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BBC Radio 4

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire

Listen to The Woman's Hour Guide to Life on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4nTa7W8

Woman's Hour

100m sprinter Bebe Jackson, 19, won a bronze medal on her debut at the IPC World Para Athletics Championships in Delhi, India, last week. Bebe was born with congenital talipes equinovarus, widely known as club foot, and when she’s not competing for Britain, she works nights caring for children with complex disabilities. She tells Anita Rani how she does it.

In Sally Wainwright’s new BBC drama Riot Women, a group of women in mid-life escape the pressures of caring for parents and kids - and the menopause - by forming a rock band. Rosalie Craig stars as the incredible singer that brings them together. Anita Rani talks to Sally and actor Rosalie about the power of female friendship.

Nuala McGovern talks to the French philosopher Manon Garcia. Manon watched the court proceedings of the Pelicot case in France, in which Dominique Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the rape of Dominique’s wife Gisèle. In her book Living with Men, she examines French and other societies in light of the case and questions what more needs to be done.

When you think about music from 500 years ago, you might picture monks chanting, or the voices of choirboys, but what’s been largely forgotten over the course of history is that some of the most striking music during this time was being written and sung by nuns, hidden away in convents across Europe. Nuala speaks to Laurie Stras, Director of Musica Secreta, an all-female renaissance ensemble.

Elon Musk's Artificial Intelligence company xAI recently introduced two sexually explicit chatbots. He's a high-profile presence in a growing field where developers are banking on users interacting and forming intimate relationships with the AI chatbots. Nuala McGovern speaks to journalist Amelia Gentleman, who has just returned from an adult industry conference in Prague, where she saw a sharp rise in new websites offering an increasingly realistic selection of AI girlfriends, and Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI at the Queen Mary University of London, who tells us what this means for women.

EastEnders actor Kellie Bright took part in a Woman’s Hour special last year which asked whether the SEND system is working for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Tonight Kellie presents a special one-hour BBC Panorama. Drawing on her own experience as the mother of an autistic son, she investigates how parents navigate the complex system to secure the right help at school. Kellie joins Nuala McGovern to talk about what she found.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Simon Richardson

Weekend Woman's Hour: Sally Wainwright, Kellie Bright, AI girlfriends, lessons from the Pelicot trial

A court in southern France has increased the jail term of the only man who challenged his conviction for raping Gisèle Pelicot. Gisèle was drugged by her then-husband Dominique for over a decade and raped by dozens of men he recruited on the internet. Of the 51 men convicted of abusing Gisèle, 44-year-old Husamettin Dogan was the only one who appealed against his verdict. Anita Rani speaks to Angelique Chrisafis, Paris Correspondent for the Guardian, who was in the court at Nîmes.

In June this year, Lucy Guo, a 30-year-old American tech entrepreneur, became the youngest self-made female billionaire, according to Forbes. With a reported net worth of almost $1.3 billion, she overtook Taylor Swift to land at number 26 on Forbes’ annual ‘America’s richest self-made women’ list. Anita spoke to Lucy from her home in Los Angeles.

100m sprinter Bebe Jackson, 19, won a bronze medal on her debut at the IPC World Para Athletics Championships in Delhi, India, last week. Bebe was born with congenital talipes equinovarus, widely known as club foot, and when she’s not competing for Britain, she works nights caring for children with complex disabilities. She tells Anita how she does it.

What’s it like to be a female travel writer today? Some writers would argue it’s now all about the smartphone and hashtags. But the new Ilse Schwepcke Prize, named after the pioneering German publisher who championed female travel writers, is pushing back and celebrating reflective travel writing by women. Journalist and writer Viv Groskop, shortlisted for her memoir, One Ukrainian Summer, and Dr Barbara Schwepcke, daughter of Ilse and founder of Haus publishing, join Anita to discuss the history of travel writing by women and how it’s changing. 

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Pelicot trial, Lucy Guo, Bebe Jackson, Travel writing

NB: The music in this broadcast has been removed from this podcast for rights reasons.

In Sally Wainwright’s new BBC drama Riot Women, a group of women in mid-life escape the pressures of caring for parents and kids - and the menopause - by forming a rock band. Rosalie Craig stars as the incredible singer that brings them together. Anita Rani talks to Sally and actor Rosalie about the power of female friendship. 

