Before the potential Prime Minister has even taken up office, a draft letter has been written for Andy Burnham asking him to appoint as many women as men in his government. It's from the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and asks for change to address the toxicity and misogyny within the Labour party and government. Political correspondent Nick Eardley discusses the letter and its context with Chloe Tilley. What happens when you're worried about your child's mental health, but help is months or...
Jul 01, 2026•57 min
As Baroness Amos releases her long-awaited National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation into maternity service failings in England, we discuss her key findings and what happens next. Presenter Nuala McGovern is joined by former MP and maternity campaigner Theo Clarke, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Karen Joash, and Legal Lead for the advocacy charity Birthrights, Laura Mullarkey. We'll also hear from MP and Maternity Advisor Michelle Welsh about the government's plan to appoint the...
Jun 30, 2026•57 min
The most prestigious tennis tournament in the world begins today. But Wimbledon has already attracted global attention before the courts even open, with the wildcard return of tennis legend Serena Williams announced earlier this month, and the shock exit of British number one Emma Raducanu due to a stress fracture in her lower right leg. Nuala McGovern is joined by former British number one tennis champion, Annabel Croft. The Metropolitan Police says that harm to women by London’s most dangerous...
Jun 29, 2026•54 min
Joanna Cherry was elected as an MP in 2015, part of the SNP landslide when they took 56 out of 59 Scottish seats, just a year after the referendum on Scottish independence resulted in a No vote. Joanna went on to lose her seat in 2024 and has become a vocal critic of the party, and of Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership. She was also well-known for expressing gender-critical views and concerns at a time when the SNP was trying to deliver a gender self-ID law in Scotland. She joins presenter Nuala McGov...
Jun 27, 2026•29 min
For three decades, the singer-songwriter Beth Orton has remained one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. She’s developed a devoted audience, winning a BRIT Award and Mercury Prize nominations for albums such as Trailer Park and Central Reservation. She has collaborated with artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Andrew Weatherall and Nick Cave, and she’s performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Glastonbury Festival and Carnegie Hall. Her 2022 alb...
Jun 26, 2026•54 min
More than 500 mothers and babies came to harm or died as a result of inadequate care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. That’s according to Donna Ockenden’s review into the maternity services there. Anita Rani speaks to the Times’ Health Editor Eleanor Hayward, and mothers Sarah Hawkins and Sarah Andrews whose babies, Harriet and Wynter, both died from preventable errors. Sarah Vine’s memoir, How Not to Be a Political Wife, is out in paperback this week, coinciding with the 10 year an...
Jun 25, 2026•57 min
Why are women’s bodies impacted by heat differently to men’s? What can women do to cool down? Nuala McGovern is joined by GP Dr Amir Khan, Alyx Gorman, lifestyle editor of Guardian Australia, who shares how women are coping with increasingly extreme temperatures, and the practical strategies they’re using to keep safe and comfortable. A new study has found that the majority of IVF add-ons assessed either show no effect on fertility or remain inconclusive due to limited or low-quality data. Nuala...
Jun 24, 2026•57 min
One of Northern Ireland's most high-profile politicians Jeffrey Donaldson is now convicted of 18 child sex abuse charges, including one charge of rape. One politician said the victims showed 'jaw dropping courage' in coming forward. We'll hear from the BBC's Tara Mills who has been in court throughout the trial. Since the start of the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup, the England team have won all three of their group matches against Sri Lanka, Ireland and Scotland, with the West Indies next up tom...
Jun 23, 2026•58 min
Maternity care and its shortcomings will be in the spotlight over the next fortnight, as the biggest maternity inquiry in the history of NHS England prepares to report its findings. The independent review by former midwife, Donna Ockenden, has looked into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Meanwhile new figures from the Royal College of Midwives show that more than nine out of 10 of those polled felt unsafe staffing levels are directly impacting the quality of care ...
Jun 22, 2026•57 min
Peptides have become a new buzzword in the wellness industry. Social media influencers have spoken about using them for optimising performance in the gym and improving their appearance, and they’re increasingly popular with women. But some unregulated peptides haven’t been through clinical trials and could be ineffective, or even harmful. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC Health reporter Ruth Clegg, who has been looking into the way women are using peptides, and Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy a...
Jun 20, 2026•58 min
Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day is out today in cinemas. It’s billed as an unromantic-comedy set in the early 20th century and tells the story of young aristocrat Katharine Hilbery, who dreams of studying astronomy at university, but society’s expectation is that she should marry. Anita Rani is joined by Haley Bennett who plays the determined lead character and Anna Snaith, Professor of Twentieth-Century Literature in the English Department, King’s College, London. Andy Burnham has won in the Mak...
Jun 19, 2026•58 min
The latest public version of ChatGPT can be made to generate sexualised images or depict scenes of graphic violence with a simple prompt, researchers have told the BBC. British AI security startup Mindgard figured out how to make ChatGPT create graphic pictures by slightly altering a widely-shared instruction, or prompt, which was originally designed to produce humorous results. To find out more, Anita Rani speaks to Technology correspondent Chris Vallance and Mindgard's Peter Garraghan. A spoke...
Jun 18, 2026•58 min
Tomorrow a by-election will be held in the parliamentary seat of Makerfield in Wigan, one of three taking place. Makerfield has found itself at the epicentre of British politics - and the result could decide the next prime minister. We look at what the polls are saying about the way women in the area are saying they will vote and what is impacting that decision. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC’s political correspondent Alex Forsyth. Scotland are one of the home nations, alongside England and Ire...
Jun 17, 2026•58 min
It’s been 10 years since Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered in broad daylight by a man who lived in her constituency, motivated by far-right extremism. That truly shocking event sparked a national conversation about the safety of our elected representatives, and the civility of our public discourse. During her lifetime, Jo’s philosophy was that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us” – a philosophy which led to the establishment of the...
Jun 16, 2026•57 min
The Prime Minister has announced a social media ban for under-16s to come into force in the early part of next year. The measures are part of the Government's plans to protect young people from harm online and address unhealthy late-night scrolling on phones. BBC reporter Chris Vallance outlines the developments and Nuala McGovern also hears from Professor Victoria Goodyear at the University of Birmngham, whose work explores how social media and digital technologies shape young people's physical...
Jun 15, 2026•57 min
This week, two debut authors received the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, each worth £30,000, respectively. Anita Rani spoke to the two winners, novelist Virginia Evans and Lyse Doucet, known to listeners as the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent. The Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup has begun. Nuala McGovern talked to Clare Connor, former England women’s captain, now the outgoing Managing Director of England Women. Over her 18 years in the job, Clare has overseen the professionalis...
Jun 13, 2026•57 min
Last night, two debut authors received the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, each worth £30,000, respectively. Anita Rani speaks to the two winners, novelist Virginia Evans and Lyse Doucet, known to listeners as the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent. Last week, Hannah Murray, who played Gilly in Game of Thrones, told Anita that during the final season of the show, the papers wrote she was pregnant - when she wasn't. Hannah said that maybe this was the only acceptable way for a wom...
Jun 12, 2026•58 min
On Tuesday violence broke out across Belfast following a knife attack in the city. Stephen Ogilvie is in hospital with serious wounds after the attack, and a 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder. Ogilvie's family, politicians and police have called for calm after people took to the streets, with some reporting that residents were targeted based on their skin colour. Anita Rani speaks to Louise Cullen, BBC Correspondent in Northern Ireland and Twasul Mohammed, who came ...
Jun 11, 2026•57 min
A model who alleges Kanye West choked her on a music video set has told the BBC she was left feeling "suffocated, unsure and scared". Jennifer An, a former contestant on America's Next Top Model, is suing the rapper, now known as Ye, over an encounter she alleges took place in 2010. Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, presenter of BBC podcast Fame Under Fire, has interviewed Jennifer An and joins us to explain the story. A British woman has become the first ever to cross the Atlantic in a hydrogen gas b...
Jun 10, 2026•57 min
The Women’s T20 cricket world cup begins on Friday. Nuala McGovern talks to Clare Connor, former England women’s captain, now the outgoing Managing Director of England Women. Over her 18 years in the job Clare has overseen the professionalisation of the women’s game as well as a big boost in the grassroots participation. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is arguing that the Public Sector Equality Duty should be scrapped. This duty exists to make public authorities think about things like d...
Jun 09, 2026•58 min
Almost three years ago, Valdo Calocane – who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia – killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates. After three months of hearing evidence at the Nottingham Inquiry, Nuala McGovern talks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley-Kumar, the mothers of Barnaby and Grace, about what they believe must change and what they want to see happen now. Serena Williams - who after nearly four years is making her return to competitive tennis, playing in the doub...
Jun 08, 2026•57 min
In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot waved her legal right to anonymity for the trial of her then husband, declaring that shame has to change sides. Her then husband had drugged and raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. He was found guilty of her aggravated rape, along with 46 other men. Gisèle has now written her memoir, A Hymn to Life and joins Nuala McGovern to talk about her decision to have an open court, the devasting effect on her and her family of her ex-husband’s actio...
Jun 06, 2026•57 min
The way women give birth is changing, according to BBC analysis, which has discovered that one in four births in England are now emergency caesareans. The current figure is 26% - an increase of 8% in the past five years - and the rate of elective caesareans has also gone up. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say the system is struggling to cope with this increased level of unplanned surgeries. To discuss what's behind the rise and the potential impact on women, presenter Kyli...
Jun 05, 2026•57 min
Survivors who say they were abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed met Sir Keir Starmer yesterday afternoon, in what campaigners have described as a potentially significant moment. More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct against Al Fayed, dating back to 1977, have now been made. The meeting was organised by The Survivors Trust and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Survivors of Mohamed Al Fayed and Harrods. Kylie Pentelow was joined by Lucy Duckworth from The Survivors Trus...
Jun 04, 2026•57 min
New research shows that strength training twice a week can lengthen your life. Sarah Best and Emma Holmes, who are 49 and 51, will compete at an elite indoor fitness competition, the Hyrox World Championships later this month. Only the top 0.5% of competitors worldwide qualify to compete. They tell Nuala about how they achieved this impressive level of fitness and explain how you can be strong at any age. Lady Brittan is calling on the government to recognise those falsely accused as victims, wh...
Jun 03, 2026•57 min
A newly qualified doctor Charlotte Buttercase, has said she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment and intimidation while studying medicine at the University of Manchester. 32 other female students have now come forward to report similar abuse. Charlotte tells Nuala McGovern why she has waived her right to anonymity and written an open letter to the university to request a formal review of sexism within the School of Medical Sciences. More than 1000 women have added their signatures. Sprint...
Jun 02, 2026•57 min
In 2024 Gisèle Pelicot waved her legal right to anonymity for the trial of her then husband, declaring that shame has to change sides. Her then husband had drugged and raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. He was found guilty of her aggravated rape, along with 46 other men. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Gisèle has now written her memoir, A Hymn to Life and joins Nuala McGovern talk about her d...
Jun 01, 2026•57 min
World Rugby Player of the Year and World Cup Champion Ellie Kildunne joins Nuala McGovern fresh from a Player of the Match performance at the Six Nations final. She reflects on her rise to the top and the story behind her memoir Game Changer. What are the implications for girls and young women of Alan Milburn's review for the Government into rising levels of inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds? There are currently just under a million young people in this age range dubbed NEETs because they are ...
May 30, 2026•58 min
What are the implications for girls and young women of Alan Milburn's review for the Government into rising levels of inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds? There are currently just under a million young people in this age range dubbed NEETs because they are not in education, employment or training. Anita Rani speaks to former Labour Home Secretary Baroness Smith, now Minister for Skills, as well as Minister for Women and Equalities. A BBC investigation looks at on the global expansion of the mano...
May 29, 2026•57 min
The role of women is growing in Ukraine’s war effort, from military recruitment to frontline drone warfare. Anita Rani talks to 'Morva,' a female combat drone pilot who, aged 25, is fighting Russian forces on the front line and Olesia Horiainova, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre - a think tank that works in military recruitment - about how women, and not just Ukrainian women, are getting involved in the fight to defend the country. Alan Milburn, the former Labour ...
May 28, 2026•57 min
