The West End star Marisha Wallace joins Anita Rani in the studio. She's the latest actor to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club in London, alongside Billy Porter who plays Emcee. Marisha talks about the significance of them both playing these roles together and her journey to the top.

The UN has reported that more than 100 female prisoners were raped and then burned alive during a jailbreak in the Congolese city of Goma. The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated in recent weeks. Since the start of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to the UN's refugee agency. We’re joined by Anne Soy, the BBC’s Deputy Africa Editor & Senior Correspondent based in Nairobi.

Anita Rani speaks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley Kumar mothers of Barnaby and Grace, both 19, who were killed in Nottingham in June 2023. They’ll be responding to the findings of a major review of the NHS care of Valdo Calocane the man who attacked their children. A report Emma has already described as a horror show.

Nina Bhadreshwar’s crime novel The Day of the Roaring tells the story of Sheffield Detective Inspector Diana Walker, who is trying to solve some particularly grisly murders while dealing with corruption and racial and sexual discrimination at work. Nina joins Anita to discuss her own Yorkshire upbringing, launching a magazine which led her to a friendship with rapper Tupac Shakur and a job at the notorious hip hop label Death Row Records.

A new opera is being written about Margaret Thatcher. Seen by many as a divisive figure, the Rest is History podcast co-host Dominic Sandbrook's new work is going to look at her 11-year tenure as prime minister. Dame Maureen Lipman - who played Margaret Thatcher in an episode of the British sitcom About Face - discusses her appeal and what she was like to play as a character.

Dr LaShyra ‘Lash’ Nolen is one of the charity, One Young World’s young leaders. She was the first African American woman to serve as student president at Harvard Medical School in 2019, was on Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list in 2022 and now works as a resident physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. ‘Lash’ as she is known, joins Anita to talk about her daily work, her journey to a career in medicine and her desire to see equity in healthcare throughout the US.

Presenter: Anita Rani

Women in prison are resorting to self-harm because of “astonishing gaps” in basic services including strict time limits when contacting their children, according to a new report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales released today. The report's author Sandra Fieldhouse joins Anita Rani, as does the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood.

Singer and stand-up comedian Hajar J Woodland joins Anita to discuss her show, First Love, coming to Soho Theatre in London. After being raised in a household where singing wasn't encouraged, her show explores the boundaries we put up around ourselves and what it means to finally find love and your voice.

New research has quantified for the first time how many young people have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria by GPs in England. Academics at the University of York studied a decade’s worth of NHS records and discovered a 50-fold increase in this particular diagnosis between 2011 and 2021. However each general practice will only see one or two such patients each year. Anita speaks to Professor of Health Policy Tim Doran.

The French have been told to wear the same T-shirt for five days before washing it, and sports clothing three times. It’s part of advice from the government’s Ecological Transition Agency, which is trying to get people to do less laundry to save water. So how often should we really be washing our clothes? Anita is joined by Professor Sally Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to tell us more.

Presenter: Anita Rani

Actor and writer Daisy May Cooper shot to fame with This Country, the mockumentary about rural poverty in the Cotswolds that she wrote and starred in with her brother Charlie. She followed that with the lead in BBC/HBO show Rain Dogs and in 2022 she co-wrote and starred in the twisting female-friendship thriller Am I Being Unreasonable? With the second series about to drop on BBC 1 and BBC iPlayer Daisy joins Clare McDonnell in the Woman’s Hour studio.

Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso has given evidence at the trial of Spain's former football chief Luis Rubiales. He is accused of sexual assault and coercion after he kissed her during the medal ceremony when Spain won the 2023 World Cup final, charges which he denies. Clare speaks to Semra Hunter, sports broadcaster journalist.

A new BBC podcast has uncovered some shocking allegations of grooming, trafficking and sexual exploitation linked to a yoga movement. The Bad Guru podcast follows Miranda who joined a yoga class in the UK which she discovered had links to the Atman Federation, an international yoga movement led by the Romanian guru Gregorian Bivalaru. After becoming part of the wider movement, Miranda says that she was groomed and sexually exploited. Clare hears from Miranda and from the podcast’s presenter, investigative journalist Cat McShane.

