Woman's Hour

In 2015, Michaela Coel’s Channel 4 series "Chewing Gum", adapted from a one-woman play she wrote while in drama school, about an awkward virgin became an instant hit. She's an established screenwriter, director, producer and actor and now well know for shows like "I May Destroy You," a story based on her own experience. She talks to Emma Barnett about her first book ‘Misfits: A Personal Manifesto’ which is a call for honesty, empathy, inclusion and champions those who don’t fit in.

As you’ll have heard reported in the news recently, a shortage of lorry drivers is causing serious supply chain problems, affecting amongst other things supermarkets and even some pubs! Covid-19, tax changes, levels of pay and Brexit have all combined to contribute to an estimated shortfall of around 100,000 qualified HGV drivers. Hayley O'Beirnes is retraining as a HGV driver after her cake business went under. She talks about her experience alongside Karen Stalker, the MD of Stalkers Transport based in Cumbria.

Plus we meet Zoe Stephens. She's spent the past 18 months through lockdown 'stuck' in Tonga in the South Pacific. She'd been living and working as a tour guide in Beijing, taking tourists travelling to Tonga in March 2020, just as the world shut down due to Covid-19. She tells Emma about her adventure and what it's like being back home. And we hear from Alice Thompson, an estate agent who's been awarded almost £185,000 after her employer refused to let her leave work early to collect her daughter from nursery. A tribunal judge upheld her claim, awarding money for loss of earnings, pension contributions, injury to feelings and interest.

Presenter Emma Barnett

Miss Marple is one of the classic heroines of crime fiction. Quick-witted, devilishly observant and with a keen sense of justice, Jane Marple has delighted readers since she first appeared in a series of short stories by Agatha Christie in 1927. But now, almost a century later, she is being given a new lease of life in a collection of short stories penned by twelve of today's most famous crime writers, due out next year. Queen of crime fiction Val McDermid joins Emma to talk about writing one of the stories, and why she believes an elderly spinster makes for the perfect super-sleuth.

Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding died at the weekend, aged just 39 from breast cancer following a diagnosis last summer. In her memoir, Sarah admitted she avoided seeing her doctor because of coronavirus and revealed how she thought she had a cyst before her diagnosis. We know that the number of urgent GP referrals for cancer dropped by 60% in April compared with the same month last year, latest figures for England show. Government data also show that the number of people starting treatment following a GP urgent referral declined by 18% in the same period. Emma speaks to Deborah James aka Bowel Babe from the BBC Podcast You Me and the Big C, and Kris Hallenga, founder of the charity Coppafeel, about their reactions to Sarah's death.

A Question of Sport is the world's longest TV sports quiz - it first appeared on our TV screens way back in 1970 and has clocked up 1,295 episodes - but it took until Friday night for Sam Quek to make history as the first ever female team captain. The 2016 Olympic Gold winning hockey player features in the new revamped BBC series alongside other team captain former rugby player Ugo Monye. While Sam joins the programme, the long running host and former tennis player Sue Barker has been replaced by the comedian and TV presenter Paddy McGuiness. Sam Quek joins Emma.

The Japanese Prime Minister has announced he is standing down. His popularity was at an all time low, and because of Covid many in Japan are very unhappy that the Olympics and Paralympics were held there. The Prime Minister took over from Shinzo Abe, who introduced a policy called Womeneconomics. This was a five year plan which ended last year, and aimed to get more women into the workforce and up the career ladder. Abe vowed to make women 'shine', and set a goal for them to hold 30% percent of leadership positions by 2020. So why did this deadline quietly pass without getting close to its target? Emma speaks to Kathy Matsui, who coined the term 'Womenomics' in 1999 and to Cynthia Usui - author of the Japanese book Eight Things Full-Time Housewives Should do Before Entering the Workforce.

Boris Johnson is making a statement in the House of Commons today, defending his handling of the Afghanistan crisis and reiterating his vow to use 'every economic, political and diplomatic lever' to help Afghans. On Saturday, for a second day in a row, women marched through Kabul, the Afghan capital demanding their freedoms are guaranteed following the Taliban takeover. The group say the Taliban broke up the demonstration, targeting them with tear gas and pepper spray as they tried to walk to the presidential palace. BBC Correspondent Yalda Hakim joins Emma to discuss this and other developments for women in Afghanistan.

Image: Joan Hickson as Miss Marple in the 1984 BBC TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel The Body in the Library.