The ongoing Covid-19 inquiry is currently looking into the impact of the pandemic on children and young people, from education, health to social wellbeing. Alison Morton, the CEO of the Institute of Health Visitors, told the inquiry this week that the NHS's decision to redeploy health visitors meant that 'children were harmed' and there were 'life-ending consequences.' The BBC's Education Reporter Vanessa Clarke has been following the inquiry and joins Anita to talk about the latest news.

As part of the BBC’s Nature Week, we’re encouraging you to get outside and connect with nature. Writer, advocate and skilled bike mechanic Vicky Balfour talks to Anita about how nature has become both a sanctuary and a source of strength for her as a parent of children with SEND. She describes how short moments outdoors can have a profound impact on mental and physical wellbeing, providing sensory regulation, confidence-building and resilience. Vicky also sheds light on the barriers SEND families face in accessing nature and calls for a more inclusive outdoor culture.

Singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram shot to fame in the late 1980s aged just 18 with her debut album Ancient Heart, which sold millions and featured iconic hits such as Twist in My Sobriety, (World Outside My Window) and Good Tradition. 37-years later, Tanika considers her latest album LIAR (Love Isn’t A Right), a sequel to the one that made her a household name. She talks to Anita about making this tenth album which revisits themes of identity and belonging.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Tanita Tikaram, Sally Wainwright, Nature and kids with SEND

As Kemi Badenoch prepares to address Conservative Party conference for the second time this week, Nuala McGovern reflects on her first year as leader of the party and Leader of the Opposition, with BBC political correspondent Georgia Roberts and Conservative peer Baroness Kate Fall.

The People's Tribunal for Women in Afghanistan is convening in Madrid this week to investigate Taliban crimes against women. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghan women and girls have endured a significant rollback of their fundamental human rights. What will this tribunal - which has no legal authority - achieve for them? We hear from Shaharzad Akbar, former head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, and Director of Rawadari, one of the organisations behind the Tribunal. 

Nuala talks to the French philosopher Manon Garcia. Manon watched the court proceedings of the Pelicot case in France, in which Dominique Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the rape of Dominique’s wife Gisèle. In her book Living with Men, she examines French and other societies in light of the case and questions what more needs to be done.

The visual artist Joy Gregory's retrospective exhibition Catching Flies with Honey opens at the Whitechapel Gallery today. As an artist Joy explores identity, history, race, gender and societal ideals of beauty all while pushing the possibilities of photography and other media. She discusses her life and work.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Kemi Badenoch's leadership, Manon Garcia on Gisele Pelicot, Joy Gregory

Elon Musk's Artificial Intelligence company xAI recently introduced two sexually explicit chatbots. He's a high-profile presence in a growing field where developers are banking on users interacting and forming intimate relationships with the AI chatbots. Nuala McGovern speaks to journalist Amelia Gentleman, who has just returned from an adult industry conference in Prague, where she saw a sharp rise in new websites offering an increasingly realistic selection of AI girlfriends, and Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI at the Queen Mary University of London, who tells us what this means for women.

Sanae Takaichi has been elected as the new leader of Japan’s ruling conservative party, the Liberal Democratic Party, known as the LDP. Parliament is expected to confirm her as Japan’s first female Prime Minister on 15 October, two days after the 100th anniversary of the birth of Takaichi’s personal political inspiration – Margaret Thatcher. A former government minister, television host and drummer in a heavy metal band, she recently told a group of schoolchildren that her goal was “to become the Iron Lady.” To find out what she means by this and how she is likely to lead her country, Nuala is joined by Mariko Oi, journalist and presenter of the BBC’s soon-to-be launched World Service podcast Asia Specific.

At the turn of the 20th century in a small village in Hungary, a midwife, known as Auntie Zsuzsi, was more than a care giver, she was a confidante. Over a period of 20 years, she was central to helping women poison their abusive husbands, killing up to an estimated 300 people in the region. In her book, The Women Are Not Fine - the dark history of a Poisonous Sisterhood, journalist Hope Reese investigates what happened in that Hungarian village and tells Nuala why these women went to such extremes, and how they got away with it for two decades. 

Following the death of romance author Jilly Cooper yesterday, we hear part of her Woman's Hour interview from November 2023 in which she talked about setting her novel Tackle in the world of sex and football. 

When you think about music from 500 years ago, you might picture monks chanting, or the voices of choirboys, but what’s been largely forgotten over the course of history is that some of the most striking music during this time was being written and sung by nuns, hidden away in convents across Europe. Nuala speaks to Laurie Stras, Director of Musica Secreta, an all-female renaissance ensemble.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd

AI 'girlfriends', Japan's PM designate, Hope Reese, Musica Secreta

EastEnders actor Kellie Bright took part in a Woman’s Hour special last year which asked whether the SEND system is working for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Tonight Kellie presents a special one-hour BBC Panorama. Drawing on her own experience as the mother of an autistic son, she investigates how parents navigate the complex system to secure the right help at school. Kellie joins Nuala McGovern to talk about what she found.

Friday marked a moment in history for the Church of England, as the role of Archbishop of Canterbury was given to a woman for the first time in its near 500-year history. Dame Sarah Mullally takes the helm during a difficult period for the Church, after its former leader - Justin Welby - resigned over a safeguarding scandal almost a year ago. To discuss the significance of her appointment we hear from Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Libby Lane, the first woman to become a bishop in 2015, and Sally Hitchiner, Rector of North Lambeth in London.

As the glittering women's summer of sport in football and rugby transitions into the autumn of trophies, and the Women's Cricket World Cup is ongoing, what will the legacy be for women and girls' participation in grassroots sport? Nuala is joined by Sue Day, Director of Women's Football at the Football Association, and Stephanie Hillborne, CEO of Women in Sport.

Flooding caused by this year’s monsoon season in Pakistan has affected the lives of over four million people in the country. Millions of people have been evacuated from the Punjab region and around 1,000 people have been reported to have died. The water has still not receded, and the situation remains difficult for many people, including pregnant women, many of whom can’t get access to the healthcare they desperately need. BBC World Service Urdu reporter Tarhub Asghar, who has been visiting some of the women affected, joins us.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Kellie Bright, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, Summer of Sport

Melinda French Gates is on a crusade to boost research into women's health. She co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 which has, to date, donated over $100 billion to charitable projects. Since her divorce from Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, she has left their joint enterprise and set up her own, Pivotal Ventures, which has one purpose: to put power into the hands of women. She joined Anita Rani in the Woman's Hour studio.

Gloria Allred is one of the best known women’s rights lawyers in the US. She tells Nuala McGovern what has happened to victims' voices amongst the continuous revelations in the press from the Epstein Files. We then hear from bestselling author and leading feminist thinker Rebecca Solnit, who says the released documents are reminders of a culture that decades of feminism have started to dismantle.

The conservationist and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall died this week aged 91. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, she died of natural causes in California where she was staying as part of a speaking tour in the US. There have been tributes from around the world. Wildlife biologist, National Geographic Explorer and President of the Wildlife Trust, Liz Bonnin, joins Anita Rani to remember this ground-breaking conservationist who revolutionised the study of great apes. Jillian Miller who is the director of the Gorilla Organisation, which works to save gorillas from extinction also pays tribute.

Many of us will remember the multi-award winning Tracey Ullman from her TV shows, A Kick up the Eighties, Three of a Kind, as well as The Tracey Ullman Show, which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Tracey joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her latest role in the film, Steve, in which she plays the deputy head in a last chance reform school for troubled teenage boys.

A ‘carent ’is an adult child who is caring for one or both of their ageing parents, in-laws or elderly relatives. Many ‘carents’ will be balancing work and family alongside. Dr Jackie Gray, a retired GP and founder of The Carents Room, joins Nuala McGovern to discuss, along with Kendra and Rachel who provide care for their parents.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Simon Richardson

Weekend Woman's Hour: Melinda French Gates, Rebecca Solnit, 'Carents', Actor Tracey Ullman

Melinda French Gates is the most well known and powerful woman in philanthropy. The American co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 which has to date, donated over $100 billion to charitable projects. Since her divorce from Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, she has left their joint enterprise and set up her own, Pivotal Ventures, which has one purpose: To put power into the hands of women. She joined Anita Rani in the Woman's Hour studio.

As you will have heard on the news, two men killed in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester have been named by police as Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz. The attack took place at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsell, Manchester, yesterday, on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish calendar. We reflect on how the Jewish community are feeling, and in particular the impact of this attack on families and children. Anita is joined by Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger and Angela Epstein, who's the presenter of the podcast Jewish Mother Me. 

Last Wednesday, seven men were sentenced after being convicted in June of various child sex offences relating to two unnamed girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006. Woman’s Hour reflects on what this prosecution means for women who have experienced sexual abuse? Anita is joined by former Chief Crown Prosecutor for NW England, Nazir Afzal and Maggie Oliver, ex-Greater Manchester Police detective and chair of the Maggie Oliver Foundation supporting survivors of sexual abuse.

If you've bought a piece of jewellery recently - perhaps a wedding ring or maybe something for a big birthday - you're probably aware the price of gold has reached record highs. That surge in the value of gold is reshaping the jewellery industry, from supply chains to design choices, while consumers are being nudged toward silver and other materials. To find out more about the impact of the jewellery industry, Anita talks to jewellery writer Rachael Taylor and designer and maker Sia Taylor.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Melinda French Gates, Manchester synagogue attack, Rochdale grooming

Secret filming by the BBC’s Panorama programme last night revealed evidence of racism, misogyny and officers revelling in the use of force at one of London’s busiest police stations. Panorama’s evidence suggests that a toxic culture still exists inside the Met and that racist and misogynistic attitudes haven’t been eliminated but have been driven underground. Anita Rani speaks to Matt Jukes, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

The secrets we keep reflect the conventions, taboos and laws of the outside world, and women have traditionally had the bigger burden of secrets, often unable to reveal things that could get them or others judged, in society or by law. Anita talks to Juliet Nicolson about her new book The Book of Revelations which explores secrets through social history, her own family and many case studies she spoke to. 

The conservationist and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall died yesterday, aged 91. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, she died of natural causes in California where she was staying as part of a speaking tour in the US. There has been tributes from around the world. Joining me Anita to remember this ground-breaking conservationist who revolutionised the study of great apes is wildlife biologist, National Geographic Explorer and President of the Wildlife Trust, Liz Bonnin, and Jillian Miller who is the director of the Gorilla Organisation who work to save gorillas from extinction.

From gowns buried underground to transforming fabrics with melted bandages, fashion has a history of exploring the aesthetics of dirt and decay. A new exhibition at the Barbican, Dirty Looks, explores 50 years of designers from Vivienne Westwood to Alexander McQueen, who used dirt and distress to make statements about luxury, beauty, class and the environment. The exhibition also looks at waste as fashion is now one of the most polluting industries in the world. Anita is joined by the exhibition’s curator, Karen Van Godtsenhoven, and artist and designer, Michaela Stark, whose work challenges ideas of imperfection.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Met Police, Secrets, Dirty Looks exhibition

Gloria Allred is one of the best known women’s rights lawyers in the US. She tells Nuala McGovern what has happened to victims' voices amongst the continuous revelations in the press from the Epstein Files. We then hear from bestselling author and leading feminist thinker Rebecca Solnit, who says the released documents are reminders of a culture that decades of feminism have started to dismantle.

Today Blaise Metreweli becomes the the first woman to lead the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, in its 116-year history. Nuala speaks to two women who’ve met her, Helen Worrell from the Financial Times and Telegraph Senior Commissioning Editor Lebby Eyres, who has rowed competitively against Blaise for years.

The Taliban has imposed an internet shutdown across Afghanistan, to last indefinitely. Mahjooba Nowrouzi from the BBC Afghan service tells Nuala how women and students who relied on online learning have been affected.

Mimi Nation-Dixon's one-woman play Sit or Kneel transfers to The Other Palace in London this October. Mimi plays Margot, a young female vicar trying to lead a rural parish while grappling with dating, grief, identity and questioning her faith. Mimi joins Nuala to explain how her own theology dissertation on the Vicar of Dibley inspired the piece.

Gloria Allred and Rebecca Solnit on Epstein, New head of MI6 Blaise Metreweli

Words to live by and finding hope in the face of terrible suffering, the life of the anchoress or hermit Julian of Norwich, the power of walking and nature to heal and art that replaces adverts with words of love – all part of this special Bank Holiday Woman’s Hour.

650 years ago a woman we only know as Julian of Norwich produced a book written while she was voluntarily walled up in a hermit’s cell which challenged the ideas of the time about sin and suffering. It presented a radical vision of love and hope that “All Shall Be Well and All Shall Be Well and All Manner of Thing Shall be Well”. We hear about her life, how it has helped one woman through cancer treatment and inspired the lives of others, and we hear from listeners about the words that they turn to for motivation and encouragement. 

Nuala McGovern speaks to Claire Gilbert author of a new novel I Julian; Dr. Hetta Howes senior lecturer in medieval and early modern literature at City, University of London; Sally-Anne Lomas Trustee of The Friends of Julian and creative director of The Cloth of Kindness project and to Faye Smith founder of Hope Walking. And, the British Kenyan artist Grace Ndiritu explains why she emblazoned the words 'Wherever you are I hope you have found peace' on 30 billboards around Birmingham.

Producer Caroline Donne

Julian of Norwich and the power of inspirational words in tough times

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