From her close relationship with her mum to her mental health struggles as a teenager, 24-year-old Fiona-Lee from Howden in Yorkshire writes earnestly about the emotional rollercoaster that is adolescence to adulthood. Her EP, ‘Nothing Compares to Nineteen,’ is released on the 7th of March and she joins Clare to perform the track 'Lavender'.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell

Oscar-nominated actress Mikey Madison joins Clare McDonnell in the Woman’s Hour studio. She speaks about playing the title role in Anora, a film about a sex worker in New York. Mikey spent months embedded in a strip club to fully immerse herself in the world. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards as well as BAFTAs and Golden Globes – we speak to Mikey about how she’s finding receiving such attention so early in her career.

The government have announced £13 million of funding for a national centre to tackle violence against women and girls. How will it work, and what difference might it make? Clare speaks to BBC Senior UK Correspondent Sima Kotecha and National Police Chief's Council lead for violence against women and girls Maggie Blyth.

Top Guns: Inside the RAF is a Channel 4 documentary that gives viewers a rare view of RAF operations both in the air and on the ground. One of the women featured in the new series is Chief of Staff Jenni, who was recently stationed at an airbase in Romania. She joins Clare to tell us more about being a woman in the RAF and her experiences.

Jojo Moyes is the bestselling author of 17 novels, including the smash hit Me Before You which was adapted into a Hollywood film. Her new novel We All Live Here tells the story of Lila, a woman dealing with divorce, teenage children and duelling fathers. Jojo joins Clare in the studio to tell us about this ultimate sandwich situation.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell

In the last year, women with disabilities experienced domestic abuse at more than twice the rate of those without, according to the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Yet data from Women’s Aid shows less than 1% of refuge vacancies in England are suitable for wheelchair users. Where does this leave women with disabilities impacted by domestic abuse? Anita Rani hears one anonymous woman’s experience and is joined by Angie Airlie, CEO of Stay Safe East and Rebecca Goshawk, a director of Solace Women’s Aid.

Mrs Robinson is a feature-length documentary about Ireland’s first female president, Mary Robinson. Telling the story of her childhood and career for the first time on screen, it was filmed over three years, and takes a deep-dive into Mary Robinson’s career as she discusses the significant controversies throughout her tenure, her own professional regrets and examines how her gift for bridging differences was instrumental in bringing about seismic change in Ireland. Mary Robinson joined Clare McDonnell to talk about it.

Preet Chandi, better known as Polar Preet, broke world records in 2023 when she made the longest solo and unsupported journey across Antarctica, crossing 922 miles in 70 days. Now Preet is setting her sights on the North Pole, hoping to cross 500 miles of sea ice to reach it in under 70 days. She joined Anita to discuss why she’s making the change to the North Pole, how she plans to get there and how she plans on dealing with polar bears.

Reality star turned documentary filmmaker Vicky Pattison joined Clare to discuss her latest project, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape. The documentary sees her exploring the proliferation of videos generated by AI, whereby people’s faces are placed onto pornographic images and shared without their consent. Vicky talked about creating her own deepfake sex tape and looks at the impact the phenomenon is having on women and girls.

The singer-songwriter Rumer is a MOBO award winner and double Brit Award nominee. Her new album In Session is out, celebrating the 15th anniversary of her platinum debut album Seasons Of My Soul. The success that followed that album affected Rumer's mental health. She stepped away from the industry and relocated to the US. Now back in the UK she has returned to the record that has shaped so much of her life both professionally and personally. Rumer joined Anita to talk about her life and to perform live in the studio.

Presenter: Anita Rani

The singer/songwriter Rumer is a MOBO award winner and double Brit Award nominee. Her new album In Session is out today celebrating the 15th anniversary of her platinum debut album Seasons Of My Soul. The success that followed that album affected her mental health. She stepped away from the industry and relocated to the US. Now back in the UK she has returned to the record that has shaped so much of her life both professionally and personally. Rumer joins Anita Rani to talk about her life and music and to perform live in the studio.

Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team have played their first match since being exiled three years ago. Cricket commentator Alison Mitchell and Firoza Amiri from the squad discuss the game and their fight for official ICC recognition.