Forty years ago a campaign group called Women for Life on Earth marched from Cardiff to the Greenham Common RAF Base in Berkshire to protest against the British government allowing US nuclear missiles on British Soil. We hear from two women Rebecca Mordan, co-author of Out of the Darkness Greenham Voices 1981-2000 and Sue Ray who were part of the original movement and are walking to Greenham Common again this week.

We hear from Fran Lebowitz the American writer, social commentator, humourist, very occasional actress and New York legend.

‘Girlboss’ is used as a term of empowerment. It’s meant to refer to a new generation of confident, take charge women who pursue their own entrepreneurial ambitions but does this concept relate only to white middle class privileged women and what does it mean to successful women of colour? To discuss this is Otegha Uwagba the author of We Need to Talk About Money and Asma Khan the founder of Dharjeeling Express.

Zizi Strallen is playing Mary Poppins in the latest stage adaptation in London’s West End. She performs ‘Practically Perfect’.

We hear from two parents about what it’s like to be told your child has special educational needs and that they are not developing normally. Parents Lauren Gibson and Claire Walker discuss.

Why are some mirrors more flattering than others? How often do you look in the mirror and are you able to judge your reflection fairly? We hear from the psychotherapist Susie Orbach and from mirror expert Dr Melissa Kao.

Presenter: Anita Rani

In Texas, a law banning abortion from as early as six weeks into pregnancy has come into force this week. This means that a woman can't have an abortion once a foetal heartbeat is heard, something medical authorities say is misleading. On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court refused an appeal from reproductive health care organisation, Planned Parenthood to stop the law. What will this mean for women and abortion access in Texas?

“Girlboss” has been used as a term of empowerment - referring to a new generation of confident, take-charge women who pursue their own entrepreneurial ambitions. But since Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso coined the phrase in 2014, the concept has been derided by those who says it has been dominated by white middle class privileged women. But what impact has the movement had for women of colour? Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express, and Otegha Uwagba, author of ‘We Need to Talk About Money’ join Anita to discuss.

Beverlee Lewis describes herself as a ‘conscious sex worker’. Working with people who have disabilities, she helps coach them to explore relationships and sexuality. This will include being intimate with her clients, many of whom may have never had sex or a relationship with anyone previously. She speaks to Anita about her work.

On Wednesday this week we caught up with some of the women walking from Cardiff to the RAF base in Berkshire, to commemorate 40 years since Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp was set up. The women were protesting US nuclear missiles being allowed on British soil, and many of the original protest banners made are still discussed today. Charlotte Dew is the author of Women For Peace: Banners From Greenham Common.

Presented by Anita Rani

She's been described as the funniest woman in America. We talk to Fran Lebowitz, the American writer, social commentator, humorist, and New York legend. She shares her opinion on everything from gender, Covid and marriage.

We hear from our political correspondent at Holyrood about proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act in Scotland.

Do you have a child with special educational needs, and are you getting the support that you need? We hear from one mother who's been trying to do the best thing by her son, and feels like she's the one being blamed.

And ever fantasized about what you'd do if you inherited a fortune? A famous heiress once said: “Life is less sad with money.” Maybe. We speak to Laura Thompson who's analysed the stories of women whose wealth has been passed down to them. She's written a book called Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies.

Forty years ago this week, 36 people from a campaign group called Women for Life on Earth marched from Cardiff to the Greenham Common RAF base in Newbury in Berkshire to protest against the British government allowing US nuclear missiles on British soil. They stayed there for almost 20 years. Last week another group set-out from Cardiff to follow the route of the original protesters. We speak to Rebecca Mordan and Sue Say live from their walk.

For the last few weeks on Woman's Hour, we've been following the desperate efforts of those trying to flee Afghanistan. As the government sets out details of what it is calling ‘Operation Warm Welcome’ - its scheme to resettle recently arrived Afghan refugees- we hear from Louise Calvey of Refugee Action, on what is currently being done currently, and what we can do to help.

Sarah Rainsford - BBC Moscow correspondent, has been living in and reporting on Russia for over two decades. On the 10th August, she was told that she was being barred indefinitely 'for the protection of the security of Russia' - and allowed into the country for the sole purpose of packing up her life and leaving. But why her? And what chance, if any, does she now have of returning? She joins Emma to discuss.

Rebecca Welch has become the first female referee to be added to the English Football League's national group list for men's football. She became the first woman to officiate an EFL match in April when she took charge of Harrogate's 2-0 League Two defeat to Port Vale, but said it was never her plan to officiate, only playing football for fun. She speaks to Emma live.

Presented by Emma Barnett

It is not an exaggeration to call Claudia Roden a culinary pioneer. For over 50 years she has been collecting recipes from home cooks throughout the MIddle East and Mediterranean. She shares with Emma details of her new “Med” based on remembered dishes that she’s encountered over decades.

Care home managers in England say they're terrified of future staff shortages because of the 'no jab, no job' policy, brought in by the government, which says care home workers have to be double vaccinated by the 11th November, or face losing their job. Emma talks to Nicola Richards, director of Palms Row Health Care, who manages two nursing homes about why workers are still not getting their jab an what that’ll mean for the future of the sector.

During Listener Week, we spoke to Lauren Gibson. She wanted us to talk about the difficulties of finding out your child has learning disabilities. How do you deal with hearing your child isn’t developing normally? And, what do you do whilst waiting for a full diagnosis? She got some practical advice from Salena Begley, the Scottish Partnership Engagement Manager at Family Fund U . Today she's back to, get advice from another listener Claire Walker, who’s son was diagnosed with Autism in May, because sometimes the best person to hear from is someone who has been through the same experience as you

Presenter Emma Barnett

We get the latest on Afghanistan with BBC journalist Sana Safi and talk to Seema Malhotra MP whose constituency in West London has a large Afghan community. She explains the help that's being provided to refugees.

We go live to BBC Sports Correspondent Katie Smith in Tokyo who talks about female success at the Paralympics in Tokyo.

We hear a live performance from the Zizi Strallen who plays Mary Poppins in the West End. She sings Practically Perfect accompanied by Isaac McCullough on the piano.

We explore the notion of co-dependency with counsellor Susan McGrath, as well as a member of Co-Dependants Anonymous UK. We find out how co-dependency develops and what you can do about it.

And mirrors: why are some more flattering than others, and what are the range of feelings that come up when we look in the mirror? We hear from mirror expert Dr Melissa Kao and psychotherapist Susie Orbach.

Alice Bromage served in Afghanistan as a Major and left in 2016. She tells us what's she is hearing from the troops serving on the ground in Afghanistan.

A recent survey revealed that tradespeople are £35,000 better off than university graduates. But only 14.5% of the construction workforce as a whole is female, and that drops to just 2% when it comes to skilled manual trades, according to CITB figures. Emma hears from painter and decorator Barbara Marshfield, plasterer Steph Leese and Fiona Sharp, Social Value Director for Procure Plus.

Clearing out the attic of family belongings - how and when should you do it? Vicki Edmunds and Marion Malcher discuss.

The joy of being average with Sarah Stein Lubrano and author Eleanor Ross.

What is motivating older women to join the Extinction Rebellion protests this week. Protestors Fiona Atkinson and Marion Malcher discuss.

Why do we still use Ms, Mrs, Miss. Dr Amy Erikson, who is a Reader in Feminist History at the University of Cambridge and, Stella Sutcliffe, who has spent the last three years campaigning for organisations and businesses to stop requesting, using and and storing marriage titles through her Campaign “Go Title Free”.

Presenter: Anita Rani

Two explosions hit Kabul airport yesterday, killing some 90 people and at least 150 people were also wounded in the attack. The UK government has just announced the final stages of the evacuation... which means the processing centre at the airport has been closed and no further people will be called forward. So what is the situation on the ground for the women and children in Afghanistan? Anita speaks to Mahjooba Nowrouzi, from the BBC Afghan Service.

Raffaela Baiocchi is an Italian obstetrician and gynaecologist based in the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan. She works for Emergency an Italian NGO and is responsible for emergency reproductive health, co-managing the maternity part of the Panshir hospital. Her staff are continuing to come to work going through now Taleban-controlled check points from other provinces, but less than half of the female patients, who would normally attend, are coming into the hospital in the last week.

Do you like being called a Miss, Ms, Mx or Mrs or none of them at all? Why do some organisations still ask us for a title when filling out a form? Anita talks to Stella Sutcliffe, the Founder of the ‘Go Title Free’ Campaign, and Dr Amy Erickson a Reader in Feminist History at the University of Cambridge.

Listener Lavinia wrote to us to say: It puzzles me that no mention is ever made of women who worked in munitions during the war. Her mother had worked at the munitions factory in Woolwich, but it was never spoken about. She joins Anita along with Vikki Hawkins, Curator, Second World War Galleries at the Imperial War Museum.

Presented by Anita Rani