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Leaving friends on a night out; Emma Gannon; Black women and photography; Asylum seeking women in lockdown; Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

Michaela Coel’s BBC drama ‘I May Destroy You’ has brought to light a number of interesting dilemmas, particularly within the realm of female friendships. Today we ask – is it okay to leave a friend on a night out? If a friend is too drunk or too disorderly to take care of themselves, but refuses to leave the venue or get in a cab, what can and should you do? Harriet Marsden is a freelance journalist. Toni Tone is a public speaker and podcast presenter.

A new report by the SistersNotStrangers coalition, a group of 8 women’s organisations across the country, reveals the hardships experienced by asylum-seeking women in England and Wales during the pandemic. They say women have been homeless and hungry during the pandemic and are calling for ‘far-reaching’ reforms of the asylum process. Jane hears from Loraine Mponela who has sought asylum and Natasha Walter, Director of Women for Refugee Women and one of organisations behind the report.

Emma Gannon’s heroine Olive is thirty three and childfree by choice. She has a dream job, close friends and her life might seem Instagram-perfect. But, things are complicated. Her relationships and friendships are changing and other people’s expectations are hemming her in. Adult life is not turning out as she thought it would and Olive needs to take stock. Writer, podcaster and now novelist Emma Gannon joins Jane.

The gymnast Simone Biles is on the cover of Vogue’s August 2020 issue, but critics have said the photoshoot highlights why there needs to be more diversity in the photography industry. Jane discusses the issues of photographing black women, both in front of and behind the camera, with the photographer Ola Adegoroye and Lazara Storm, who works as a commercial model and is now moving behind the scenes.

Presented by Jane Garvey Produced by Sarah Crawley Interviewed guest: Loraine Mponela Interviewed guest: Natasha Walter Interviewed guest: Emma Gannon Interviewed guest: Ola Adegoroye Interviewed guest: Lazara Storm Interviewed guest: Harriet Marsden Interviewed guest: Toni Tone

Karen Gibson 'Godmother of Gospel', the Price of Fast Fashion, Abuse in Gymnastics Jul 18, 2020

Show notes

Karen Gibson aka “Godmother of Gospel” who shot to worldwide fame in 2018 after she appeared conducting The Kingdom Choir at the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan – tells me about the Choir’s new single Real Love.

We hear from the writer Caitlin Moran about her new film based on her memoir How To Build A Girl.

We discuss why Black people are more likely to end up in the mental health system and be sectioned with Sophie Corlett of the charity Mind, the producer Tobi Kyeremateng, the psychotherapist Dawn Estefan and the co-director of Listen Up Research Jahnine Davis.

Housing benefit discrimination has been judged unlawful and in breach of the Equality Act. Research done by the charity Shelter shows that ‘No DSS’ policies put women and disabled people at a particular disadvantage, because they are more likely to receive housing benefit. We hear from Shelter’s solicitor Rose Arnall, and its chief executive Polly Neate.

As British Gymnastics, the UK Governing Body for the sport of gymnastics announces an independent review following concerns raised by several British athletes about a culture of mistreatment and abuse, Sarah whose four daughters trained locally in gymnastics and experienced varying degrees of abuse and Nicole Pavier, a retired member of the senior England gymnastic squad, share their stories.

And Prof Dilys Williams the Founder and Director of CSF (Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Aja Barber a personal stylist and style consultant whose work focuses on sustainability and ethics, discuss the real price of fast fashion?

Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Louise Corley

Interviewed Guest: Dawn Estefan Interviewed Guest: Toby Kyeremateng Interviewed Guest: Janine Davis Interviewed Guest: Sophie Corlett Interviewed Guest: Rose Arnall Interviewed Guest: Polly Neate Interviewed Guest: Karen Gibson Interviewed Guest: Nicole Pavier Interviewed Guest: AJa Barber Interviewed Guest: Professor Dilys Williams Interviewed Guest: Caitlin Moran

Caitlin Moran on How to Build a Girl. How to change your career. The school's fruit and veg scheme. Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

How To Build A Girl – based on Caitlin Moran’s non-fiction memoir of the same name - has now been turned into a film It introduces us to Johanna Morrigan, a young Wolverhampton local who’s struggling to get to grips with the “incredible unfolding” that comes with puberty. The screenplay is written by the woman herself and was filmed in and around the City. She joins Jenni to talk about what it means to see her story on screen.