Are people better served by sexual assault referral centres than by self- swabbing in cases of alleged rape? Tana Adkin KC says we should be careful. Katie White is the co-founder of Enough, who have developed these kits and currently running a pilot project in Bristol. They've given away 7000 in just 12 weeks. The two of them are in the Woman's Hour studio to discuss.

Actor and comedian Kerry Godliman, is best known for her portrayal of Lisa Johnson, the deceased wife of Ricky Gervais’ character Tony in the hit Netflix series After Life. She now returns to the stage with her new stand-up show Bandwidth – on being a middle age woman – everything from parenting teenagers, to considering dealing HRT on the black market to losing her mum bag.

Presenter: Anita Rani

The Royal Ballet School (RBS) has reached a financial settlement with former student Ellen Elphick who said the body-shaming she experienced while at the elite institution has left her with lifelong psychological damage. The London-based school accepts no liability for the former dancer’s case and has not issued an apology. Ellen talks to Anita Rani about the experience along with her lawyer, Dino Nocivelli.

Female-dominated films are more likely to get more sexist criticism in reviews- that's according to a study of more than 17,000 reviews. Another study looked at how women in finance are portrayed in films and how this impacts real women working in the sector. Anita talks to the film critic, Leila Latif, about women in film.

Cardiff University has announced possible cuts to 400 full-time jobs amid a funding shortfall. One of the departments to be potentially impacted is nursing and, whilst the university has said that no "final decisions" have been made and there's "no immediate impact" to those currently studying, concerns have been raised about the future supply of those going into the profession. Anita talks to Helen Whyley, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales.

Preet Chandi, better known as Polar Preet, broke world records in 2023 when she made the longest solo and unsupported journey across Antarctica, crossing 922 miles in 70 days. Now Preet is setting her sights on the North Pole, hoping to cross 500 miles of sea ice to reach it in under 70 days. She joins Anita to discuss why she’s making the change to the North Pole, how she plans to get there and how she plans on dealing with polar bears.

Poet Maria Ferguson has a new collection out. It’s called Swell, and it explores the highs and lows of conception, pregnancy and motherhood, including looking at miscarriage. Maria joins Anita to talk about her compositions and why she wanted to write about becoming a mother.

Presenter: Anita Rani

In the last year, women with disabilities experienced domestic abuse at more than twice the rate of those without, according to the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Yet data from Women’s Aid shows less than 1% of refuge vacancies in England are suitable for wheelchair users. Where does this leave women with disabilities impacted by domestic abuse? Anita Rani hears about one anonymous woman’s experience and is joined by Angie Airlie, CEO of Stay Safe East and Rebecca Goshawk, a director of Solace Women’s Aid.

Singer Roxanne de Bastion’s grandfather was a Holocaust survivor and a renowned pianist. She joins Anita to discuss bringing his music to a modern audience and tracing his story for her book, The Piano Player of Budapest.

Aisling Walsh, Bafta-winning director of Room at the Top and Elizabeth is Missing, has a new project – the BBC series Miss Austen. Aisling speaks to Anita about the series, which reimagines the life of Cassandra Austen, Jane's sister, and her career in giving a voice to unheard stories through film and TV.

The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) was created to tackle misconduct across the arts and media sectors. But more than a year later, it’s struggling to secure funding and deliver on its mission. Anita hears from the CEO Jen Smith and Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives in Music, to explore the challenges CIISA faces and how the music industry can work towards being safer for women.

Presenter: Anita Rani

Reality star turned documentary filmmaker Vicky Pattison joins Clare McDonnell to discuss her latest project, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape. The documentary sees her exploring the proliferation of videos generated by AI whereby people’s faces are placed onto pornographic images and shared without their consent. Vicky talks about creating her own deepfake sex tape and looks at the impact the phenomenon is having on women and girls.

A rapid review commissioned by the government in response to the Southport attacks has been leaked, including suggestions that the definition of extremism should be widened to include men who are prejudiced against women, along with potentially violent environmentalists, the far left and conspiracy theorists. The BBC has been told Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, doesn't agree with the findings and will order the focus to remain on Islamist and far-right extremism. We're joined by BBC Political correspondent Tom Symonds, author and journalist Joan Smith and and Ian Corbett, Participation, Engagement and Policy Advisor for the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell