Woman's Hour

For generations of women and girls, glossy magazines have been a guide to clothes, lifestyles, relationships and, of course, sex. Titles like Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Own and Sugar were pored over by thousands of us and now there is a podcast that celebrates those beloved back issues. Every week the hosts of Mag Hags, Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney, read a different issue of a magazine from the 70s, 80s or 90s. As well as revelling in the 20th Century fashions, features and lifestyle advice, Lucy and Franki join Nuala McGovern to uncover a fascinating insight into the way we lived then, and the way we live now.A public inquiry begins today which will explore the circumstances of the death of Dawn Sturgess, the woman from Wiltshire killed by a 2018 poisoning blamed on Russian agents. Her death came four months after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury. At the time Prime Minister Theresa May said the Skripals were poisoned with the military grade nerve agent, Novichok and that it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible - a claim Russia denies. Dawn Sturgess died after coming in to contact with the nerve agent which had been hidden inside a perfume bottle. Nuala is joined by BBC Wiltshire's Marie Lennon, one of the voices behind the new BBC Podcast, Salisbury Poisonings.Black Box Diaries is a feature-length documentary that follows the director Shiori Itō’s investigation into her own alleged sexual assault in an attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Opening up questions around the #MeToo movement in Japan, Shiori explains how her quest became a landmark case exposing the country’s outdated judicial and societal systems.Death is a subject many people still shy away from, but one woman is determined to change that. Funeral director Inez Capps is on a mission to challenge the taboos around death and demystify an industry often shrouded in mystery. Since the age of 19, she’s been working with the deceased, and she’s using social media to give people a glimpse behind the scenes — from the care a loved one receives, to tours of the hearse and the embalming suite. Inez runs a funeral business with her parents in the East Midlands.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Sharon D Clarke is a triple Olivier award-winning actress currently starring in two separate TV series: My Loverman on BBC One and Ellis on Channel 5. In November she’s playing the role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Lyttelton Theatre in London. Sharon joins Krupa Padhy to talk about her new roles and what black representation on stage and screen means to her.Mums say that the UK’s system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is broken. An opinion poll from Opinium commissioned by Woman's Hour for a programme on SEND last month revealed that only half of mothers believe their child with SEND is well supported in school, and those in Scotland are the least likely to feel this way. Krupa takes a look at what is going on behind the scenes with Julie Allan, Professor of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Birmingham; Bev Alderson, National Executive Member of the teaching union NASUWT and Jo Van Herwegen. Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education at University College London.The rap musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could face lawsuits from more than 100 accusers for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation. He is currently being held in a New York detention centre after being denied bail. What are the accusations against him? And what impact is this having on the alleged victims? BBC News correspondent Chi Chi Izundu joins Krupa to tell us more.Who were the trailblazing black women in nursing and how far back does that history go? The children’s black history author Kandace Chimbiri asks that question in her latest book The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses. She examines how far back this history goes and its links to Empire and Britain’s former colonies.

Hurricane Milton landed today in Florida, battering the US state with winds of around 120 miles per hour. Residents were warned to evacuate for their own safety - but some have stayed. Professor of Risk and Hazard at Durham University Lucy Easthope joins Anita Rani to look at the women who stay behind in these situations, and their reasons behind this, as well as whether disaster planning reflects gender differences.A Tupperware of Ashes is a play which follows an ambitious Michelin-Star chef, Queenie, played by Meera Syal. It's a family drama about life, immigration and the Indian spiritual cycle of death and rebirth written by playwright Tanika Gupta. Both women join Anita to talk about the play which is currently on at the National Theatre. A new report from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, looks into what women want from contraception, the innovations in non-hormonal contraception, and the contraceptive options available to men. Anita is joined by CEO of BPAS Heidi Stewart and 28-year-old Charlotte whose contraceptive pill gave her severe migraines for more than two years before the connection was made. Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper and producer Neneh Cherry first achieved global success in 1988 with her hit Buffalo Stance. She now has released a beautiful and personal memoir, A Thousand Threads. Neneh joins Anita to talk more about her life and career, and the stories she tells in the book. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Dr Hilary Cass, now Baroness Cass, led a four year review into children’s gender identity services in England.  Her final report concluded that children had been let down by a lack of research and "remarkably weak" evidence on medical interventions, and called for gender services for young people to match the standards of other NHS care.  In an exclusive interview Nuala McGovern gets Dr Hilary Cass’s reflections six months on from releasing her landmark report.Alison Steadman is one of our best loved actors.  Candice Marie in Nuts in May, Beverly in Abigail’s Party, Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and Pamela in Gavin & Stacey, just some of the iconic characters Alison has brought to life.  She’s also won an Olivier Award for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and a National Society of Film Critic Award.  She is also a keen birdwatcher.  She joins Nuala to talk about her memoir, Out of Character. The second phase of a campaign aimed at finding the names of unidentified women who were murdered or killed in suspicious circumstances is being launched. Operation Identify Me is highlighting another 46 cold cases that European police are seeking to solve. BBC coverage of last year’s appeal helped to identify a British woman, Rita Roberts, some 30 years after her murder. Nuala is joined by BBC Correspondent Anna Holligan. The Northumbrian electro-folk musician Frankie Archer has performed at Glastonbury and The BBC Proms, been featured on ‘Later... With Jools Holland’,and named as One To Watch! She has released a new EP 'Pressure and Persuasion’, through which she tells the stories of four women and girls from centuries past who navigate the same expectations that are put on women today.  She joins Nuala to talk about womanhood, tradfolk and her current UK tour, and to perform her current single, Elsie Marley.Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

If you remember the #butnotmaternity campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic you’ll recall that women were sometimes left to give birth without their partners. Those restrictions for maternity care were left in place far too long affecting the mental health of mothers and staff. That's according to evidence given to the Covid-19 inquiry which this week is looking at the subject in detail. The inquiry has been listening to the impact on women from 13 pregnancy, baby and parent organisations. We hear from our correspondent who has been following it, Jim Reid, and from Jenny Ward, the CEO of the Lullaby Trust, who gave evidence on behalf of all the organisations. And we talk to Daisie Lane who tells us of her own experience and her book chronicling 150 other women's experiences.Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, known for the hugely popular Shopaholic series and many other bestsellers, has sold over 45 million books which have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her latest novel, What Does It Feel Like?, is her most autobiographical yet. It tells the story of a novelist who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there and learns she’s had surgery to remove a large tumour growing in her brain. She must re-learn how to walk, talk, and write again. Six months ago, Sophie shared with her readers on social media that in 2022, she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of aggressive brain cancer. It’s known for its poor prognosis with only 25% of people surviving more than one year, and only 5% survive more than five years.A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a 22-year-old woman was found in south Belfast. Mary Ward is the fourth woman to be murdered in the space of six weeks in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland - or PSNI - have referred the case to the office of the Police Ombudsman. Earlier this year, the PSNI released figures showing that in the five years between 2019 and 2024, 30 women and girls across Northern Ireland were killed by men. To put that into context, the population of Northern Ireland is around 1.9 million. We hear from Alison Morris - the Crime Reporter for the Belfast Telegraph.Woman's Hour is joined by the winner of the BBC Green Sport Award, the rower Imogen Grant. Campaigning for cleaner rivers, being vegan and buying fewer clothes are all things Imogen does to protect the environment. She also talks about winning gold at Paris 2024.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Ramandeep Kaur, a dedicated mother of a son with Down syndrome, shares her struggles with finding transport for children with special educational needs. Katie O'Callaghan opens up about her hair loss journey and hair transplant experience. Hairstylist Michael Douglas examines the deep emotional connections women have with their hair in his new series. Paul Ford, a survivor of the Tuam mother and baby home, discusses his search for his sister's remains, shedding light on a heartbreaking chapter in history.

The current conflict in Lebanon has forced thousands of women and children in refugee camps to once again leave their homes for their own safety. Kylie Pentelow is joined by the BBC’s Senior International Correspondent Orla Guerin to get the latest on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and speaks to CEO and co-founder of the Alsama Project, Meike Ziervogel, to hear what impact it is having on women and children.Woman’s Hour listener Fran Blackett got in touch with us because she wanted to talk about fell running, and why she wants more women involved in the sport. She joins Kylie to explain what fell running is, why she’s so passionate about it, and more about her women’s running group, Run Like a Haggis.Are you in your 'protective hag' era? That's what the author and journalist Poorna Bell calls the position she finds herself in. Recently she’s written about feeling an increasing sense of protectiveness towards younger women. Poorna joins Kylie to talk about this stage of life and what it means to her.It's being reported that Melania Trump - the wife of former President Donald Trump - has expressed explicit support for abortion rights - one of the key dividing lines in the US presidential election. Her stance appears to be in sharp contrast with the position of her husband, as he enters the final leg of the US presidential race. Gina Yannitell Rheinhardt, Professor of Government and an expert in US politics at the University of Essex, joins Kylie to discuss.When Cathy Hollingworth was first diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she decided to document her journey through poetry. Now she’s publishing a collection of 22 poems called Getting It Off My Chest. She joins Kylie to discuss the poems and how they helped her get through her treatment, as well as what she hopes others can learn about talking to people with cancer.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Lottie Garton

Mums who give up work or cut their hours because they have a child with special educational needs and disabilities say problems with school transport is one of the reasons. An opinion poll from Opinium commissioned by Woman's Hour for a programme on SEND last month revealed 12% of mothers flagged lack of appropriate funded transport as a problem. Woman's Hour hears from three mums, Ellie Partridge, Ramandeep Kaur and Sabiha Aziz, who are struggling to transport their children with SEND to school, and in some cases are having to pay hundreds of pounds a month. Kylie Pentelow is joined by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal as she exclusively shares the outcome of a complaint against Sandwell Council in the West Midlands for failing to provide transport for a disabled child.Today the Women's T20 cricket World Cup kicks off in the UAE. For some, this will be a tournament of firsts; At 11am, Scotland will be making their T20 debut against Bangladesh. Joining Kylie to look ahead to the event is the cricket commentator Alison Mitchell.In 2021, Netflix premiered the documentary Wild Wild Country which drew global attention to the Rajneesh movement, a group of around 30,000 people at the movement’s height, who followed an Indian spiritual guru called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. But what really drew the attention of many of the people who had grown up as part of this international community was that the experience of children was barely reflected in the six-part series. Maroesja Perizonius and her mother were part of the Rajneesh movement, joining when Maroosha was six. Maroesja has created a new documentary, Children of the Cult. She joins Kylie to talk about this very deeply personal project along with Sargam, another woman whose family became followers when she was a child. Who were Alice Diamond, the Queen of 40 Thieves, and the Fake Heiress? In a brand new series of Lady Killers, the historian Lucy Worsley switches her attention to swindlers, con women and hustlers. From queens of the underworld, hoaxers and scammers, Lucy and a team of all female detectives travel back in time to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of women who were trying to make it in a world made for men. Lucy joins Kylie to discuss the stories of some of these women and what their crimes teach us about women’s lives.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Rebecca Myatt

In her speech at Labour conference the Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said: "for women, prison isn’t working." To discuss her latest announcement, as well as the launch of the Women's Justice Board, Nuala is joined by the former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, and Lily Blundell, Head of Community Programmes at the charity, Women in Prison. A manhunt is continuing following a suspected acid attack outside a school in west London. The attack took place outside Westminster Academy in Westbourne Park, after school, on Monday afternoon. The school was closed yesterday, with lessons taking place online and many staff working from home. Acid attacks increased by 69% in England and Wales last year, with female victims exceeding the number of male victims for the first time, according to one leading charity. Nuala discusses the incident with BBC's Steve Knibbs and Ayesha Nayyar, who is a campaigner and solicitor.The London Piano Festival runs at Kings Place from Friday 4 - Sunday 6 October. Nuala is joined by Katya Apekisheva, co-founder of the festival, a Professor of Piano at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and prize-winning pianist Rose McLachlan, to explore of the lives and music of women piano composers from the last two centuries. Dr Beth Shapiro is an evolutionary biologist working in de-extinction. She is a pioneer in the ancient DNA field, and features in a new documentary: Hunt for the Oldest DNA. Her work goes towards saving species from extinction and fighting against climate change. She joins Nuala to talk about her work and why it’s so important. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

Menopause campaigner and Labour MP Carolyn Harris, and Dr Paula Briggs from Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust join Nuala McGovern to discuss the findings of the BBC’s latest Panorama: The Menopause Industry Uncovered.Who was the first detective? You might be thinking of Sherlock Holmes. In a new book by Sara Lodge, she reveals that the first detectives were actually women, 40 years earlier than Sherlock. Sara joins us to tell us more. Hair loss comes in many forms, from thinning to complete loss. In his new YouTube series, Hair Stories, hairstylist Michael Douglas, with over 37 years of experience working with women’s hair, explores women’s unique stories and the personal connection they have with their hair. Joining Michael is Katie O'Callaghan, who experienced hair loss and ultimately chose to undergo a hair transplant.Conservative MP Mims Davies has said that the number of women wanting to work for and with the Conservative Party is "diminishing". To discuss this and the ongoing Tory leadership contest, Nuala is joined by Lara Spirit, Redbox Editor for The Times, and Ailbhe Rea, Associate Editor, Bloomberg UK.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce