Woman's Hour

Former England and Manchester City captain Steph Houghton was one of the first big names in women's football. In her new book, Leading From The Back, she details her experience of fighting to take the women's game from niche to mainstream. She also talks to Kylie Pentelow about her husband, former footballer Stephen Darby, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2018.In one of his first moves since his victory in the US election, President-elect Donald Trump has named his 2024 campaign manager, Susie Wiles, as his chief of staff in the White House. She will make history as the first woman to hold the title. But what do we know about the woman Trump referred to as the "ice maiden"? Kylie is joined by Anne McElvoy, Executive Editor at POLITICO and host of the Power Play podcast to discuss.Award-winning Turkish writer and political thinker Ece Temelkuran speaks to Anita Rani about a new play based on her novel, Women Who Blow on Knots. It's set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring in 2012, and four women embark on a road trip starting from Tunisia through Libya and Egypt to Lebanon, and is currently at the Arcola Theatre in East London.This Sunday, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light starts on BBC One. The much anticipated second series of the TV adaption of Hilary Mantel’s novels starts when Anne Boleyn is executed, and Henry VIII marries his third queen, Jane Seymour. Jane is played by Peaky Blinders actress Kate Phillips – she joins Kylie to talk more about the iconic role.

As Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the 2024 US Presidential Election and the election coverage dominates front pages around the world, we discuss what a second Trump presidency may mean for women. Krupa Padhy speaks to Woman's Hour presenter Nuala McGovern, who is in Washington DC, about what’s happened overnight, the latest news from the Harris campaign and any further information that has been revealed about women voters. Krupa is also joined by US Deputy Editor for the Telegraph, Rozina Sabur, and Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House.Iqra Ismail, a football coach and refugee advocate, was prevented from playing in a match last month because she wears tracksuit bottoms rather than shorts, which she says compromises her religious beliefs. Iqra, who captained Somalia in 2019, was expected to play her first game against an east London team, but was told by the referee that club shorts were a requirement. Iqra joins Krupa to discuss why she has chosen to speak out.Do you have a first date red-flag question? What would be an absolute sure-fire, definite no-no answer which would tell you there is definitely going to be no second date? Olivia Rodrigo, the American singer-songwriter and actor, is quoted as saying that if her date wants to go to space, that is a red flag for her. Krupa talks to Helen Coffey, senior journalist at the Independent who's written her take on questions she would ask, and Poppy Jay, director and podcaster most famously on Brown Girls Do It Too and now the spin-off Big Boy Energy.From Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus to Gustav Klimt’s Mother and Child, women’s bodies have been a major theme throughout art history. But can we ‘reinvent’ the classic nude? Artist Sophie Tea is famed for doing just that, with paintings celebrating the female form and women of all shapes and sizes. Sophie joins Krupa in the studio to discuss finding fame on social media, pushing back against the ‘ideal’ body type and trying to make women feel a little bit nicer about themselves.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Rebecca Myatt

As results come in from the 2024 US Presidential Election, Krupa Padhy speaks to Woman’s Hour presenter Nuala McGovern from Washington DC about what we know so far, and the big ticket issues for women in this election. Krupa gets reaction from Sarah Elliott, spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK and Sharon Manitta, spokesperson for Democrats Abroad UK. And, as further results come in from the battleground states, she speaks to Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby is in London for four nights only with their new show: Woof!. They join Krupa to talk about their diagnosis of Autism and ADHD and how that influences their work, and what they want people to get from their performance. Irina Janakievska is a food writer and recipe developer. Born in what is now North Macedonia, she left her career in corporate law to follow her passion for sharing her love of Balkan cuisine. In her new cookery book, The Balkan Kitchen, she takes us on a culinary and cultural journey across the former Yugoslavia with recipes that speak for the vast and varied cuisine of a region overshadowed by conflict in recent years – from North Macedonia to Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo. Presented by Krupa Padhy Producer: Louise Corley

This week sees the culmination of the women's tennis season as the WTA finals are held, somewhat controversially, in Saudi Arabia. So far, top seed Aryna Sabalenka is through to the first semi-final, the second semi-final will be decided tomorrow. However, the decision to hold the tournament in a country which has been criticised for it's treatment of women has been in the spotlight and under scrutiny. To discuss this more, Clare McDonnell is joined by sports reporter Catherine Whitaker and Felix Jakens who is head of campaigns at Amnesty International.A Woman's Hour listener is fed up with the phrase 'Dear Sirs' - Ellie Rees is the co-founder of Brickworks Estate Agency and despite her team being all female, they are often addressed in this way. Clare is joined by Ellie to discuss this, and also by Susie Dent, the author and lexicographer. ADWOMEN: 100 Years of Women in Advertising opens this week at the Museum of Brands in London. It features iconic adverts from the 1920s to the present day looking at the creative women within advertising and the portrayal of women within the adverts themselves. It also examines the impact of advertising on women’s lives through defining periods of social history. Clare speaks to Alice Kain, the curator, and Sabina Usher, Head of Strategy and Partner at OMD.Playwright Caitriona Cunningham has drawn on her own experience of being in a mother and baby home in 1979 for The Marian Hotel, a production that’s currently touring Northern Ireland. In it, a group of young pregnant unmarried women hold each other up with sharp, dark humour against the backdrop of the Troubles. Caitriona joins Clare to explain why she decided to tell this story now.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Emma Pearce

Kemi Badenoch is the first woman of colour to lead a major political party in the UK, after being elected as leader of the Conservative Party at the weekend. What do we know about her as a woman, and as a politician? What does this mean for women in the Tory party? Clare McDonnell speaks to Katy Balls, political editor of the Spectator, Ella Robertson McKay, former head of Conservative Young Women, and Tory peer Baroness Kate Fall.The Women's 100 metre Olympic champion Julien Alfred joins Clare in the studio. Her gold medal in Paris was the first time St Lucia had won an Olympic medal. She discusses what it took to become a champion and also having a national day named after her. The author Eliza Clark is publishing a new collection of short stories: She’s Always Hungry. She joins Clare to talk about why she wanted to cover topics from matriarchal societies to body image, and how she thinks female authors deserve more respect.Natalie Hewit spent two months in Antarctica directing and producing on the documentary film Endurance, about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition. It was a labour of love, and features restored footage and AI-recreated voices of the original crew in 1914, as well as chronicling the discovery in 2022 of Shackleton’s ship, 3000 metres down in the icy waters of the Weddell Sea. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Lottie Garton

British-Egyptian activist and Maths professor Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike for the past month to protest her son Alaa’s incarceration in Egypt. He is the country’s most high profile political prisoner. Laila and her daughter Sanaa – who has faced arrest and imprisonment herself – joined Anita Rani to talk about why they won’t stop fighting for Alaa’s release.The BAFTA-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin stars as Delia in the new ITV series Until I Kill You. It tells the true story of Delia Balmer, who was the girlfriend of serial killer John Sweeney. Anna joined Nuala McGovern to talk about why she wanted to tell Delia’s story, as well as her personal experiences of grief and struggles with the special educational needs system.The United States goes to the polls next week and presidential candidates are campaigning furiously, with the two frontrunners being the Democratic nominee and current Vice President, Kamala Harris and the Republican nominee and former President, Donald Trump. As a programme, we’re taking a look at whether there’s such a thing as the ‘the woman’s vote'. How are different groups of women likely to vote and why? Nuala spoke to Kathy Frankovic, Consultant to YouGov America and former director of surveys for CBS News and Debbie Walsh, Director of the Centre for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University.Sacked from her job by voicemail the day after she informed her employer she was pregnant Joeli Brearley set up Pregnant Then Screwed to end pregnancy and maternity discrimination. The charity has helped to influence new flexible working and redundancy protection laws, providing advice to hundreds of thousands of women when they face discrimination and challenging employers and government in high profile cases. After ten years Joeli is stepping down as CEO. She joined Nuala in the Woman's Hour studio.Film historian Jennifer Smyth talked to Nuala about the life and legacy of the pioneering American screenwriter, Mary McCall Jr. The first woman president of the Screen Writers Guild in 1942, Mary was a key negotiator ensuring better rights and wages for all screenwriters in the film industry. But after years of standing up to male studio heads, she would be blacklisted and go from being one of the biggest earners in Hollywood to living on nickels and dimes.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Emma Pearce

Saoirse Ronan’s comments on the Graham Norton Show last week when she interjected in a conversation about self-defence and highlighted the issue of women’s safety are continuing to make headlines. She was applauded by the audience, but how much courage does it take to call something out like this? Joining Anita Rani to discuss are the journalist Ash Sarkar and counselling psychologist Dr Elaine Kasket. British-Egyptian activist and maths professor Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike for the past month to protest her son Alaa’s incarceration in Egypt. He is the country’s most high profile political prisoner. Laila and her daughter Sanaa – who has faced arrest and imprisonment herself – join Anita to talk about why they won’t stop fighting for Alaa’s release.Donna Ockenden, the midwife best known for leading independent investigations into shocking maternity scandals says she's 'disgusted' at the experience her disabled daughter, Phoebe, had in A&E recently. Phoebe and Donna join Anita for their first broadcast interview to explain what went wrong and what they want to change.It’s not uncommon to see young children using a tablet or a video game, but how much time on these devices is too much? A new UK study has explored how children under three engage with digital technology at home. The research reveals the significant extent of toddlers’ access to various devices, and highlights how these devices can support their early language and literacy development. Anita is joined by Professor Rosie Flewitt who led the study.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Maryam Maruf Editor: Sarah Crawley Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

Following the announcement of Labour’s first budget in fourteen years – and the first Budget announced by a woman Chancellor – we hear how women across the country will be affected. Anita Rani speaks to Mehreen Khan, the economics editor of The Times, Sara Reis, deputy director and head of research at Women’s Budget Group and Jo, a participant in the Changing Realities project, a collaboration of parents and carers on a low income and researchers from the University of York and Child Poverty Action.With Halloween upon us, Queen of African Horror Nuzo Onoh joins Anita to talk about her new novel Where the Dead Brides Gather, her journey to getting published and spooky celebrations in Nigeria. How many of us have grown up with parts of our lives unknown to our parents? Born with a degenerative muscular disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Mats Steen was in a wheelchair by the age of 8, and was in an out of hospital right up until he died at the age of 25. As his family mourned his loss, it emerged that Mats had an online life that his parents knew nothing about. In a new Netflix documentary, his mother Trude, his father Robert and his sister Mia describe what it was like to discover Mats' secret world. Trude joins Anita to discuss. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Laura Northedge

The business owner Martha Keith found her products being sold fraudulently online. She tells Nuala how she set about trying to take control of the situation. Last month Lloyds Bank warned of a huge rise in rogue retailers using fake websites to trick people into buying items that are never dispatched. To discuss Nuala is also joined by Katherine Hart, Lead Officer for Scams for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation. With less than a week to go until the US Presidential election next Tuesday, how are the campaigns trying to appeal to male and female voters? Nuala speaks to Jill Lepore, Professor of American History at Harvard University, and Edward Luce, US National Editor at the Financial Times.The Taliban has announced new restrictions on women in Afghanistan, which mean women are not allowed to pray out loud or sing together. We hear more from the BBC's Shazia Haya and Fawzia Koofi, the former deputy speaker of parliament in Afghanistan, who was a member of the peace negotiations with the Taliban.Film historian Jennifer Smyth talks to Nuala about the life and legacy of the pioneering American screenwriter, Mary McCall Jr. The first woman president of the Screen Writers Guild in 1942, Mary was a key negotiator ensuring better rights and wages for all screenwriters in the film industry. But after years of standing up to male studio heads, she would be blacklisted and go from being one of the biggest earners in Hollywood to living on nickels and dimes.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Sacked from her job by voicemail the day after she informed her employer she was pregnant Joeli Brearley set up Pregnant Then Screwed to end pregnancy and maternity discrimination. The charity has helped to influence new flexible working and redundancy protection laws, providing advice to hundreds of thousands of women when they face discrimination and challenging employers and government in high profile cases. After ten years Joeli is stepping down as CEO. She joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman's Hour studio.The United States goes to the polls one week today and presidential candidates are campaigning furiously, with the two frontrunners being the Democratic nominee and current Vice President, Kamala Harris and the Republican nominee and former President, Donald Trump. As a programme, we’re taking a look at whether there’s such a thing as the ‘the woman’s vote'. How are different groups of women likely to vote and why? Nuala speaks to Kathy Frankovic, Consultant to YouGov America and former director of surveys for CBS News and Debbie Walsh, Director of the Centre for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University.Last night’s 2024 Ballon d’Or Awards in Paris saw the Ballon d’Or Feminin award go to Aitana Bonmati for the second year in a row, and former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes win Women’s Coach of the Year. We hear from BBC Women’s Football reporter Emma Sanders for a round-up. Rae Mainwaring was only 23 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since then she's gone on to be a successful writer and theatre maker, and a mother of two children, and now her play Bright Places, about growing up in the shadow of a chronic illness is being staged at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She joins us in the Woman's Hour studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey