Woman's Hour

Saskia Reeves, a versatile actor known for her role in 'Slow Horses,' shares insights into her latest performance in the National Theatre production 'End,' exploring complex relationships with co-star Clive Owen. Georgina Young, a registered childminder, discusses the pressing financial challenges her profession faces amidst declining numbers and government funding cuts. Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent, analyzes the UK’s counterterrorism policies, emphasizing the urgent need for organized repatriation of women and children still in camps in Iraq and Syria.

Lily Megson-Harvey, Policy Director at My Pension Expert, reveals how a staggering number of women could face poverty in retirement due to the gender pension gap. Maxime Rowson, from Rape Crisis England and Wales, discusses troubling delays in rape trials, urging for reforms to protect survivors. Professor Janet Cade shares eye-opening findings from the UK Women's Cohort Study regarding diet's impact on women's health. Novelist Harriet Lane delves into themes of social media, exploring how parasocial relationships shape modern friendships.

Davina Gupta, a seasoned BBC correspondent, dives into the turbulent political landscape surrounding former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her recent court verdict. Laura Brown, a former fashion editor and co-author, shares empowering insights on navigating job loss, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming the narrative around being fired. Emmy-winning composer Laura Karpman introduces her groundbreaking opera 'Balls,' which explores the gender dynamics of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes while advocating for gender parity in music composition.

Caroline Flack was a Bafta-winning TV presenter, host of shows including Love Island and The X Factor. In February of 2020, she took her own life ahead of a court case in which she was charged with the assault of her then boyfriend, after weeks of press scrutiny. Her mother Christine Flack tells Clare McDonnell about spending the past five years uncovering documents from the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to try to find out more about the events around Caroline’s death and she also questions the role of the press. That journey is documented in a two-part documentary out on Disney+ called Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth.This week, Women’s Super League Football officially unveil Design Guidelines for the Delivery of Elite Women’s Stadiums in England – a world first framework supporting clubs, local authorities, and architects in building or upgrading venues specifically for their women’s teams. They say the rapid growth of the women’s game has demonstrated that football venues, historically built and designed for male players and fans, need to be better equipped to cater towards the specific needs of female athletes and supporters. Hannah Buckley, Head of Infrastructure, Safety and Sustainability for WSL football and Suzy Wrack, women’s football correspondent for the Guardian discuss.Pelvic Girdle Pain, also known as pubic symphysis dysfunction, affects an estimated one in five pregnant women. It is often mild but can sometimes be debilitating and it's been highlighted by a BBC news report that has come out today. It's not harmful to the baby, but it can affect simple things like the mother's mobility. Kylie Pentelow spoke to Victoria Roberton, who experienced Pelvic Girdle Pain during her first pregnancy - she is now coordinator at the Pelvic Partnership, and Dr Nighat Arif, a GP specialising in women's health.As part of the Radio 4 Fatherhood season, Clare McDonnell and her guests discuss the role of fatherhood in men’s lives. Darren Harriott is a 37-year-old comedian and presenter of Father Figuring. Darren has now lived longer than his dad, who took his own life while in prison, and he is questioning would he be a good dad? What even makes a good dad? They were joined by Dr Robin Hadley who has written a book looking at why men, like himself, do not become fathers.Eleanor of Castile was England’s Queen as wife of Edward I. When she died in Lincoln in 1290, heartbroken Edward brought her body back to London with a 200 mile funeral cortege, commissioning 12 elaborate crosses to be created at every place her body rested. Historian Alice Loxton retraced the walk last year on the anniversary of the procession, a mere 734 years later. She joined Kylie Pentelow to tell her why.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Annette Wells

Layla Alsheikh and Mor Ynon, both members of the Parents Circle Families Forum, discuss their journeys of reconciliation following personal losses in the Israel-Palestine conflict. They share their challenges and hopes for lasting peace, navigating complex emotions after tragedy. Meanwhile, Rebecca Brewer reveals insights into her all-female musical Coven, which explores the Pendle witch trials, emphasizing women's voices and experiences. She discusses the creative process, themes of empowerment, and the unique atmosphere of a female-led production.

Runa Khan, the founder of Friendship and Earthshot Prize winner, discusses her work in Bangladesh on climate adaptation solutions, emphasizing the importance of locally led interventions. Nicôle Leckie, a writer and actor behind the BBC drama Wild Cherry, delves into the portrayal of complex mother-daughter dynamics and the impact of social media on teenagers. Historian Alice Loxton shares her unique journey retracing Eleanor of Castile's funeral cortege, exploring the queen's legacy and modern walking practices.

