Inspired by her childhood in York, Emma Robertson, Senior Lecturer in History at La Trobe University, Australia explores chocolate and the history of imperial exploitation, sexism and racism in her study ‘Chocolate, Women and Empire: a Social and Cultural History’. Emma talks about the ‘ordinary’ women positioned at the two key stages of production, the cocoa farms of Nigeria and the Rowntree factory in York. Women play a critical role in the cacao industry in West Africa but patriarchal attitud...
Apr 05, 2021•58 min
It’s nearly 30 years since Sharon Stone starred in Basic Instinct, with the famous uncrossing-of-legs scene. In 2001, after adopting her first child, she suffered a stroke and almost died. In an exclusive interview with Emma Barnett she talks about her autobiography - The Beauty of Living Twice. This summer, students in England will receive A-level and GCSE results based on their teachers’ predictions, after official exams have been cancelled for the second year. Teachers will be required to com...
Apr 03, 2021•56 min
It’s exams season coming up. This summer, students will receive A-level and GCSE results based on their teachers’ predictions, after exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic. Teachers will be required to compile evidence to substantiate their predicted grades. Ministers have insisted that this year's grading system is the fairest plan, rather than using algorithms. However, there are concerns that ‘pointy elbow’ parents have been pressurising teachers to boost their ...
Apr 02, 2021•42 min
It’s nearly thirty years since Sharon Stone was in the film Basic Instinct, with the famous uncrossing-of-legs scene. She really wanted the role but only got it after twelve other actresses turned it down. After Basic Instinct more films followed including Casino alongside Robert De Niro. In 2001, after adopting her first child, she suffered a stroke and almost died. She’s now written her autobiography called The Beauty of Living Twice. She gave Woman's Hour her only UK broadcast interview. On t...
Apr 01, 2021•57 min
Continuing our look at what’s being reported as “rape culture” in schools, we talk about the impact of pornography on young people and its effect on relationships and sex. Emma Barnett talks to Dr Fiona Vera-Gray from Durham University and Cindy Gallop founder of MakeLoveNotPorn. We hear from the thriller writer Erin Kelly who talks about her latest novel – “Watch Her Fall” – set in the world of elite ballet. After Germany's announcement that it's restricting the use of the Oxford AstraZeneca va...
Mar 31, 2021•43 min
Emma Barnett talks to Jessica Moxham about her memoir "The Cracks that Let the Light in: What I learned from my disabled son." Also to Noof Al Maadeed and Rothna Begum about life for women in Qatar and the issue of male guardianship and the former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Macdonald and Harriet Wistritch from the Centre for Womens Justice talk about the issue of "rape culture" in schools. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tanzy Leitner
Mar 30, 2021•44 min
There are widespread allegations of peer to peer misogyny, harassment, abuse and assault of girls in schools. This eruption - which has been bubbling since last week - has been described as the potential me too moment for schools - as pupils flock to a website called Everyone's Invited which was set up last year as a place where victims can post anonymous accounts of abuse they had suffered. It has now received more than 7,000 testimonies - including accounts from children as young as nine. Many...
Mar 29, 2021•44 min
Last week marked the first anniversary of lockdown. We hear from three women of different ages, backgrounds and circumstances to discuss their experiences of having to stay at home. Actor and author Sheila Hancock and writers Kerry Hudson and Yasmin Rahman tell us about their highs and lows. Friday marks 50 years of Bangladesh Independence. The BBC Asian Network presenter Nadia Ali and Shaz Aberdean, a community worker in Swansea tell us about the celebrations. We discuss the ins and outs of cry...
Mar 27, 2021•56 min
Today the Supreme Court will give its judgement on one of the largest ever equal pay claims . It could have implications for women working in retail all over the UK. It involves those working in the supermarket Asda stores, who are mainly women, who are being paid less than those working in the distribution depot, who are mainly men. The case has been going on for over 5 years. Reporter Melanie Abbott will tell us about its implications for workers across the sector and we hear reaction from Wen...
Mar 26, 2021•43 min
A newspaper article reported on discussions around children in the UK being offered COVID-19 vaccines as early as August, although a spokesperson from DHSC has said: "no decisions have been made on whether children should be offered vaccinations". In February the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine began testing on children. There are 300 volunteers aged between six and 17 taking part in the trial. So, what is the likelihood of all children being included in future vaccination programmes. Krupa Padhy dis...
