Woman's Hour

Today’s Rethink essay comes from the musician and artist Brian Eno, he asks what the response to the pandemic has taught us about leadership, and how what we want and need from our future leaders might have changed. To discuss the future of leadership Jane speaks to Dame Heather Rabbatts, Chair of Time’s Up UK, Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyds of London and Professor Ngaire Woods, founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University.

A new Netflix documentary – Athlete A – explores the physical, mental and sexual abuse of young women within the United States of America Gymnastics; including at the hands of former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar. Former artistic gymnast and writer Jennifer Sey tells Jane about her career and the culture within gymnastics that she believes allowed this to happen.

Presented by Jane Garvey

Michaela Coel’s new drama “I May Destroy You” on BBC 1 is receiving rave reviews on Twitter and in the papers. The story centres around a writer called Arabella who is drugged and sexually assaulted but has no recollection of the assault except in flashbacks and has to piece together what happened to her. How effective is the way the story is told and what questions does it raise about consent, relationships and the portrayal of women’s everyday lived experience on screen? To discuss the series, Jenni is joined by Weruche Opia who plays Bella’s best friend, Terry, Zing Tsjeng, executive editor of Vice UK and the poet Vanessa Kisuule.

The children’s charity Barnardo’s has seen a 44% increase in the number of children who need foster care during the coronavirus pandemic. This, coupled with a fall in potential foster carers coming forward, is creating what they call a ‘state of emergency’. Vulnerable children who may have experienced neglect or abuse are now having to wait to be placed in foster families. What can be done? Jenni speaks to Brenda Farrell, Head of Fostering at Barnardo’s.

Ukrainian chef, food writer and food stylist, Olia Hercules tells the story of a part of Ukraine’s culinary history that is disappearing. Summer kitchens are little buildings in the vegetable garden where produce is prepared and eaten during the warmer months, and surplus food is pickled and preserved for the long winters. Olia joins Jenni to talk about the food of her childhood and discuss how to Cook the Perfect… Beetroot leaf rolls with buckwheat and mushrooms.

Covid 19 has introduced a number of new terms to public debate - the key worker is perhaps the most important one. It turns out that the most essential workers are predominantly women, and many of them employed in low paid work in health and social care as well as cleaning and supermarkets. In her new book, Feminism and the Politics of Resilience, the sociologist Angela McRobbie argues that these and other disadvantaged women have become increasingly trapped in low-paid and casualised work which offers no possibility for progression or promotion. And the kind of feminism we’ve seen promoted in the last decade, which has emphasised individual resilience, hasn’t helped. Middle class and often white women have been exulted to lean in and achieve more at work and in motherhood, while low-paid women to be shamed for lacking resilience. So, have we become distracted from recognising the social and economic forces that shape women’s lives? Jenni discusses with Angela McRobbie and Zoe Williams, Guardian columnist.

Producer: Louise Corley

Rethink is a series of essays and discussions across BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and the World Service that looks at how the world might change after the coronavirus pandemic. Today's essay features the political philosopher Clare Chambers who considers how our relationship with our bodies, and our appearance has been affected by the lockdown. To discuss Jenni is joined by Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Kate Lister, Lecturer in the School of Arts and Communication at Leeds Trinity University, and Shahidha Bari, Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion.

The American crime writer Karin Slaughter has sold over 35 million books worldwide. Her stories are violent and gritty and she writes frankly about the impact of violence against women and the long-lasting effects of trauma. She hopes people will see her books as an honest telling of stories we do not often hear about… survivors, fighters, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends and rogues. She joins us to talk about her latest book, The Silent Wife.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Theresa May has made a million pounds on the speaker circuit since she stood down as Prime Minister just under a year ago. We discuss how she’s done it and whether she might have a long career ahead of her doing it.

Presenter: Jane Garvey

Today Radio 4 launches Rethink - a series of essays and discussions right across BBC Radio that ask how the world might change after the pandemic. We begin with an essay from Stirling Prize winning architect Amanda Levete asking how we could design the world around us differently. Has being confined to our homes and immediate communities taught us new things about what we need and want from them? How will more remote working change the role of the office? How might we now start to build for better and more equal societies? Jane is joined by architect Elsie Owusu OBE, economist Kate Raworth and 2019 Stirling Prize winner Annalie Riches, all with their own ideas of how Covid-19 could transform our homes and communities.

Some medics have expressed concerns over a possible future rise in stillbirths and harm to babies because pregnant women in need of attention may have avoided seeking professional help during the pandemic. Jane speaks to Dr Maggie Blott, Consultant Obstetrician and Lead for Obstetrics at the Royal Free in London and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Trichotillomania is often referred to as “hair-pulling disorder”. It’s thought it affects 1 in 50 people, with 80% of them women. Why do people do it? And what can be done to help people stop? Jane discusses the condition with Roisin Kelly, who is a journalist at the Sunday Times Style magazine and has written about her personal experience, and Louise Watson, Chartered Counselling Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, and Hattie Gilford who has her own dedicated Instagram account @my_trich_journey.

Producer: Louise Corley

Naomi Campbell the model, icon, and activist, who’s been at the summit of the fashion industry for over three decades tells us how she believes the fashion and beauty industry needs to play its part in bringing about change when it comes to racial equality.

Who is doing the most when it comes to childcare and chores in heterosexual couples, and how might lock-down be changing things? We hear from Ali Lacey, a PhD researcher from Sussex University which is looking into this subject, Mary Ann Stevenson of the UK Women’s Budget Group and Francine Deutsch Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College in the US.

The Science journalist Debora Mackenzie tells us about her book: COVID-19: the pandemic that never should have happened, and how to stop the next one.

As two black British women writers - Bernadine Evaristo and Reni Eddo-Lodge - top the UK fiction and non-fiction bestseller charts for the first time, we hear from best-selling author of Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams and Sharmaine Lovegrove founder of Dialogue Books about the way the publishing industry treats black writers and readers.

We hear why self-employed women are receiving less government support during coronavirus if they’ve taken maternity leave between April 2016 and March 2019. This is because maternity pay isn’t taken into account when calculating payments under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The group Pregnant Then Screwed is threatening the Chancellor with indirect sex discrimination. We speak to founder Joeli Brearley and the freelance journalist, Alex Lloyd.

Susie Dent is a lexicographer, etymologist and linguist. She has appeared in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4's Countdown since 1992. She tells us how language has evolved and about her new podcast with Gyles Brandreth.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Interviewed guest: Naomi Campbell

Bernadine Evaristo’s bestseller Girl, Woman, Other is on plenty of reading lists after winning the 2019 Booker Prize, but what books are getting her through lockdown? One of them is Darling by Rachel Edwards - who joins Jenni to tell her all about her debut novel.

Research shows that in lockdown, in heterosexual couples, women still do the majority of the childcare and chores. However, there has been a modest increase in the time men spend on these tasks overall. So could this be an opportunity to improve equality in the home? In April we ask you to get involved with research into how lockdown is affecting the well-being of families. The team at Sussex University now have their first set of preliminary results. PhD researcher Ali Lacey discusses their findings along with Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director of the UK Women’s Budget Group and Francine Deutsch, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College in the US, and editor of Creating Equality at Home – How 25 Couples Around the World Share Housework and Childcare.

You may have read in the papers this week that there are worries about the way the police are extracting and using information taken from mobile phones. Of particular concern was the use of such information where rape is alleged and there appears to be evidence that where a victim refuses to hand over a mobile, investigations are being brought to a halt. A report by the Information Commissioner’s Office argues that current mobile phone extraction practices and rules risk negatively affecting public confidence in the criminal justice system we hear from the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird QC.

Plus explorer Vanessa O’Brien, the first woman in the world to reach Earth’s highest and lowest points, on why she wants o inspire other women to take on challenges.

Presenter Jenni Murray

Guest; Rachel Edwards

Naomi Campbell is an actress, an innovator, an icon, an activist, and a philanthropist who’s been at the summit of the fashion industry for over three decades. When Pat McGrath signed her up to be the global face of her makeup brand she said “she’s an inspiration to women, especially women of colour. She demonstrates that anything is possible”. Jenni talks to her about the collaboration, her reaction to the death of George Floyd and how the fashion and beauty industry needs to play its part in bringing about change.

In just under five months’ time US voters will go to the polls. President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence are set to face Joe Biden whoever he picks as his running mate. Biden has already said he will pick a woman – and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, following the death of George Floyd, there is much speculation about the possible Black women he might pick. So how might this impact on the presidential election? And what will shape the key messages of Democrats and Republicans to women voters as the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic continues?

Pork in cyder, grilled grapefruit and cheese scones, fruit salad with gherkins …just some of the dishes Georgie Williams has cooked in the last year as she’s worked her way through an old recipe book. She found it after buying a second hand sideboard – 365 recipes written in a 1968 diary which she’d like to reunite with the person who wrote it. Georgie shares pictures and videos of these culinary treats on her @forgottendelights Instagram account.

The Welsh Government’s Farming Connect scheme is running online events all this week aimed at giving women the confidence and knowledge they need to help develop both their personal and business skills. Research shows that women’s development in agriculture is vital to increasing the size of the skilled workforce, as well as unlocking talent to help drive the industry forward. So what practical steps can be taken to start breaking down the barriers faced by women and to inspire them to reach their full potential? Joyce Campbell is a hill farmer on 5,500 acres in the north coast of Sutherland, Scotland and was co-chair of the Women in Agriculture Taskforce for Scotland. Anna Truesdale is a dairy farmer in Northern Ireland and Telerie Fielden is a shepherdess managing Llyndy Isaf, a 600 acre upland hill farm owned by the National Trust in Snowdonia.

Presenter Jenni Murray

Self-employed women are receiving less government support during coronavirus if they’ve taken maternity leave between April 2016 and March 2019 – because maternity pay isn’t taken into account when calculating payments under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The group Pregnant Then Screwed is now threatening the chancellor with indirect sex discrimination. It’s estimated between 75,000 and 80,000 women are affected. We speak to founder of Pregnant then Screwed, Joeli Brearley and the freelance journalist, Alex Lloyd who says the support she’s getting is about half what it could have been if average earnings had included maternity pay.

Casey Stoney MBE is Former Captain of England and now Head Coach of Manchester United Women. We see the return of the men’s Premier League tonight, while the women’s season was ended early in May, and Casey joins Jenni to talk about the women’s game.

Science journalist Debora Mackenzie talks about her book 'Covid-19: the pandemic that never should have happened & how to stop the next one’.

There are concerns that covid lockdowns could be pushing up child marriage and violence against girls in Nepal. According to Voluntary Service Overseas the lockdown is reinforcing traditional gender roles and girls living in rural areas are especially affected. We hear from Geeta Pradham, their Global Gender Adviser.

The writer and broadcaster Sali Hughes has been talking to women about objects in their lives that are important to them. Today it’s the turn of Nadia Shireen.

Presenter Jenni Murray

Guest; Joeli Brearley

Some reports suggest the government won’t now go ahead with the reform of the Gender Recognition Act. If true, this means that people won’t be able to self-declare their gender. What will this mean for the wider debate? Jane speaks to Helen Belcher, co-founder of Trans Media Watch and chair of the national LGBT charity Consortium, and Joan Smith, Chair of the Mayor of London’s Violence Against Women and Girls Board and author of ‘Home Grown: How Domestic Violence Turns Men Into Terrorists’.

Susie Dent is a lexicographer, etymologist and linguist. She has appeared in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4's 'Countdown' since 1992, and can also be seen on 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown, or ‘Catsdown’ as she calls it. She can also be heard alongside Gyles Brandreth on the award-nominated podcast Something Rhymes With Purple. She joins Jane to talk about how her love of words began with shampoo bottles, her research into modern tribes, 90s rap music lyrics and the meaning of cacoethes.

For the past month Woman's Hour has been celebrating women who get things done – the Troupers. Today it’s the turn of Preethi Manuel who talks about the life of her daughter, fostering, and her role in campaigning for disabled children to have access to mainstream education.

Non-essential retail shops are beginning to reopen, but will we actually want to go back? New technology is using artificial intelligence to make the experience of online shopping more fulfilling and more personalised. BBC Click reporter Lara Lewington tells Jane more.