Woman's Hour

Caroline Nokes and Vick Bain discuss the serious problems faced by women in the music industry. Sky Sports presenter Jo Wilson opens up about her experience with cervical cancer and the importance of smear tests. Lisa St Aubin de Terán talks about her new book and her remarkable life experiences. The chapter descriptions touch on topics such as misogyny in the music industry, the reluctance of women to book smear tests after a difficult birth, and the mystery of the origin of mad cow disease.

Former RAF Group Captain and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel discuss the role of women in a potential 'citizen army'. They also talk about the concept of intermittent fasting and how men and women should approach it differently. The podcast shares the remarkable story of twins separated at birth and sold to different families in Georgia. It also explores the power of cuteness in contemporary culture and questions its association with gender and commercial use.

Dr. Nathalie MacDermott joins Emma Barnett to discuss doctors planning to sue the NHS over inadequate PPE provision. Sue Atkins discusses paying children for chores. Emma speaks with Professor Jo Phoenix on her unfair dismissal claim. Ty Dr. Ye Liu and Cindy Yu discuss China's declining birth rate. Rapper Princess Superstar talks about her career in the music industry.

False beliefs about what does and doesn’t constitute rape are more deeply ingrained in young people than we might think. The Crown Prosecution Service has conducted research into what these misconceptions are, and the impact they’re having on the justice system when it comes to rape convictions. Anita Rani is joined by Baljit Ubhey from the CPS and Andrea Simon from End Violence Against Women to hear more.Julia Bullock is an American classical singer. Her debut solo album, Walking in the Dark, was nominated for a Grammy award. Next week, she is bringing her mixed-media project History’s Persistent Voice to London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. It shines a light on the words, work and experiences of Black American and British artists, and includes new songs commissioned from leading Black women composers. She joins Anita to discuss her music, her influences and her passions. Journalist Helen Carroll faced a backlash online when she revealed she pays her son £40 a month to load the dishwasher. This sparked a discussion - were you paid as a child to do household chores? Or do you think children should just be doing things around the house anyway without money? Parenting coach and psychologist Sue Atkins joins Anita to discuss. Domino Day is a brand new series coming to BBC Three which combines the world of modern dating with the world of the supernatural. Series writer Lauren Sequeira speaks to Anita about why the show’s themes of modern relationships and female empowerment are so important to her, and why she wanted to show witches in a whole new light. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Hundreds of doctors - led by campaign group Long Covid Doctors for Action - are planning to sue the NHS over claims that inadequate PPE provision has left them with Long Covid, according to Sky News. One of those, Dr Nathalie MacDermott, joins Emma Barnett to discuss it. Emma is joined by the rapper Princess Superstar who, after a 30-year career, has finally hit the big time following her song, Perfect, featuring on the soundtrack for the blockbuster film Saltburn. Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, we speak to three Jewish women - one, a survivor who was born in a concentration camp - about how you keep teaching the lessons of the Holocaust as fewer and fewer survivors are around to tell their stories. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is facing pressure to fix "unfair" child benefit rules. Campaigners like Martin Lewis have called for it to be a focus of the Budget in March as he says single income families are being penalised. Emma talks to the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the Conservative MP Harriet Baldwin, and Tom Waters from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Claire Waxman, the Independent London Victim's Commissioner, discusses the Victim's and Prisoner's Bill. China's declining birth rate and the government's efforts to encourage more children are explored. D-MER, a condition affecting breastfeeding mothers, is discussed, along with efforts to understand and support those affected. The lack of female representation in the Oscar nominations is also addressed.

In an exclusive interview, Emma Barnett speaks to the academic Professor Jo Phoenix who has won an unfair dismissal claim against the Open University after she was compared with “a racist uncle at the Christmas table” because of her gender critical beliefs.New York Times writer Amanda Taub brings us the latest news from the US Presidential race.Irish actor Sarah Greene on her new project, an eight-part series – Sexy Beast – which has just launched on Paramount+. And we hear about a campaign to get a new portrait of Margaret Bondfield, the first female government minister, commissioned and hung in Parliament with MP Alison McGovern and historian Professor Pam Cox.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Award-winning DJ Paulette has been in the music industry for more than 30 years. She got her start at the famous Haçienda nightclub in Manchester but has DJ'd all over the world. Her book, Welcome to the Club: The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ, tells some of the tales of her career so far and shines a light on many other women in the electronic dance music industry. Paulette joins Emma Barnett.New guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to healthcare workers says that suspected illegal abortions should not be reported to the police. This guidance, which applies to England and Wales, follows some recent cases where women have been convicted of having illegal abortions. Emma is joined by former Chief Superintendent at the Metropolitan Police Parm Sandhu, and Associate Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at Durham University Dr Emma Milne to discuss.Buying second-hand clothes is fashionable again, thanks to online marketplaces like Vinted, Depop and eBay. Emma talks to Vinted co-founder Milda Mitkute about what it takes to turn an idea into a successful business and why she decided to leave the company in 2017 when her first child was born.Is the Government's key childcare promise to parents in trouble? One newspaper is reporting that thousands of parents are being warned they won't be able to access the offer of free childcare to under twos this year. Emma gets the view of providers from Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance which represents 14,000 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders, and June O'Sullivan CEO of LEYF nurseries.

The Killing Eve star Jodie Comer joins us to discuss her latest film, The End We Start From. The protagonist is a new mum, who has to navigate a flooded Britain with her baby. Jodie also reflects on the powerful response to her play Prima Facie, and the impact of fame on her life.According to a new report by the charity Brainkind, up to one in two survivors of domestic abuse in the UK may be living with an undiagnosed brain injury. We speak to Steffy Bechelet from Brainkind and Dr Annemarie Burns, a consultant clinical neuro-psychologist.Vicky McClure joins us to discuss her new role as explosives expert Lana Washington in a new series of Trigger Point. How often do you feel weary and depleted? The burnout coach and historian Anna Schaffner discusses her book, Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary.They were known as Israel’s “eyes on the border.” These were female Israeli border soldiers - who raised concerns about suspicious Hamas activity on the Gaza border in the run up to the October 7 attack - but those concerns went unheard by higher ranking officers. Hamas killed at least 1,200 people in that attack and took about 240 hostages, around 130 of whom are still being held. Since then, nearly 25,000 civilians have been killed in the Israeli bombardment that followed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. We speak to the BBC’s Alice Cuddy and the author Mary Ann Sieghart.The actor and activist Jameela Jamil has made headlines over the years for her provocative, sometimes sweary social media posts, often calling out celebrity culture for promoting unrealistic ideals. She reflects on cancel culture and her resolution to post online with more 'grace and empathy'.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Erin Riley

Vicky McClure is back on our screens as explosives expert Lana Washington in a new series of Trigger Point. Well known for her stand-out roles in Line of Duty and This is England, Vicky also set up the Dementia Choir, and recently received a MBE for services to drama and charity.The classic teen drama film Mean Girls has been remade as a musical film and it opens in the UK today.  Author Holly Bourne, who writes young adult fiction, and film critic Christina Newland discuss its enduring themes.2024 will be the biggest year ever for democracy as more than four billion people across the world go to the polls. To mark this historic milestone, the FT has launched Democracy, 2024, a short film series to examine what democracy will look like in the year ahead. Anita Rani talks to FT editor Roula Khalaf and the comedian Aditi Mittal, who has contributed to the series.Dame Professor Lesley Regan, the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, gives an update on the progress of the Government’s Women's Health Strategy.And the latest on the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan with BBC journalist Zarghuna Kargar.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Emma Harth