Woman's Hour

NHS England is going to open 10 new clinics this year to deal with childhood obesity. The clinics will provide "intensive" support to thousands of children with severe obesity and their families aged between two and 18. We know that mothers are on the frontline with managing doctors' appointment and family's health issues. So are these clinics the answer? Nuala speaks to Tam Fry, the Chair of the National Obesity Forum.

Jo Tongue is a sports agent who represents some of the best known sporting and broadcasting talent in the UK, including England footballer Leah Williamson. She is vocal in her push for parity of the profile and pay for women in sport - both on the pitch and in the media. For this reason, Jo earned herself a place on the Woman’s Hour Women in Sport Power List earlier this year. She joins Nuala to tell her about her career to date in a male dominated industry.

With automation threatening swathes of jobs, there’s growing momentum behind the idea of a universal basic income (UBI): an unconditional payment from the state regardless of any other income. For those unable to perform or find paid work, it would provide enough to live on. For those who can work, it would allow an escape from the ‘poverty trap’, where the loss of welfare benefits makes low-paid work uneconomic. A think tank called Autonomy is planning to pilot a UBI scheme, giving a flat payment of £1600 a month to participants. Nuala McGovern speaks to Cleo Goodman from Autonomy and also Eir Nolsoe, Senior Economics Reporter at the Daily Telegraph.

Investigative journalist Sian Norris believes that anti-abortion movements across the world are not so much rooted in religious belief, but in far right extremism, white male supremacy and fascism. She joins Nuala to explain why she has come to that conclusion, and written a book called Bodies Under Siege – How the far right attack on reproductive rights went global.

Presented by Nuala McGovern

Is current abortion legislation fit for purpose? It's a question debated this morning following the conviction and sentencing of Carla Foster for inducing an abortion outside the legal time limit using pills at home. Nuala is joined by barrister, Harriet Johnson and Ruth Rawlings from CBR UK, Centre for Bioethical Reform which seeks to challenge views on abortion.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern

The Scout Association is not doing enough to protect and safeguard children from child abuse, that’s according to two young women who have set up a website which launches tomorrow (Tuesday) asking for people to share their own testimonies of abuse. They are also calling on the Government as well as the Scout Association to do more. On Tuesday BBC Radio 4’s File on Four investigates the Scouts handling of such cases.

Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect, talks to Nuala on being awarded the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 2023, her work in disaster zones and helping the poorest communities impacted by climate change.

The last in our series Under Pressure about how couples cope when their relationship comes under great strain. An American study from 2010 found that couples who had experienced stillbirth were at a 40% greater risk of their relationship ending. Jo Morris went to meet Mustafa and Hawra who told their story.

Presented by Nuala McGovern

Facebook has removed an advert for a sanitary towel product because it referenced the words Vagina, Vulva and Clitoris. It's the latest in a long line of period ads that have caused a stir. So what is and isn't appropriate when it comes to period adverts? Chella Quint, the founder of Period Positive, a menstruation education advisor and author and Alice Enders, Director of Research at Enders Analysis discuss.

The rescue efforts are continuing in Ukraine after Tuesday's breach of the Kakhovka dam. Thirty communities along the Dnipro river have been flooded according to officials. Now the Red Cross has raised concerns that land-mines have been dislodged in the flooding. Kate Zhuzha is from Nova Kakhovka where the dam has collapsed and is the Founder of NGO Union of Help to Kherson in touch with people in the flooded areas. She tells us about the latest reports.

Last month we looked at the experience of caring with authors Emily Kenway and Lynne Tillman. So many of you got in touch including academic Dinah Roe, a Reader in nineteenth-century literature, who with poet Sarah Hesketh, managing editor of Modern Poetry In Translation have been running a series of free online workshops, inspired by Christina Rossetti's writing, designed specifically for people with caring responsibilities. Dinah and Sarah discuss the power of writing poetry.

Four-time Grammy award nominated singer Candi Staton has moved between several musical genres during of the course of her celebrated career – from soul, R&B, gospel and disco. She discusses her iconic tracks such as the multi-platinum “You Got the Love” and the singalong anthem “Young Hearts Run Free”. It has recently been remixed by UK producer Benji La Vida and has had more than 2.4 million streams on Spotify alone, and there are 60,000 TikTok reels of people doing a dance challenge to the song

No single person can take credit for the huge boom in women’s football but if anyone can it’s the woman who placed second on the Woman’s Hour Power List, Baroness Sue Campbell. The Director of Women’s Football at the FA tells us about the Lionesses legacy, the upcoming World Cup and the future of the Women’s Super League.