Do you want to change your life for the better? This summer Woman’s Hour will be helping you work out how. How to change career, how to be a better friend, how to end your relationship well and how to make time for yourself, guilt-free. We’ll bring together women with expertise and experience to guide you through some of those tricky turning points and blocked paths. Listen out for the How To series over the next few weeks..

Today the key things you need to do to achieve both the immediate or the long term career change - identifying your transferable skills, working out the financial implications; weighing up the pro’s and con’s, polishing up your online presence – and taking the leap.

Plus why England's School Fruit and Veg scheme will be back in September, thanks to mum turned campaigner Hannah Cameron McKenna . We'll hear about why she got involved in the campaign and from Zoe Griffiths a registered nutritionist about why eating more fruit and veg as a child is so important.

Presenter Jenni Murray Producer Beverley Purcell

Guest; Caitlin Moran Guest; Sarah Ellis Guest; Samantha Clarke Guest; Lucy Kellaway Guest; Hannah Cameron McKenna Guest; Zoe Griffiths

Black Women's Mental Health, Pensions, Natasha Gregson Wagner and Women on Remand Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

The mental health charity, Mind is calling for the government to publish their White Paper on the Mental Health Act. They have been pushing for reforms so that fewer black people who are disproportionately represented, are sectioned and those that are sectioned treated with more dignity. So why is it that despite being among the top demographics to be diagnosed and four times more likely to be sectioned, the therapeutic space isn’t tailored towards black communities, and black women and girls in particular are left hanging in the balance? Jenni is joined by Sophie Corlett of Mind, producer Tobi Kyeremateng, the psychotherapist Dawn Estefan and Jahnine Davis a PhD researcher and Co-founder of Listen Up Research Company.

The size of women’s pension pots appears to have fallen three times as much as men’s during the Coronavirus pandemic according to Profile Pensions, an impartial pensions advisor. Why is this and what can women do to ensure they have enough to live on when they retire? Jenni speaks to Baroness Ros Altmann, former Pensions Minister and to Romi Savova, Founder and Chief Executive of PensionBee.

Natasha Gregson Wagner is the daughter of the American actress Natalie Wood, who began her career in film as a child actor and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. She was the recipient of four Golden Globes, and received three Academy Award nominations, and is best remembered for films including Splendour in the Grass, West Side Story and Gypsy. Natalie died suddenly by drowning off Catalina Island at the age of 43. Natasha has now produced a documentary and written the memoir More Than Love, An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, in which she describes their relationship and coming to terms with her grief, amid rumours and tabloid speculation surrounding her mother’s death.

And a new report by The Howard League for Penal Reform is calling for major changes in the way that the courts make decisions about remanding women to prison in England and Wales. This is an area of the criminal justice system that they say has been overlooked. Jenni is joined by Dr Miranda Bevan, policy associate at the Howard League for Penal Reform and Val Castell, Chair of the Magistrates Association’s Adult Court Committee.

Karen Gibson of the Kingdom Choir; British Gymnastic Culture and Abuse Allegations; Novelist Meg Rosoff Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

Karen Gibson aka 'Godmother of Gospel' shot to worldwide fame in 2018 after she appeared conducting The Kingdom Choir at the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. She joins Jenni to talk about the choir's new single, her passion for gospel music and her recent experience on Celebrity Masterchef.

British Gymnastics, the UK governing body for the sport of gymnastics, has announced that there will be an independent review following concerns raised by several British athletes about a culture of mistreatment and abuse. These allegations follow similar conversations that are happening in America because of a new Netflix documentary exploring the Larry Nassar scandal. So what fuels a culture of neglect? And what are people within the gymnastic community hoping will happen now? Jenni discusses with a woman called 'Sarah' who has four daughters, all of whom trained in gymnastics and experienced varying degrees of abuse, and Nicole Pavier, a retired member of the senior England gymnastic squad.

A pair of glamorous strangers, a bunch of adolescent siblings and some distracted adults sharing a beach for one long hot summer. Sounds like the perfect recipe for sexual intrigue and disaster. Award-winning author Meg Rosoff joins Jenni to discuss her new novel The Great Godden.

In her new book X+Y, A mathematician's manifesto for rethinking gender, Dr Eugenia Cheng – who has spent many years in the male-dominated field of mathematics – draws on insights from her own subject and personal experience to radically reframe the whole discussion around gender.

Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Jenni Murray

Housing benefit discrimination; Trans-racial adoption; Fast fashion Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

In a landmark ruling handed down at York County Court, housing benefit discrimination has been judged unlawful and in breach of the Equality Act. Research carried out by the charity Shelter shows that ‘No DSS’ policies put women and disabled people at a particular disadvantage, because they are more likely to receive housing benefit. The historic hearing took place virtually on Wednesday 1 July, involving 'Jane' (not her real name) a single mother of two. After a letting agent refused to rent any properties to her because she receives housing benefit, Jane contacted Shelter’s Strategic Litigation Team to take on her case. Jane Garvey discusses the issues with solicitor Rose Arnall, and Polly Neate, Chief Executive, Shelter.

Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town in the US. From childhood she was told that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice hoping that she would have a better life. She considered that she would always feel out of place as a trans-racial adoptee until she began to wonder if the story she had been told was the whole truth. All You Can Ever Know is her memoir of adoption.

The writer and broadcaster Sali Hughes has been talking to women about objects in their lives that are important to them. The things we cherish aren’t always vintage, antique - or even expensive. Instead we treasure the stuff that reminds us of special people, particular times in our lives, or which stand for something important. Today it’s the turn of Rachel Eling.

After the recent news of poor working conditions at a UK factory that could have helped fuel a local spike in COVID-19 cases in Leicester, we are reminded yet again of the consequences of fast fashion and the boom in online ordering. Campaigners and those in the industry are grasping the opportunity to raise awareness of the problems in global clothing production and are trying to change consumer habits. Jane is joined by Prof Dilys Williams, the founder and director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, and Aja Barber, a personal stylist and style consultant whose work focuses on sustainability and ethics.

United Arab Emirates launches its first ever mission to Mars. Author Dorothy Koomson. Visiting care homes Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

Tomorrow the United Arab Emirates will launch its first ever mission to Mars. The probe, called Hope, aims to give the most complete picture yet of the Martian atmosphere – and will cement the UAE’s role as a space-exploring nation. We talk to Her Excellency Sarah Al-Miri Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and the Deputy Mission Project Manager for the Emirates Mars Mission and Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Theoretical physicist and presenter of The Life Scientific.

Ghislaine Maxwell will appear in court in Manhattan on Tuesday charged with recruiting girls for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse. She’s always denied any wrongdoing, and has also denied knowing that he was doing anything wrong. But if we looks back over the decades, news coverage of women accused of aiding and abetting men in their crimes, especially if sexual abuse is involved, has provoked some double-standard reactions. We hear from Baroness Helena Kennedy and Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist Naomi Murphy

Leading charities say relatives of care home residents with dementia should be treated as key workers. In a letter to the health secretary, they say that the care given by family members is "essential" to residents' mental and physical health. We hear from listener Sara McMahon about the impact not benig able to visit her dad has had on his condition.

Plus Dorothy Koomson discusses her new novel All My Lies Are True, sequel to the bestselling The Ice Cream Girls, about two teenage girls accused of the murder of their teacher.

Presenter Jane Garvey Producer Beverley Purcell

Guest; Baroness Helena Kennedy Guest; Naomi Murphy Guest; Her Excellency Sarah Al-Miri Guest; Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Guest; Dorothy Koomson

The Cumberlege Review, Motherless daughters, Women in the video games industry Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

A highly-critical review of three medical treatments for women in the UK found thousands of lives had been harmed because officials failed to listen to safety worries and often dismissed them as "women's problems". The Cumberlege Review examined responses to concerns about a hormone pregnancy test, a drug for epilepsy, and vaginal mesh. We spoke to the BBC Health correspondent Anna Collinson, and to Baroness Cumberlege about her review. And we heard reaction from Clare Pelham, CEO of the Epilepsy Society, and Mary McLaughlin, who has campaigned for women affected by pelvic mesh in Ireland.

The video games sector makes up more than half of the UK’s entire entertainment market. Women are 50% of those who play but the number of women working in the industry is much lower. Jordan Erica Webber, a video games expert, Katie Goode, who makes VR games, and Abbey Plumb, a producer for a games company discussed their experiences of working in the video games industry.

It’s 1957 and Jean Swinney, a journalist on a local paper in the London suburbs, is investigating a story about a virgin birth. As she gets closer to the people involved Jean’s lonely and dutiful life becomes more interesting and she experiences a miracle of her own. Clare Chambers’ book ‘Small Pleasures’ is her first for 10 years and it was an item on Woman’s Hour which sparked the idea.

After the death of her mother, Emma Winterschladen has gone through what she calls ‘missed mum moments’ including graduating university, her first job and more recently her engagement. How do motherless daughters navigate these big moments without their mothers? Freelance Editor, writer & illustrator Emma Winterschladen and psychologist Anjula Mutanda discuss.

Twenty year old student Abigail McGourlay is the winner of The Arts Society’s national Isolation Artwork competition. She told us about her winning self-portrait 'Brewing'.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Dianne McGregor

Olive Morris, Eileen Flynn, Women and Gaming Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

It's 41 years this Sunday that Olive Morris died. She was a Black British feminist and civil rights campaigner. A couple of weeks ago, Google marked what would have been her 68th birthday with a drawing of her on its header. So who was Olive Morris and who are some of the other Black British female activists from the past who we should know about? We talk to Angelina Osborne, a researcher and lecturer, and Olivette Otele who's a professor specialising in Black female history.

Eileen Flynn is the first Traveller to be made a Senator in the Irish Parliament. The Irish PM, or Taoiseach, can nominate a handful of people to work in the Upper House and a couple of weeks ago Eileen was one of them. She says it’s an historic moment, especially for Travellers who are so marginalized and stigmatized in Irish society. She talks to us from her home in Donegal.

All week we’ve been looking at women and gaming. We've explored how gaming has changed and how it can improve some people's mental health. The UK gaming industry is worth billions and the video games sector makes up more than half of the UK’s entire entertainment market. Women are 50% of those who play and those over 40 are among the fastest growing group of people that play on their smartphones. But the number of women working in the industry is much lower and today we hear from them.

Photo Credit: Lambeth Council

Womb transplants; Goblin Market; Leslie Kern Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

One in 5,000 women are born without a womb and many may have to have it removed because of cancer or other conditions. In the past decade there’ve been significant advancements in the development of human uterine transplants – with 56 having taken place world wide – though none have yet been carried out in the UK. Jenni talks to Mr Richard Smith, clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK about the progress we’re making in this country and to Dr Gulzaar Barn, Lecturer in Philosophy at the New College of the Humanities in London, about her concerns about the global market and the protection of vulnerable young women in countries where regulations and protections may not be as stringent as in the UK.

We already know that many everyday objects and medicines are not designed with women in mind, but what about our cities? Author of Feminist City Leslie Kern joins Jenni to talk about what an inclusive city might look like: one that puts friendship, pushchairs and more public toilets above skyscrapers and statues. Leslie is Associate Professor of Geography and Environment and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Mount Allison University, Canada.

A new dramatization of the poem Goblin Market will be broadcast this Saturday 11 July on Radio 4. Woven into the recording are the testimonies of sisters whose real lives have been caught up in cycles of addiction. We hear from one of the pairs of sisters - Georgie and Sam Adams. Sam spent five years on heroin and spice and ended up homeless in Wrexham in Wales, but she has since recovered. Georgie has been working with health professionals and rehabilitation services to find a new model of helping people in Wrexham. She joins Jenni to discuss the effects of long term addiction on families, along with Chris Bermingham, a Service Manager from the charity We Are With You (formerly AdAction) in East Ayrshire in Scotland.

Presented by Jenni Murray Produced by Sarah Crawley Interviewed guest: Richard Smith Interviewed guest: Gulzaar Barn Interviewed guest: Leslie Kern Interviewed guest: Georgie Adams Interviewed guest: Chris Bermingham

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