Woman's Hour

Young children may know they can deceive others but their first lies are often more humorous than effective. Imagine the child who claims not to have eaten any cake while her mouth is still full, or who blames the family dog for drawing on the wall. But is lying actually an important sign other cognitive skills are also developing? As a child matures how does the nature and motivation behind lying change? And is it ever a cause for concern? Consultant child and educational psychologist, Laverne Antrobus explains.

What is it like to have to care for young children or the elderly while facing the bushfires and extreme heat in Australia? The Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria are currently being ravaged by bushfires and temperatures exceeded 40C in every state and territory at the start of the week. How do you look after the vulnerable in such a difficult situation?

On Monday’s phone-in we talked about making and breaking habits. A review of the available international research and research at the University of York looks more broadly at how science can help us understand how people makes changes to their lives . Ian Hamilton a Senior Lecturer in Addiction and Mental Health tells us more about the findings and why the impact of addiction on women is not fully understood.

In 2013 Catherine Gray was at rock bottom, feeling suicidal and drinking far too much. Six years on she has made significant life changes and completed a trio of books, the first, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, the second The Unexpected Joy of Being Single, and now, The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary. She joins Jenni to describe how she made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Interviewed Guest: Dr Rob Gordon

The Children’s Commissioner for England says that we need an urgent review of the care system. She is concerned that around 30,000 children in care are living miles away from friends and family, while others are living in unregulated and inadequate placements. Anne Longfield explains what she thinks needs to be done.

Cancer treatment can have an impact on fertility, but a recent survey by the Teenage Cancer Trust suggests that nearly a third of young people did not have a discussion about their fertility before starting treatment. We speak to 18 year old, Ellie Waters who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer aged 14, Dr Louise Soanes, a Teenage Cancer Trust Nurse Consultant for Adolescents and Young People and Professor Pamela Kearns, a Consultant Paediatric Oncologist.

Elsie Widdowson was one of the British dietitians responsible for overseeing the government-mandated addition of vitamins to food and wartime rationing in Britain during World War II. Dr Venki Ramakrishnan the President of the Royal Society tells Jenni about her achievements.

Many parents see location tracking apps as an easy way to keep tabs on their teenagers. We discuss the merits and drawbacks of on keeping tabs on your teenagers.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

As we stand at the start of a new decade we look at three key issues that will shape women’s lives in the 2020s. And we hear some big ideas on how things could change.

How do we tackle the crisis in social care in the next decade? Given the fundamental caring roles women perform in households, what new ways of thinking about and valuing care work might help find solutions?

In women’s health - are we getting access to the right treatments and diagnosis? With the growing visibility of conditions such as endometriosis, so long down played as 'women’s troubles', we’ll ask what treatments and drugs are getting funded and why. How could science and medicine better serve women?

What does the workplace of the future need to look like for women, and how do we get there?

Our guests are Kate Raworth, a self-described renegade economist, the sciences author Angela Saini, GP and Clinical Director of PatientAccess.com, Dr Sarah Jarvis, and the writer and activist Beatrix Campbell.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Civil partnerships have been in place for same-sex couples since December 2005 but as of today they're open to mixed sex couples.

Yesterday a 19 year-old woman was found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in Ayia Napa in Cyprus. She withdrew her allegation after a lengthy late night interrogation by police during which no lawyer was present. She will be sentenced next week. Women’s groups and criminal justice campaigners have expressed their concerns about the police investigation, and the judge's handling of her case. Joan Smith explains her concerns about the conviction and what is likely to happen next.

Sue Elliott Nicholls has had a lot of mothers, some were hers and some she has deliberately found for herself for a little extra maternal back up. She thought it was just her thing but it turns out that spare mother-figures are more common than we might think.

Lucy Edwards made history last week when she became the first blind person to present their own show on BBC Radio 1. She joins Jane to discuss her ambitions and what she's learned from her first shows.

Presenter Jane Garvey.

Guest; Rebecca Steinfield

Reporter Sue Elliott Nicholls

How do you build healthy habits that you actually enjoy? How do you undo habits that have been bugging you for a life time? We want to hear from you about the decisions and actions you make every day that form the fabric of your life. Do you want to take more exercise, stop eating so much chocolate, stop shouting at your children? Would you like to stop procrastinating, bingeing on box sets and biting your nails? How about reading more books, being nicer to your partner and going to bed on time? We want to hear from you about your successes and failures in making and undoing habits. And if you’re looking for guidance Heather McKee, a behaviour change specialist, will be on hand with evidence-based strategies and advice. Phone lines are open from 0800 on Monday. The number to call is 03700 100 444. You can email now via the Woman's Hour Website.

Presenter: Jane Garvey

The Star Wars saga, which started in 1977, has come to an end with the release of Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker. How has the representation of women changed, throughout the generations, in one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time? Anna Smith is a film critic and host of the feminist film podcast Girls on Film. Victoria Upton is a member of the Norwich Star Wars Fan Club. Gabriella Geisinger is the deputy movies editor at Digital Spy.

Is your pelvic floor too tight? What are the signs, what are the causes and what exercises can you do to help? Emma speaks to Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician at the Royal Free Hospital and Marta Kinsella, pelvic health and rehabilitation physiotherapist.