Laura Mulvey, a pioneering feminist film theorist, reflects on her landmark concept of the 'male gaze' as she receives a BFI Fellowship. Natalie Queiroz shares her harrowing survival story after being attacked while pregnant and reacts to the distressing news of her attacker's prison transfer approval. Suzy Wrack discusses new guidelines for women's football stadiums, emphasizing fan and player needs. Comedian Darren Harriott explores the complexities of fatherhood absence, questioning what it means to be a good dad through humor and personal anecdotes.

The UK's medicines watchdog has said criminal gangs in the UK have started making their own weight-loss drugs, with packaging and branding designed to look like legitimate products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned that the new trend poses a significant threat. Presenter Clare McDonnell is joined by Sukhi Basra, vice chair of the National Pharmacy Association who also runs a weight loss practice, to dicuss the risks. 'Buy now, pay later' credit schemes are increasingly being used to pay for everyday items like food, bus passes and school uniforms. Leading debt advisors have told the BBC that more women are juggling these debts as they struggle to cope with the cost of living. BBC Yorkshire investigations reporter, Stephanie Miskin, and Rebecca Routledge from debt advice organisation Money Wellness talk to Clare. Jackie Clune is an actor, writer and performer whose eclectic career has included a Karen Carpenter tribute act, Shakespeare, Mamma Mia! and most recently the narrator in a UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show. On screen, she’s familiar to many as Motherland's school secretary Mrs Lamb, but she’s also written novels and a memoir about unexpectedly becoming a mum to triplets at 39 and finding herself with four children under 19 months. She’s now on stage in The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights at London’s Park Theatre, playing a tough, no-nonsense boss fighting to keep the family business afloat. She joins Clare to discuss the play, parenting and grief. A rare 500-year-old English parchment birth scroll is to be shown in the UK for the first time following recent pioneering analysis that confirmed its use during pregnancy and childbirth. The medieval scroll is central to Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection at the Wellcome Collection exploring the protective practices and beliefs around pregnancy, childbirth and infertility that existed in medieval times. Dr Elma Brenner, Research Development Lead at Wellcome Collection and Professor Valerie Worth, Fellow of Trinity college oxford who holds a research grant from the Leverhulme Trust talk to Clare.Presented by: Clare McDonnell Produced by: Dianne McGregor

Christine Flack, mother of the late Caroline Flack, reveals her five-year investigation into her daughter's tragic death, highlighting police and press failures. Louise Penny, celebrated crime novelist, discusses her new book, The Black Wolf, sharing inspiration from her late husband and her experiences with palliative care. Emma Barnett shares her journey through perimenopause while launching her podcast, aiming to foster open conversations. Tom Middlehurst voices concerns about Ofsted's new inspection framework and its stressful implications for school leaders.

In Margaret Atwood’s 64-year career she has published world-renowned, prescient novels like The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace and Blind Assassin, and now a memoir. Margaret joins Nuala McGovern to discuss Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts and reflect on her life, her work and the power of knowing her own mind.Pornography featuring strangulation or suffocation - often called choking - is due to be criminalised across the UK as part of government plans to tackle violence against women and girls. It follows an independent review which found depictions of choking were "rife" on mainstream porn sites and had helped normalise the act among young people. Gemma Kelly, policy consultant on the review, and Professor Clare McGlynn, leading expert on VAWG and gender equality, discuss. The Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter Cat Burns has also just released her new album, How to Be Human. She joins Nuala to discuss her new album and taking part in Celebrity Traitors. Writer and producer Nova Reid joins Anita Rani to talk about the late Dame Jocelyn Barrow, the race relations campaigner and the first black female governor of the BBC whose story Nova tells in her new podcast, Hidden Histories with Nova Reid. The interview includes a clip of Jocelyn from 2017 sharing her thoughts with The University of Law on what she considered to be the greatest improvements in diversity.Is having a boyfriend now embarrassing? Writer Chanté Joseph recently explored this idea in an article for Vogue and on social media, observing a noticeable shift in how people - particularly heterosexual women - present their relationships online. Instead of posting clear photos of their romantic partners, many are choosing subtler signals: a hand on a steering wheel, clinking glasses, or even blurring out faces in wedding pictures. But why the change? Anita hears more from Chante. A grande dame of musical theatre, Elaine Paige made her West End debut in the 1960s and shot to fame in 1978 playing Eva Perón in Evita, going on to star in Cats, Chess, Sunset Boulevard and many more. Elaine talks to Anita about her damehood, fostering the next generation of talent and having stage fright. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor