the women’s game and the draw to English clubs, Jenni is joined by BBC Women’s Sport Reporter, Jo Currie, and Kristine Leine, Defender for Reading FC Women.

New data from a parliamentary committee suggests the problem of poor body image has increased during lockdown. The social media survey by the Women and Equalities committee is being published today as they start hearing evidence from experts about body image on areas such as who’s at risk, the impact on mental health and issues such digital editing and image filtering online. Negative body image can have a serious effect on self esteem and lead to depression, eating disorders and the use of medication such as diet pills, laxatives and steroids. The committee’s chair Caroline Nokes talks about what the inquiry hopes to achieve.

This year at least 266 women of colour - 175 Democrat and 91 Republican - are major-party candidates for the U.S. Congress, setting new records for the 2020 elections. We hear from Candace Valenzuela standing for office in Dallas, Texas and Desiree Tims in Dayton, Ohio. Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation supporting Black women into elected office, joins them.

Sue Miller’s new novel Monogamy explores a long relationship and complicated grief. Annie and Graham have a loving relationship that has lasted for decades but when the unthinkable happens Annie has to re-evaluate everything.

The Woman's Hour Power List 2020, US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Known Donation Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Today we launch the Woman’s Hour Power List 2020 - Our Planet. We will be looking for 30 women based in the UK who are making a significant positive contribution to the environment or the sustainability of our planet. It will showcase inspirational initiatives and stories that are bringing about real change at all levels of society – from influencing global policy and changing human behaviour, to inventing eco-friendly products, spearheading scientific research, volunteering in community gardens, and inspiring a deep love of the natural world. Jane is joined by two of the judges - Lucy Siegle and Zunaira Malik - to discuss who we’re looking for and how listeners can tell us who they think should be in the running.

In 2016 Ilhan Omar became the United States’ first Somali-American lawmaker, joining the Minnesota House of Representatives as a Democrat. Two years later she In became one of the first two Muslim women elected to US Congress. She’s 37 and has described herself as ‘America’s hope and the President’s nightmare.’ In May this year George Floyd, an unarmed black man was killed by police in her home city of Minneapolis, sparking protests across the world. Her book is This is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman.

There’s been a rise in websites and Facebook groups offering Known Donation in recent years, where a person seeking to conceive uses a sperm or egg donation from someone they know or get to know before the treatment. What’s behind it, and what are the pros and cons of this method of assisted conception? We discuss with Sarah Norcross, Director of the Progress Educational Trust; Erika Tranfield, the mother of a donor-conceived child from a known donor; and Natasha Fox, a donor-conceived adult who does not know the identity of her biological father.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Shobna Gulati. British Touring Car driver Jade Edwards. Playground politics. Sarah Brown. Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

When actor Shobna Gulati’s mum was diagnosed with dementia in 2017, she was already spending the majority of her time caring for her. Their sometimes difficult relationship was tested to the limit, but ultimately she gained a lot from those years spent in her mum’s front room. When she passed away last year she decided to write a book about her family and her mum’s illness called Remember Me? Discovering my mother as she lost her memory.

At the weekend Jade Edwards will become the first woman in 13 years to race in the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone. So why's it taken so long to see another woman on the course? Jade joins us, along with Fiona Leggate, the last female driver who competed back in 2007. Have you been given the silent treatment by another parent at school, or felt excluded from a group of mums? Now the new school year is well underway, playground politics can sometimes extend to the other side of the school gate. Jane discusses coping strategies with counselling psychologist Dr Rachel Allan and Tanith Carey, author of The Friendship Maze and Taming the Tiger Parent.

Because of the Covid 19 pandemic up to 10 million children around the world are likely to be permanently excluded from getting an education according to the UK charity Theirworld. It's run by Sarah Brown, wife of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Ahead of a virtual session later today at the UN General Assembly Meeting she talks to Jane about how the charity advocates on global education issues at both a strategic and practical level .

Presenter Jane Garvey. Producer Beverley Purcell

Photo Credit. The About Studio.

Weekend Woman's Hour - The Feminisation of alcohol marketing, Nudity & Sculptor Bridget McCrum Sep 19, 2020

Show notes

How does the feminisation of alcohol work? We hear from Carol Emslie a Professor of substance use and misuse at the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, Kate Baily a podcast host and the co-author of Love Yourself Sober – a self-care guide to alcohol-free living for busy mothers and from Dr Athanasia Daskalopoulou, a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School.

What are the pros and cons of being naked in front of your children? Rosie Haine, a writer and illustrator whose book is called “It Isn’t Rude to be Nude and Dr Keon West, a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, discuss.

Three quarters of black women do not feel the NHS protects them equally. That’s according to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights which commissioned a poll on being Black in the UK. We hear from researcher Celine Henry and Harriet Harman MP Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

Julia Gillard, once Prime Minister of Australia, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, economist and international development expert from Nigeria and also a woman with experience at the top of the Nigerian politics, have come together to explore women and leadership. They tell us about the book they’ve written together.

Bridget McCrum didn’t start her career as a sculptor until she was in her forties. Now at 86 she is still working with stone and in the last 10 years has had more interest in her work than ever - a recent commission sold for 68, 000 pounds.

The author Nina Stibbe tells us about winning the Comedy Women in Print Prize with her book ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’ with chair of the judges Marian Keyes.

Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Sarah Crawley

Domestic Violence on EastEnders, Nudity, Wool Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

The domestic abuse story in EastEnders comes to a tragic end tonight. Chantelle is killed by her husband, Gray. We speak to the Head of Continuing Drama at BBC Studios, Kate Oates, and Sarah Davidge from Woman’s Aid, about how the storyline reflects the sharp rise in domestic violence during lockdown.

Are you happy being naked in front of your children? Or does it make you feel uncomfortable? We talk to the illustrator Rosie Haine who’s created a children’s book called “It Isn’t Rude to be Nude”. It's full of naked bodies of all shapes and sizes. We also hear from psychologist Dr Keon West from Goldsmiths in London whose research suggests nudity might help with body image and self-esteem.

A new film called Rocks focuses on a teenage schoolgirl and her group of loyal friends. One day Rocks' mother leaves and she’s left to care for herself and her seven year old brother. The story was developed in workshops with teenage girls and the cast is largely made up of non-professional actors. The film has received rave reviews on the international festival circuit. Two of the lead characters Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali plus the director, Sarah Gavron, talk to us about the film and what it says about empowerment, banter and female friendship.

The sale of wool has recently gone up but behind the scenes it's not all rosy. Since the pandemic hit, the price farmers get for their fleeces has dropped by nearly 50%, with some saying the situation's so bad they actually lose money when selling it. We talk to knitting designer and wool producer, Susan Crawford and to Minette Batters, the President of the National Union of Farmers.

Jacqueline Wilson, Women and Journalism, Pensions Campaign and Alcohol Marketing Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Children’s author Jacqueline Wilson joins tells us about her new book Love Frankie about a teenager falling in love for the first time. Frankie lives with her two sisters and her recently divorced mum who is seriously ill with MS and is being bullied by a girl called Sally and her gang at school. But eventually the two girls strike up a friendship and as they spend more time together, Frankie starts to develop stronger feelings for Sally. Jacqueline tells Jenni why, having written over a hundred books, this is the first she has written about same sex relationships following her decision to reveal that she herself was gay earlier this year.

A report by Women in Journalism shows that there is still a shocking lack of diversity among our media. The report revealed that no UK newspaper had a front page story by a Black reporter in the week studied, and out of 174 front page bylines, just two were written by BAME women. Out of a total of 723 radio reporter appearances, just 4 were by Black women and when non-white expert guests were asked to appear on radio and TV news, it was often to support coverage related to race. We discuss how this lack of diversity impacts the news that is covered and also what this means for women's careers as journalists.

Campaigners affected by the state pension age being changed from 60 to 66 for women have lost their appeal against a High Court ruling. Senior judges unanimously dismissed the appeal led by Julie Delve and Karen Glynn, backed by the campaign group BackTo60. They said despite having sympathy for the women involved, it was not a case of unlawful discrimination under EU and human rights laws and that the changes were a "long-overdue move towards gender equality". Around 3.8 million women have been affected by raising the state pension age and Unison, the UK's largest trade union, said doing so with "next to no notice" has had a calamitous effect on the retirement plans of a generation of women. Jenni speaks to Joanne Welch the director of BackTo60 to find out what options are available to them now.

Have you ever thought about the way that alcohol is marketed when it comes to women? Do you find it patronising or fun? A growing number of marketing companies and campaigns are using the colour pink, glitter and the slogan ‘female empowerment’ to sell alcoholic beverages. Does it work? Carol Emslie is a Professor of substance use and misuse at the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University. Kate Baily is a podcast host and the co-author of Love Yourself Sober – a self-care guide to alcohol-free living for busy mothers and Dr Athanasia Daskalopoulou is a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School.

Producer: Clare Walker

Saskia Reeves in 'Us', a new BBC1 drama Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

Julia Gillard, once Prime Minister of Australia, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, economist and international development expert from Nigeria and also a woman with experience at the top of the Nigerian politics, have come together to explore women and leadership. They’ve written a book together and interviewed high profile global leaders who are women: women like Jacinda Ardern, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Christine Lagarde and Theresa May.

Saskia Reeves is best known for the films Close My Eyes and I.D. and her numerous roles in dramas like Spooks, Luther, Wallander, Page Eight and Wolf Hall. On Sunday you can watch her in the first of a four part comedy drama for BBC 1 called 'Us'. Based on the novel by David Nicholls, she is Connie who wants to end her 24 year relationship with her husband Douglas – played by Tom Hollander. But he’s meticulously planned and booked a European tour with their teenage son Albie – and so they decide to go ahead with it. Jenni talks to Saskia about how relationships change as children leave and you grow older, and the joys of filming in cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that currently affects over 130,000 people in the UK. It’s three times more common in women than in men, with many of those women being diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. It’s been known for some time that pregnancy can lessen the symptoms and reduce the chance of relapse for those who already have MS. But now a new study from Monash University in Australia shows that pregnancy can help women before symptoms begin – by delaying the onset of MS by more than three years. Lead researcher Dr Vilija Jokubaitis joins Jenni to talk about the findings and what it might mean for women at higher risk of developing the condition.

Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Julia Gillard Interviewed Guest: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Interviewed Guest: Saskia Reeves Interviewed Guest: Dr Vilija Jokubaitis

Comedy Women in Print Prize 2020; Contraception and young women; Mandy Cassidy Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

The Comedy Women in Print Prize is the only literary prize in the UK and Ireland to spotlight funny writing by women. Now in its second year, it was launched by comedian and actress Helen Lederer in response to the lack of exposure for female comedy writing. The 2020 shortlist for Published Comic Novel included the likes of Candice Carty-Williams, and Jeanette Winterson, but the winner was announced on Monday evening as Nina Stibbe for her novel Reasons to be Cheerful. We’re joined by Nina and the Chair of Judges and bestselling author Marian Keyes.

A study by Imperial College London suggests that providing financial incentives for GPs to offer information about long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as the hormonal implant, is associated with an increase in their use and a reduction in the number of abortions, particularly in young women ages 20-24 and those from deprived backgrounds. The study used anonymised data from over 3 million women over a 10 year period. Jenni speaks to Professor Sonia Saxena, one of the co-authors of the research.

When listener Christine was a kid she was told never to talk to neighbours or answer any of their questions and people outside the family weren’t allowed in the house. She never knew the reason why. But she has just discovered a shocking secret and now has answers. Christine spoke to reporter Jo Morris.

A new series of Ambulance starts on Wednesday 16th September on BBC One. Jenni speaks to one of the people featured, an emergency medical dispatcher called Mandy Cassidy, who was motivated to work for the Ambulance Service when she lost her son. He was just 18 years old and was a victim of knife crime. He wasn’t in a gang, but simply had gone out with friends. There was an argument that night and he was stabbed.

Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Sarah Crawley

Black Women and Human Rights, Film Diversity, Tracey Crouch MP Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

According to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, three quarters of black women do not feel the NHS protects them equally. That's the findings of a poll it commissioned on being Black in the UK. The poll also highlights Black women's thoughts on their human rights and the police. We hear from Celine Henry who's one of the researchers, and the Chair of the Committee, Harriet Harman, MP.

Famous film awards are trying to improve their diversity with new rules. We discuss how effective it'll be with Mariette Rissenbeek who's the Executive Director of the Berlinale and Tolu Akisanya who's a journalist, film publicist and part of The Culture Reel podcast.

The sculptor, Bridget McCrum, didn't start her career til she was in her forties. Now 86, she's still working with stone and in the last 10 years has had more interest in her work than ever. One of her pieces recently sold for £68, 000.

Tracey Crouch is an MP based in Kent. She used to be Sports Minister but resigned two years ago because of the Government’s stance on fixed-odds betting machines. During the summer, she announced publicly that she's got breast cancer. She says that her going public has persuaded others to get examined.

Laura Bates on extreme misogyny online, Stephanie Yeboah on body positivity, the end of the office romance, women and debt. Sep 12, 2020

Show notes

Laura Bates is founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. In her latest book, she traces the roots of extreme misogyny across a complex network of online groups from Pick Up Artists to Incels. Laura explains what attracts men and boys these movements.

Blogger Stephanie Yeboah has been a part of the fat acceptance and body positive movement for years. Her first book – ‘Fattily Ever After’ – is a self-help guide and love letter to black, plus size women everywhere.

In the latest of our How To series, Jenni discusses how to be on time with Grace Pacie, author of LATE! A Time-bender’s guide to why we are late and how we can change, and therapist and writer Philippa Perry.

Buy Now and Pay Later is increasingly being offered by many online retailers. How much are young women being led to spend more than they can afford? Jenni speaks to financial campaigner Alice Tapper, Sue Anderson from debt charity Step Change and Anna, who has managed to clear considerable debt.

Now that non-invasive cosmetic procedures are able to resume operating after lockdown, are treatments such as Botox being normalised? We take a look at the trends over time with journalists Alice Hart-Davis and Melanie Abbott.

As we increasingly work from home, is this the end of the office romance on screen and in real life? And why do we love the idea of one so much in the first place? We speak to the film critic Anna Smith and the Metro lifestyle editor Ellen Scott.

CLIP CREDIT: The Office. Written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

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