For a second time, we visit Northern Ireland's second city Londonderry - the setting for the hit TV Channel 4 comedy. Reporter, Kathleen Carragher meets four ‘real life’ teenage 'Derry Girls'. They talked about a range of issues from changes to the law on abortion and equal marriage to why Nadine Coyle’s presence in the jungle on 'I’m A Celebrity' made the hearts of Derry’s teenagers swell with pride. Torrie, Sarah and Mollie all from St Mary's College in Derry and Ellee Dean is from the North West Regional College.

Having to leave a child's bedside when they're being cared for in hospital can be a huge wrench. To help reduce the separation anxiety, a third of neonatal units in the UK are now using an app that helps parents stay in touch with their premature babies 24 hours a day. Doctors and nurses can send photos and video updates to parents when they can't be with their baby in hospital. So far, around five thousand families have used the service. Katharine Da Costa is a reporter for BBC South.

Presenter: Emma Barnett

Interviewed Guest: Victoria Upton

This year saw an unprecedented number of women winning major awards and prizes. What does being a winner feel like, and is it always good to win? Jenni Murray hears from the writer Edna O'Brien who won the David Cohen Prize for Literature. The award celebrates a writer who has broken down social and sexual barriers for women in Ireland and beyond, and moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing. She also hears from Khadijah Mellah who won the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood, and is the Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year; Natasha Benjamin who won the Lorraine Inspirational Woman of the Year Award for her work supporting children affected by domestic violence; the educator and disability activist Sinead Burke who has achondroplasia and is on the BBC 100 Women list as one of most inspiring and influential women in the world; and Laura Smith who won this year’s Funny Women Stage Award.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Christmas is steeped in all sorts of tradition – but it’s not just trees, tinsel and turkey. Many families have their own festive rituals and the mere idea of doing things differently would make it feel… well, just not like Christmas. But why do we get so hung up on doing Christmas a certain way - even if it doesn't make us happy? What is it about human psychology that makes tradition so attractive? And if your family festivities make you want to run away and hide, what’s the best way to break the cycle?

Jenni Murray talks to Dr Cristine Legare from the University of Texas at Austin about why rituals are an inevitable part of being human, and also to listeners about their stories of change at Christmas - including starting new traditions with a baby and the family forced to break tradition thanks to a kitchen fire and a large dog...

If there’s one thing that most people expect on Christmas Day, it’s a Christmas dinner. From turkey and pigs in blankets to brussels sprouts and bread sauce it's a meal that many cooks dread. But according to historian Dr Annie Gray, it doesn't have to be that way. She says that if you take the long view, the only common thread from pre-Christian winter festivals to today is ‘light fire, eat meat, get drunk.’ The actual food is completely negotiable. She also explains why we cram so much food into one day, and what social history reveals about why mum generally cooks while dad gets to carve the turkey.

To top off this festive feast, Jenni is joined by the Glasgow-based close harmony quartet The All Sorts with a pick-and-mix of songs both traditional - and a little bit different.

Presenter - Jenni Murray

Interviewed guest - Cristine Legare

2019 has been another eventful year in Northern Ireland's second city, Londonderry. There was the shocking murder of the young journalist Lyra McKee, shot by dissident republicans and as a border city it's been at the heart of the Brexit debate. The Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont is still deadlocked over power-sharing. On a lighter note, it has also basked in the success of the second series of the hit Channel 4 TV comedy series, Derry Girls - the raucous misadventures of a group of teenagers growing up in the 90s. So what do 'real' Derry girls, from both communities, make of the past year in their city? Kathleen Carragher spoke to four Derry women who are contemporaries of TV’s Derry Girls - they were teenagers in the 90’s

The actress and writer Joanna Scanlan is known for Thick of It, Getting On, No Offence Puppy Love and most recently The Accident. Her latest role is as Mother Superior in the BBC’s new adaptation of Dracula. She joins Jenni to discuss.

Christmas is upon us and whilst many of us hope to celebrate and be merry, for some it is still a time of work and support for those in ill-health. Jenni speaks to Molly Case, a clinical nurse specialist for inherited cardiac conditions at St George’s in London, and author, Christie Watson who was a nurse for 20 years until quite recently. What are the highs and lows for both patients and staff spending Christmas Day in hospital?

Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All – ABBA are one of the most iconic bands of all time. 'ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition' explores their incredible career through music, lyrics, costumes and personal photos, many of which have not been previously displayed in the UK. Jane visited the exhibition and discussed their legacy for women with assistant curator, Syd Moore.

Presenter: Jenni Murray

Interviewed Guest: Joanna Scanlan

We mark the centenary of women being able to enter the legal profession.

Cherie Booth QC, Dana Denis-Smith founder of the First 100 years, Abi Silver a former associate at a city law firm and now a legal consultant, Beth Collette who's a barrister in her second year of tenancy talk about what it's like for women in the profession now - how far we've come and what more needs to be done.

Mari Takayanagi a Senior Archivist at the Houses of Parliament tells us about the The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 and the changes it brought in and the pioneering women who worked so hard to open up the profession to women.

Plus we look at what it's like to be a female magistrate We hear from former magistrate Katherine McMahon and Jacqui MacDonald who's currently serving as a magistrate in the Central and North London area as well as being Trustee at Magistrates Association

Presenter Andrea Catherwood

Guest; Cherie Booth QC