Since his diagnosis in 2019, rugby league star Rob Burrow has been battling Motor Neurone Disease, with wife Lindsey by his side. Lindsay tells us about her first marathon and has raised over £100,000 towards a specialist Motor Neurone Disease Centre to be built in his name. A new ITV documentary, Lindsey and Rob: Living with MND, follows Lindsey as she navigates marathon training alongside working and family life, whilst also exploring the wider impact of this disease.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy

This Wimbledon will be the first in 30 years without the familiar presence of Sue Barker. Last year she stepped down from hosting the tennis tournament that she herself played in. In Sue's memoir, Calling the Shots, she recounts first reaching number three in the world tennis rankings, then becoming one of the most familiar faces of BBC sports broadcasting. She joins Krupa to talk about the highs and lows of both careers.

Facebook has removed an advert for a sanitary towel product because it referenced the words vagina, vulva and clitoris. It's the latest in a long line of period ads that have caused a stir. So what is and isn't appropriate when it comes to period adverts? To discuss Krupa is joined by Chella Quint is the founder of Period Positive, a menstruation education advisor and author and Alice Enders who is Director of Research at Enders Analysis which follows TV and advertising trends.

The Japanese government is currently debating a landmark bill to reform the country's sexual assault laws, but a highly prevalent form of predatory sexual behaviour has been omitted from the discussion. ‘Chikan' refers to a practice where women are sexually assaulted in public and in some cases videos are sold online. The BBC World Service's investigative unit, BBC Eye, has gone undercover for a year to unmask the men cashing in on sexual violence. Krupa is joined by BBC reporter Zhaoyin Feng.

Would you fancy hurtling down a twisting mountain road at 80 miles an hour, balancing on a skateboard? That’s the favourite hobby of Jenny Schauerte, better known as Jenny Jungle. She and a group of other female skateboarders are featured in a new documentary, WoolfWomen: Now or Never about a trip to Turkey to try out a high altitude run that had never been skated before. Jenny, a former World No 2 in the sport, joins Krupa in studio.

The rescue efforts are continuing in Ukraine after Tuesday's breach of the Kakhovka dam. 30 communities along the Dnipro river have been flooded according to officials. Now the Red Cross has raised concerns that land-mines have been dislodged in the flooding. Kate Zhuzha is from Nova Kakhovka where the dam has collapsed and is the Founder of NGO Union of Help to Kherson in touch with people in the flooded areas. She talks to Krupa about the latest reports.

Lindsey Burrow has been caring for her husband, the former rugby league star Rob Burrow, since he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019. Last month, she took part in her first marathon, The Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, and raised over £100,000 towards a new specialist Motor Neurone Disease Centre to be built in her husband’s name. She talks to Krupa about fitting in her training with family and work life and exploring the wider impact of MND in a documentary she filmed for ITV, Lindsey and Rob: Living with MND.

Louise Redknapp is celebrating 30 years in music. She had 18 top 20 hits with the R&B band Eternal and during her solo career she sold more than 15 million records overall. Louise has just released a Greatest Hits album with 30 tracks, and a new single High Hopes. Having reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing and performed in Cabaret and the musical 9 to 5, she has now returned to the West End stage in Grease as The Teen Angel, the first time the role has been played by a woman in the UK. She joins Krupa Padhy to discuss her career.

Bregje Hofstede, a writer, could not sleep for a decade. Driven to desperation, she started with the obvious interventions, then tried every trick and remedy she came across until at last she managed to re-frame her problem and found a solution that worked for her. She joins Krupa to discuss her book, In Search of Sleep, where she documents her experiences and tries to understand the science, psychology and culture of sleeplessness.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy

As a self confessed “silver spooner” who enjoyed a privileged upbringing Polly Toynbee talks to Nuala McGovern about her committed left wing "rabble rouser" ancestors and her own life long battle with the injustices of the British class system.

In our series about narcissistic mothers we've heard a lot from daughters. Yesterday, a listener we are calling Bethany told her story. Her relationship with her daughter had been strained for a long time. In January she received a book in the post about how to spot and deal with a narcissistic mother, some passages were highlighted , and a letter. Today she picks up the story and explained how she felt as she opened the book and read the passages pointed out by her daughter. How does it feel to be labelled a narcissist and how can you move forward from there?

Last month we looked at the experience of caring with authors Emily Kenway and Lynne Tillman. So many of you got in touch including academic Dinah Roe, a Reader in nineteeth-century literature, who with poet Sarah Hesketh, managing editor of Modern Poetry In Translation, have been running a series of free online workshops, inspired by Christina Rossetti's writing, designed specifically for people with caring responsibilities. Dinah and Sarah join Nuala in the studio.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern

Four-time Grammy award nominated singer Candi Staton has moved between several musical genres during of the course of her celebrated career – from soul, R&B, gospel and disco. However, dance music has always been her main groove with iconic tracks such as the multi-platinum 'You Got the Love' and her classic anthem 'Young Hearts Run Free'. It has recently been remixed by UK producer Benji La Vida and has had more than 2.4 million streams on Spotify alone, and there are 60,000 TikTok reels of people doing a dance challenge to the song. Candi is in the UK to play the Kite Festival of Ideas and Music in Oxfordshire this Saturday. She joins Nuala to discuss her life and music.

Ghana's health system is struggling due to their nurses being recruited by high-income countries, according to the head of the International Council of Nurses. So what is it that makes Ghanaian Nurses want to come and work in the UK? Angela is a nurse from Ghana who also works with the Ghanaian Diaspora Nursing Alliance – she joins Nuala to discuss.

Eight primary schools in a town in Ireland have come together and decided together to ban smartphones, Nuala speaks to Principle Rachel Harper, the leader of the initiative and Parent and PTA member Laura Bourne, to find out why and how it's been received.

In our series about narcissistic mothers we have heard from the daughters so far. Today, a listener we are calling Bethany tells her side of the story. Her relationship with her daughter had been strained for a long time. In January she received a book in the post about how to spot and deal with a narcissistic mother, some passages were highlighted, and a letter. Since then she has not seen her daughter or her grandchildren. How does it feel to be labelled a narcissist and how can you move forward from there?

In 2016, at the age of 27, Emma Cline became very famous indeed when her first novel The Girls was published. Set in the summer of 69 in California 14 year old Evie is caught up in a Manson Family-like cult and the violence that follows. In her new novel ‘The Guest’ Alex is a young woman whose life could go either way. She exploits the men around her as they exploit her but what does she want and where will she end up?

Presented by Nuala McGovern

The Sunday Times' Christina Lamb on the women involved in the war effort in Ukraine.

We look at the trend of brides having their long hair cut into bobs before re-emerging with new hair at their wedding. Kyrelle Burton of Devon Wedding Hair, did her first mid-wedding chop for a bride last year.

Molly Duane is the senior lawyer for the US-based Center for Reproductive Rights who are challenging Texas state law on abortion on behalf of more than a dozen women. The case is regarded as important because it is being seen as a nationwide model for abortion rights advocates to challenge new abortion laws that have rolled out since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade a year ago this month. Molly discusses the case with Nuala.

No single person can take credit for the huge boom in women’s football but if any one can it’s the woman who placed second on the Woman’s Hour Power List, Baroness Sue Campbell. The Director of Women’s Football at the FA joins Nuala to discuss the Lionesses legacy, the upcoming World Cup and the future of the Women’s Super League.

In 2020 Baroness Cumberlege authored a report into two drugs and a medical device that caused women or their babies harm. The device in question was vaginal mesh, and the report described how using mesh in surgery for prolapse and incontinence had resulted in serious adverse outcomes for women across the UK. One of the recommendations from that report is about to get underway, to measure the impact of surgery on women’s lives. Anita is joined by Georgina Jones, Professor of Health Psychology at Leeds Beckett University to find out more, and by Hannah Devlin, science correspondent for the Guardian.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern

A woman who was stalked by her husband and then placed into witness protection with a new identity to escape him, says she feels like she's the one being punished. She's complained to the police about the way her case was handled after being told she failed an assessment and was no longer being supported by them in her new life. She spoke to our reporter Melanie Abbott, and says she felt completely cut adrift. We hear her story of how she had to uproot her two children and start a new life with a new job in a new town, while her husband is free to live wherever he likes. Academic Rachael Wheatley from the university of Derby tells Anita how she is training police to be better at dealing with stalkers and how victims need better support.

A new report by the Trade Union Congress has highlighted a gender pension gap between what men and women are living on in retirement. The estimate it’s currently running at 40.5%, which is more than double the current gender pay gap. Nuala talks to Nikki Pound from the TUC and financial expert Sarah Pennells Consumer finance specialist at Royal London - pensions insurance provider about the issues facing women and possible solutions.

You can’t read a tabloid newspaper without some form of cheating scandal filling the headlines. But what makes someone lie to the person they love? Nuala asks Natalie Lue, a boundaries and relationships coach about the big and little lies we tell in relationships.

Writer and Podcaster Jackie Adedeji speaks to Nuala about her new Channel 4 documentary UNTOLD: My Big Boobs, a look into the impacts of having big boobs and the rise in breast reduction surgery. Sarah Ditum also joins to discuss the cultural trends of breasts through the years.

Dr Edna Adan Ismail is known as the ‘Woman of Firsts’. She’s Somaliland’s first trained midwife, first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and former First Lady. And now she has added another first to her title. She is this year’s winner of the Templeton Prize - making her the first black African woman to receive the honour. She has been awarded the £1.1 million prize for her contribution to women’s health. In 2002 she sold everything she owned to build The Edna Adan Hospital and University which has played a crucial role in cutting maternal mortality rates in Somaliland. She still lives and works within the hospital. Edna Adan Ismail explains what life is like for women in Somaliland, and what will she spend the prize money on.

Presenter: Anita Rani