Mar 25, 2021•42 min
Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body, often around reproductive organs, bowel and bladder. This can cause inflammation, pain and scar tissue. We hear about a new study which uses Dichloroacetate as a treatment. Jessica Rafferty talks to use about her experience which includes more than 200 visits to the hospital. And we also hear from Andrew Horne, Professor of Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Universit...
Mar 24, 2021•42 min
It's exactly a year since Boris Johnson delivered the instruction to stay at home. To mark the occasion, we've assembled three women of different ages, backgrounds and circumstances to discuss their experiences of being confined for the most part in the home. Actor and author Sheila Hancock and writers Kerry Hudson and Yasmin Rahman join Emma. The future of Nicola Sturgeon has been in the balance in recent weeks as she's faced not one but two major inquiries. Yesterday afternoon an independent i...
Mar 23, 2021•43 min
The average age of menopause is 51, and menopause itself only lasts for one day, because it simply marks the one-year anniversary of your last period. Perimenopause, on the other hand, refers to the period of time in which you’ll have cycles, but start to experience ‘menopausal’ symptoms. Three quarters of women experience significant symptoms during the perimenopause, yet there is little in the way of evidence based information available. Comical descriptions of symptoms including hot flushes a...
Mar 22, 2021•42 min
Susannah Fish, former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police and Olivia Pinkney Chief Constable for Hampshire talk about how confident women can be in reporting crime to the police. We hear from Conroy Harris, CEO of A Band of Brothers, David Challen, domestic violence campaigner and Mike Berry, Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist on why men attack women and what can be done to stop it. Why is inclusion in beauty important? Make-up artist and model Sasha Pallari and founder of MDMflow, ...
Mar 20, 2021•56 min
The Supreme Court are today announcing their judgement on the so-called "pizza test". That is whether a residential or home carer who "sleeps in" is entitled to the minimum wage. The reason it is named the "pizza test" is that they are required to be on site, and cannot leave to go and buy a pizza, even if they're not actually performing some specific caring activity. The case was brought by a highly-qualified care support worker called Clare Tomlinson-Blake. If the Supreme Court find in her fav...
Mar 19, 2021•43 min
Today we have three men on Woman's Hour talking about male violence. They're discussing why some men attack women and what can be done to stop it. We know that statistically more men than women are likely to be victims of male violence, but we also know that most women have felt frightened when walking alone on the streets, and most change what they do to keep safe. Sarah Everard's death has provoked a national conversation about women's safety, so today we're getting a male point of view. We ha...
Mar 18, 2021•43 min
The death of Sarah Everard has led to concerns for women's safety in public. Women have been encouraged to put their trust in the police if facing harassment or any kind of jeopardy. But following last Saturday's vigil on Clapham Common, where the Met police were criticised for their response, just how confident can women be in the police? Did their behaviour at that event reveal an institutional misogyny? Emma talks to Susannah Fish, former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police force and Ol...
Mar 17, 2021•43 min
After Sarah Everard’s murder, there are calls to make the streets safer for women. So, how can that be done? And how can town planning reduce the risk for women when they’re walking alone? Dr Ellie Cosgrave, a lecturer in Urban Innovation and Policy at UCL, describes her vision of safe cities designed with women in mind. Yesterday Boris Johnson's Criminal Justice Taskforce came up with a series of new measures to help protect women and girls, including better street lighting, CCTV and a new idea...
Mar 16, 2021•43 min
Reaction to Sarah Everard’s vigil and the actions of the Metropolitan Police . Among the thousands who came to Clapham Common in South London on Saturday night to pay their respects to her were feminist writer and member of Southall Black Sister, Rahila Gupta and campaigner and columnist at the i, Kate Maltby. Emma speaks to them both, and to Sir Peter Fahy, retired former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police about the policing of the event. Plus we hear from Jan Royall, Baroness Royall ...
Mar 15, 2021•43 min
The art of the repair, Molly Martin an illustrator and textile repairer, tells us why repairing clothes, furniture and appliances can be beneficial to not only your pocket but to your mind. The government's proposed one per cent pay rise for NHS staff is discussed with the Health Minister Nadine Dorries and Dame Donna Kinnair, nurse and chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing. We look at how more than 70 women in a small English town have had their private, often na...
Mar 13, 2021•56 min
An interim report into British Gymnastics, published this week, revealed 1,500 complaints between 2015 and 2020, including 39 claims passed to police. Jessica Creighton is joined by former gymnast, Claire Heafford and Sarah Moore, one of the lawyers working on the case. It took a year for Maria Beatrice Giovanardi to convince the Oxford Dictionary of English to not only change their definition of 'woman' but to re-examine the synonyms for 'woman' in their thesaurus, and amend the contents. Maria...
Mar 12, 2021•42 min
The Health Minister Nadine Dorries joins Emma to talk about her plans to cut deaths caused by Strep B infection in newborn babies, as well as nurses' pay and the government’s new consultation on a women’s health strategy. The row over the government's proposed one per cent pay rise for NHS staff shows no sign of quietening down - with the attention having moved towards nurses' wages in particular. Strike action has been threatened by nurses' unions over the proposals and the Prime Minister came ...
Mar 11, 2021•42 min
During lockdown, when we haven't quite had access to the shops we might need, many have turned to 'fixing up' items around the house, and mending our own clothes. With the popularity of shows like The Repair Shop and Salvage Hunters, what stories do our possessions carry, and how can restoration keep them alive? Emma meets Molly Martin, an illustrator, textile repairer, and author of 'The Art of Repair' who runs workshops on how to mend mindfully. More than 70 women in a small English town have ...
Mar 10, 2021•42 min
As Children return to school across the UK an increasing number of parents are choosing to educate their children at home on a permanent basis. Many have enjoyed home schooling their kids during Covid and see it as an opportunity to explore a new way of learning. Critics however are concerned that it’s unregulated. We hear from Gail Tolley from the Association of Directors of Children's Services and to Hannah Titley from the Home Schooling Association. Trisha Goddard who had her own UK day time ...
Mar 09, 2021•43 min
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was broadcast last night on CBS in the US. It is due to air here in the UK tonight on ITV at 9pm. What might be the repercussions of the interview with the two former working Royals? Emma talks to Jennie Bond who was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, activist, lawyer and author of This is Why I Resist. The broadcaster Clemency Burton Hill tells us about a special one off episode of the Classical F...
Mar 08, 2021•42 min
Pensions expert, Baroness Ros Altman talks about the state pension scandal which only affects women. Around 200,000 of them could be due pay-outs averaging £13,500 to top-up the underpayment of their state pension. We hear from the critically acclaimed and award-winning author, Isabel Allende. She tells us about her latest book 'The ‘Soul of a Woman’ - her memoir on feminism and what it means to be a woman. What can Greek goddesses teach us about ourselves today? Classicist, Natalie Haynes and H...
Mar 06, 2021•56 min
Anita Rani talks to the Chilean author Isabel Allende, also to the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. To mark International Women's Day we have music with Madeleine Mitchell & Errollyn Wallen and we look at the future of workwear post lockdown. Will power suits and formal wear be a thing of the past after a year of lounging in comfies? Emma Jacobs from the Financial Times considers our appetite for zoom casual clothing and what we can expect when we all return to the office in the coming...
Mar 05, 2021•43 min
Silence Is a Sense is a new novel by Layla AlAmmar: a Kuwaiti now based in Lancashire. Her novel is about a young woman from Syria who's living in a block of flats in a small English city. It's about the people she watches from her window, and how she's settling in after leaving a war zone. Two out of every three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. Usually the message is eat less and move more, but is there something else going on? Rachel Batterham, Professor of Obesity, Diabetes an...
Mar 04, 2021•43 min
From May mothers' names will finally be featured alongside fathers' details on marriage certificates, in England and Wales thanks to years of campaigning both inside and outside of parliament. We hear from Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler who started the campaign for change back in 2013 and Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar who is the Church of England’s Head of Life Events. Today one of the most powoerful women in UK politics, Nicola Sturgeon has been giving evidence to a special committee set up by the Scott...
Mar 03, 2021•42 min
As International Women’s Day approaches and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue, what are the most pressing issues facing women in Afghanistan? We hear from BBC Afghan reporter Mahjooba Nowrouzi and scholar and women’s rights advocate Dr Orzala Ashraf Nemat. We're missing hugs, but maybe we'll get them back soon. A retired nurse in Scotland has been able to give her elderly mother a big hug for the first time in five months. Fiona Scott went to see her mum, Mary Co...
Mar 02, 2021•43 min
