Weekend Woman's Hour: Malala Yousafzai, Faulty breast implants, Petula Clark

Nov 1, 2025

Guest

Petula Clark

Guest

Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist, discusses her memoir, her rebellious university life, and the vital work of the Malala Fund for Afghan girls. Laura Smyth, a stand-up comedian and cancer survivor, talks about her unique journey into comedy and the themes of her tour, Born Aggy. Choreographer Amina Khayyam explores patriarchal challenges in her new dance piece. Lastly, veteran performer Petula Clark reminisces about her eight-decade career, including her WWII performances and collaborations with legends.

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INSIGHT

Education As The Defining Victory

Malala Yousafzai viewed graduating from university as a personal victory and proof she achieved her childhood mission.
Education was the defining goal that made her feel she had truly won after recovery.

ANECDOTE

Trauma Triggered By A Single Experience

Malala described a university incident with marijuana that triggered PTSD flashbacks from her Taliban attack.
The episode led her to panic attacks and ultimately to seek therapy months later.

ADVICE

Seek Therapy To Heal Trauma

Malala recommends therapy and professional support as essential parts of recovery from trauma.
She emphasizes time and expert help make traumatic memories shrink and become manageable.

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Thrust onto the public stage at 15 years old after the Taliban’s brutal attack on her life, Malala Yousafzai became an international icon for resilience and bravery. Described as a reflection on a life of a woman finally taking charge of her destiny, her memoir Finding My Way has just been published. She joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio.

There's a call to compensate women caught up in the scandal of faulty breast implants manufactured by a French company. The PIP scandal happened in 2012 when it emerged that the implants were filled with industrial silicone instead of medical grade silicone. The implants are far more likely to rupture than others. MPs on the Women’s and Equalities Committee have been hearing calls for compensation during their inquiry into the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures. Jan Spivey from PIP Action Campaign and Professor Carl Heneghan from The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine join us to discuss this.

What if all your dreams come true and you still find yourself a bit grumpy? That’s the brilliantly blunt question at the heart of Laura Smyth's stand-up tour, Born Aggy. Laura’s journey into comedy wasn’t exactly textbook. She left behind a career in teaching, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer that same year and - just two weeks after finishing treatment - was on stage in Live at the Apollo. She joins Nuala McGovern in the studio.

Choreographer and artist Amina Khayyam tells Anita about her new dance-theatre work, Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter, which opens soon in London after a national tour. It explores how patriarchy is enforced not only by men, but across generations of women, within family structures.

Singer, actor and performer, Petula Clark’s career has spanned over eight decades. She sang to wartime troops in the 40s, was a 1950s child star, became a European musical icon before conquering America with her No 1 hit Downtown. She starred in Hollywood movies alongside Fred Astaire and performed on stage in musicals including The Sound of Music, Sunset Boulevard and most recently Mary Poppins. Her autobiography - Is That You, Petula? is out now and she joins Nuala to look back at her long career.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Simon Richardson