Woman's Hour

Lina and Laviai Nielsen, identical twins and elite athletes who shined at the Paris Olympics, explore the unique challenges of competing together while dealing with health issues like Multiple Sclerosis. They share personal anecdotes about their sisterly bond and triumphs, including winning bronze for Team GB. Psychotherapist Jennifer Gledhill discusses the psychology of sister relationships, offering tips for better connections. Together, they reflect on loss and resilience, illuminating the power of sisterhood.

Listener Week is when all the topics, interviews and discussions are chosen by YOU!We hear from listener Siobhan Daniels. She wrote to us on Instagram: 'I would love you to talk about van life and an alternative way of living.' Siobhan is 65 years old and after selling her home and possessions has lived in her motorhome for five years. She joins Nuala McGovern on the programme.Listener Kitty Dowry wanted us to take a look at so called 'risky' sports, and to encourage us all to look at them in a different way. Kitty is a climber; she has been doing it for 10 years and wants to see more women give it a go, even those who might have written it off for fear of it being too dangerous. Kitty joins Anita, as does Hazel Findlay, a professional climber and coach.As part of Listener Week we have been asked by widows to discuss one side effect of bereavement – hyper-arousal, and the term ‘Widow’s Fire’. Nuala McGovern explores these ideas with listener Lizzie, Stacey Heale, who has written a book – Now is Not the Time for Flowers - about her experience of being widowed, and also by the psychotherapist Lucy Beresford, who can shed some light on what might be going on.How one moment or person can change your life’s trajectory. Listener Bettie tells Anita how a childhood invite to a friend's house introduced her to a new way of life -one she says saved her.Listener Sarah Palmer got in touch to tell us about the volunteer work she does with the charity Pets As Therapy. She joined Nuala to talk about how her life has been “immeasurably improved” because of her dog Haggis and the work they do together visiting local hospitals and care homes.Why do so many of us feel bad about our tummies and why are the rounded or wobbly ones never celebrated? That’s what listener Carole wants to know. Content creator Lottie Drynan created the IBS blog The Tummy Diaries and #mybloatedwardrobe and has learned to love her rounded stomach. She joins Nuala McGovern, along with Charlotte Boyce, Associate Professor in Victorian Literature and Culture at Portsmouth University, and columnist Pravina Ruda to discuss our historical and cultural relationship with our tummies.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Sarah Crawley

In this discussion, listener Elaine, in her seventies, bravely shares her hesitations about re-entering a sexual relationship. Sex therapist Charlene Douglas and Dr. Clare Gerada provide insights on the medical and emotional hurdles older couples face when exploring intimacy. They tackle issues like vaginal atrophy and stress the importance of communication. The conversation transitions to grief, with Teigan sharing her struggles after losing her mother and the complexities of maternal attachments. The episode also humorously addresses why women's haircuts often cost more than men's.

In this engaging discussion, listener Rachel shares her journey of discovering her ADHD alongside her daughter's diagnosis, highlighting the complexities of parenting neurodivergent children. Jo joins in to explore the challenges of raising kids with dyslexia. Bettie reflects on a childhood experience that profoundly shaped her life. The conversation also touches on historical perceptions of menstruation and the idea of legacy for those without children, while Marianne Power and Nicola Brant share insights on leaving impactful legacies.

Listener Week is when all the topics, interviews and discussions are chosen by YOU!As part of Listener Week we have been asked by widows to discuss one side effect of bereavement – hyper-arousal, and the term ‘Widow’s Fire’. Nuala McGovern explores these ideas with listener Lizzie, Stacey Heale, who has written a book – Now is Not the Time for Flowers - about her experience of being widowed, and also by the psychotherapist Lucy Beresford, who can shed some light on what might be going on.DNA testing for family ancestry is becoming more popular, with some companies having millions of users. A listener we are calling Sarah wrote: ‘I would like to hear about non-paternity events. This is when you discover that a parent is not your biological parent often via a DNA test. I made this discovery in my fifties. Increasing we are hearing about the impact of these discoveries but until it happens to you it is incomprehensible to understand. I would like to hear these issues explored.’ Nuala speaks to her and also to Laura House, genetic genealogist at Ancestry, and Lucy Beresford.A listener who tried decluttering and didn't like it asked us to look into 'the craze of removing any superfluous stuff in their house.' Nuala is joined by journalist Rebecca Reid and professional organiser Jenn Jordan to discuss if household streamlining has become an additional burden for women, or a helpful tool to stay on top of life admin.There is an iconic spot in Ireland called the Forty Foot and it's where people go to swim in Dublin Bay. If you watched the Apple TV series Bad Sisters, you might have seen it. But 50 years ago, women ‘weren’t allowed’ to swim there, so a group took to the waters in their bikinis – and had a less than welcome reaction from the men. Listener, journalist and feminist Rosita Sweetman suggested we discuss this on the programme. She joins Nuala, as does one of the women who mounted the invasion - activist, writer and poet, Mary Dorcey.

Lottie Drynan, a body positivity advocate and content creator of The Tummy Diaries, discusses our complex relationship with body image, especially the stigma around tummies. Charlotte Boyce, an Associate Professor of Victorian Literature, adds historical context to societal beauty standards. The conversation also touches on the challenges of Long Covid, weaving in personal testimonies. Additionally, they explore the journeys of later in life lesbians, highlighting the emotional landscapes of self-discovery and acceptance during midlife.

Welcome to Woman's Hour's Listener Week, when all the topics, interviews and discussions are chosen by YOU!On today's programme, we hear from listener Siobhan Daniels. She wrote to us on Instagram: 'I would love you to talk about van life and an alternative way of living.' Siobhan is 65 years old and after selling her home and possessions has lived in her motorhome for five years. She joins Nuala McGovern on the programme. A message from a listener raised his concerns about the amount of time it had taken for his daughter’s case to get to trial after she was sexually assaulted. He asked Woman’s Hour to speak to the Crown Prosecution Service about why these delays occur. The CPS were unavilable for an interview and have sent us a statement. To discuss this topic we are joined live by Rape Crisis CEO, Ciara Bergman and barrister and author, Harriet Johnson.What’s it like being a cathedral stonemason? After a listener asked to hear more about women working in heritage crafts, reporter Martha Owen went to meet Rachael Wragg, a stonemason at Lincoln Cathedral. Also known as @thegingermason on social media, Rachael tells us about working the stone, why she decided to retrain as a mason, and why she loves her job.For some surrogacy is extremely contentious, for others it's life changing. Our listener Helen Trenchard wanted to speak about her experience of having a baby by surrogate. It is legal in the UK although it is an offence to advertise that you are seeking a surrogate or are a potential surrogate looking for "intendend parents”. Nuala explores the topic with Helen and Rena Miras-Pye who carried Helen's baby. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Discover the inspiring journey of a Team GB weightlifter who embraces body positivity after winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games. Dive into the complexities of using sexomnia as a legal defense in rape trials, highlighting the need for reform in the justice system. Explore the role of women in science fiction, emphasizing their unique perspectives in narratives of resistance. Plus, hear personal stories from pregnant athletes navigating their identities and trendy maternity fashion. Finally, experience the emotional legacy of Janis Joplin through musical interpretation.

A new study just published says that perimenopausal women are more likely to experience bipolar and major depressive disorder. Cardiff University academics worked with charity Bipolar UK and the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database, to look at nearly 130,000 UK women and focused on the four years around the last menstrual period. Dr Clare Dolman, an ambassador for Bipolar UK and patient and public involvement lead on the project, joins Jessica Creighton.We Might Regret This is a brand new BBC comedy that has been pegged by reviews as ‘the next Fleabag’. It centres on Freya, who is an artist and tetraplegic, as she moves in with her partner and hires her best friend to be her personal assistant. The series is partly based on the experiences of Kyla Harris, the co-creator who stars as Freya. She joins Jessica to talk about everything from having a third person in a relationship to misconceptions around disability.What do you think of maternity clothes? For mums-to-be in 2024, it's apparently all about low-cut jeans and crop tops, moving away from traditional maternity wear. Retailers are recording a decrease of maternity clothes searches with women instead opting for regular clothes, perhaps in a bigger size. So why the shift? Jessica is joined by Assistant Fashion Editor at The Times, Hannah Rogers and influencer and author Alex Light to discuss.A brand new documentary film called Daughters follows four girls whose fathers are in prison in the US. They are all preparing for a special prison visit – a father-daughter dance that sees some of them meeting for the first time. Co-director of the film and CEO of Girls for a Change Angela Patton joins Jessica to talk about her work with black girls and their fathers, along with a father and daughter from the UK who have personal experience of the challenges of a father being in prison.

Fresh from the Paris Olympic Games, the Team GB weightlifter Emily Campbell joins Jessica Creighton on the programme. Best known for her no-nonsense attitude, fabulous hair and of course, lifting extremely heavy weights, she joins Jessica to discuss adding bronze to her silver medal from Tokyo. A Glasgow parents group is taking legal action against the city council over planned education cuts. It is calling on the council to halt implementation of reductions to teacher numbers and a mentoring scheme. The Glasgow City Parents Group says the council failed to carry out an equality impact assessment. The group's chair Leanne McGuire joins Jessica to discuss. In 2020, Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott had the case against her alleged rapist dropped by the CPS. They said that the defence had suggested she suffered from ‘sexsomnia’, where a person performs sexual acts in their sleep. Jade Blue put in a Victim’s Right to Review and received an apology from the CPS for dropping the case, which cannot be re-opened. Jade Blue then sued the CPS – and has now received £35,000 in compensation for damages. Jade joins Jessica to tell her how it feels to have that compensation.Fame found artist Beryl Cook in the 1970s through her colourful, humorous depictions of everyday people. Actress and artist Kara Wilson has always been a fan and wanted to uncover the person behind the art with her play about Beryl, now playing at the Edinburgh Fringe. At the same time, she’s living with her daughter comedian Nina Conti, who also has a show and film on at the Fringe. They both join Jessica to discuss their individual projects and what it’s like living together again.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Lottie Garton