Woman's Hour

BBC Radio 4

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire. Listen to our new series of conversations, The Woman's Hour Guide to Life, on BBC Sounds - your toolkit for the juggle, struggle and everything in between: www.bbc.co.uk/guidetolife

  1. 9 HR AGO

    Forced adoption, Queen Elizabeth II's outfits exhibition, Indigo Reign

    The Church of England is planning to issue an apology for its role in forced adoption, according to a draft seen by the BBC. During the 1950s, 60s and 70s tens of thousands of babies were forcibly taken from their unmarried mothers, women who had been sent away to homes run by the Church and state. The news of a potential apology comes just a fortnight after the House of Commons education committee published a report of their inquiry into the issue and called for a state apology from the Government. Anita Rani is joined by Labour MP Helen Hayes, chair of that committee, along with Diana Defries, Chair of the Movement for an Adoption Apology, whose daughter was taken away 12 days after she gave birth. The largest display of Queen Elizabeth II’s clothing ever to be staged will open on 10 April at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. The exhibition, called Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, marks the centenary of the late Queen’s birth and includes around 200 items, about half of which are on display for the first time. It charts clothing worn in all 10 decades of Queen Elizabeth’s life, many designed by Norman Hartnell, and it spans the full breadth of her wardrobe, from couture eveningwear to impeccably tailored off-duty clothing. Ahead of the exhibition opening to the public, Anita went to meet its curator, Caroline de Guitaut, to take a tour. Once thought politically unstoppable, recently Italian voters said 'no' to Giorgia Meloni’s proposed judicial reforms in a referendum. So what does that rejection tell us about her current political position after more than three years in charge? And why, earlier this morning, did she feel the need to address the Italian Parliament? In October 2022 she became Italy’s first female Prime Minister and as of September this year she will have had the longest continuous term in office in Italy since the Second World War, surpassing the late Silvio Berlusconi’s record. Anita is joined by senior BBC European reporter Laura Gozzi and Director of the Institute of International Affairs Nathalie Tocci. Indigo Reign, formerly known as Lady MC, is one of the first female MCs in jungle music. She's just been part of a landmark moment for global music culture, bringing the "godfathers" of drum and bass, Fabio and Grooverider, to headline the first-ever jungle and drum & bass festival in East Africa, called NURAFest and it took place in Kenya. Born in prison, she grew up around gang culture and found her voice in jungle music, becoming an award-winning MC and artist, who turned disadvantage on its head. She's also the founder of the Young Urban Arts Foundation, helping thousands of young people through music. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Andrea Kidd

    56 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Arrest of stalked woman, Endometriosis, Ageism at work, Egg donation

    Student Jodie Morrow talks to Nuala McGovern about her ordeal of being arrested after her stalker falsely accused her of stalking him. He has now been jailed after pleading guilty to harassment and perverting the course of justice, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland has acknowledged "shortcomings" in how the case was handled. Jodie is now helping the police to try to improve how they handle stalking cases. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis is launching an Inquiry into endometriosis and the workplace. The inquiry follows the latest data from Endometriosis UK showing it takes on average nine years and four months for diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK, a statistic that hasn’t improved in over a decade. Labour MP Kirsteen Sullivan, who chairs the inquiry, and Bethan Allen, who has the condition, discuss how this can be improved and what employers should do to support sufferers. If you’re in your 50s and feeling as though the workplace is quietly moving on without you, overlooked or pushed out, you’re not alone. Author Lucy Standing argues that this could in fact be the most powerful decade of your working life, if you rethink how a career should look. And Eleanor Mills, who runs a website for midlife women, or “Queenagers” as she calls them, argues this period of life is not about decline, but about being on the cusp of something transformative. Each year egg donation enables between 2,000 and 3,000 women to have children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to. One woman, Gini Bhogal, helped someone in this way after donating her eggs to a woman she met randomly on a London Tube. It began on a crowded carriage in the early 90s, and when she spoke about it on social media she says the reaction was overwhelming. Gini and Christopher, the child born from that donation, explain how he came to be conceived and how he found out about his origins. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott

    58 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    Children and happiness, Miscarriage leave, Extramarital pairings

    Women in Northern Ireland who have had a miscarriage - along with their partners - will now be entitled to two weeks paid leave. The government is planning to bring in at least one week of leave for families in England, Scotland and Wales next year. Nuala McGovern is joined by Niamh Campbell, Reporter for the Belfast Telegraph and Erin Sharkey who is a volunteer with the Miscarriage Association in Northern Ireland. Last August, 250 harvest mice were released into a nature reserve in Devon to replenish the natural stocks of this little animal that is under-threat. The project wasn’t conceived by a big conservation group or local wildlife centre – in fact it barely involved adults at all. It was the dedication of two 13-year-old naturalists, Eva Wishart and Emily Smith, who bred the mice at home in empty fish tanks, using plants from their garden, and a custom-built release enclosure. We hear from them and we have an update on the success of their project. Do you think that having kids makes you happy? A new study from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus suggests not. It drew on data from more than 5,000 participants in ten countries, including the UK, and concluded that there is no strong evidence that parenthood leads to a measurable increase in positive emotions. To discuss the findings and weigh up their own experiences, we hear from two mothers of two - Ella Whelan author of ‘What Women Want,’ and Iko Haruna, a family photographer and former presenter of ParentLand, the BBC World Service’s podcast. Thousands of rapes are reported every year across the UK in fact, and the numbers continue to rise. ‘Sophie’ was raped by a man pretending to be a taxi driver after a night out in Glasgow in 2022. She decided she wanted to talk publicly about her experience and approached BBC Scotland newsreader Laura Miller, presenter of Scotcast, who tells us more of Sophie's story. What if people who have affairs were sent off, in their extramarital pairings, to an unknown city to spend time together? All the while their 'real' lives were put on pause and waited for them to come back. How long would the paradise last for? This is the premise of a new book, Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh. Sophie joins Nuala to discuss it. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

    57 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Women and their relationships with light

    Easter Monday in the Christian calendar means Christ is risen and symbolises a shift from darkness and death to life, hope and light. We’re also in the middle of Passover which signifies spiritual illumination, freedom, and the transition from darkness to light. So in this special edition of Woman's Hour, Nikki Bedi focuses on women and light. How does light inspire and motivate us, and how can we harness it and use it to our advantage? Nikki speaks to GP Dr Radha Modgil about the impact of light on our health and wellbeing. We hear from Paule Constable, an award-winning lighting designer with Olivier and Tony awards for best lighting design for her work spanning theatre, opera, dance and pop music. She is joined in the conversation with Nikki by Ruth Kelly Waskett, a lighting director at engineering consultancy Hoare Lea where she advises architects and engineers on lighting choices in public buildings. In May last year we dedicated a whole programme to women and farming. When thinking about the impact of light on our lives, who better to ask than early rising farmers? We catch up with Sinead Fenton, an edible flower and herb farmer in East Sussex, and dairy farmer Lorna Burdge. We discuss light's influence on how our ancestors behaved and what they believed with Carolyne Larrington, Emerita Professor of medieval European literature, University of Oxford and Dr Jennifer Wexler, curator of history for English Heritage. How can you recreate light in other art forms? Cecilia McDowall, who is one of the UK’s leading composers of sacred and secular choral music, tells Nikki about writing music inspired by light and the changes in the seasons. Presenter: Nikki Bedi Producer: Corinna Jones

    55 min

  5. 6 DAYS AGO

    Childhood epilepsy, Pre-loved fashion, Mary Magdalene music, Women only societies

    Childhood epilepsy, medical treatment, and the power of a mother and son working together. Filmmaker Emma Matthews and her son Louis Petit have created a new film, along with his father Chris Petit. D is for Distance focuses on Louis’s own experience of severe, drug‑resistant epilepsy. He suffered hundreds of seizures, frightening drug withdrawals and years of uncertainty — until they travelled to the Netherlands to get medical cannabis. Their film opens today at the British Film Institute in London. Emma and Louis join Anita Rani, along with Professor Finbar O'Callaghan from the Epilepsy Research Institute. The sale of second hand clothing is forecast to rise this year to £217bn globally. Here in the UK it's estimated the market has grown to more than £7bn, and nearly one in four fashion transactions. So why are women turning to resale sites like Vinted and Depop? Consumer expert Kate Hardcastle, founder of Insight With Passion, tells us where this growth is coming from and discusses future trends. Composer Tansy Davies tells Anita about The Passion of Mary Magdelene, which has just premiered at The Barbican in London and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Saturday 4 April at 10.30pm. The piece tells the story of the crucifixion through Jesus’s most important female follower and the first person to witness the resurrection. Tansy talks about why she wanted to focus on Mary and examines the conflicting views about Mary Magdalene. In her new book Herlands, BBC global reporter Megha Mohan explores the history of women-led communities both physically and virtually, from co-housing for older women in Paris to the controversial feminist online trolls of South Korea. Megha travelled around the globe to hear from the women who created and care for these communities, which offer refuge, resilience, and connection to the land. Producer: Melanie Abbott Editor: Sarah Crawley

    58 min

  6. 2 APR

    Artemis II, Meg Jones, 'Battlefield techniques abuse'

    Nasa's Artemis II spacecraft has blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and is now orbiting the Earth in the first crewed mission to the Moon in half a century. If all goes well in the next few hours, it will head off to go around the Moon. The mission should take 10 days, with four astronauts on board including one woman. Anita Rani speaks to Sian Cleaver, a spacecraft engineer on Artemis II. The Women’s Six Nations is just around the corner and after last year’s Rugby World Cup win, the expectations for England’s Red Roses are sky high. Over 70,000 tickets have already been sold for the women's opening game against Ireland on Saturday 11 April, and the team have announced a new captain, Meg Jones. There’s also the release of a new documentary England Meet England on ITV. So, is the team feeling the pressure? Red Roses' new captain Meg Jones joins Anita. The Ministry of Defence has been accused of failing women who are suffering domestic abuse at the hands of their partners in the forces. A dossier of cases has been compiled by the Survivor Family Network, which supports domestic abuse victims in the family courts. Their investigation alleges that battlefield techniques are being used to inflict violence on wives and girlfriends. And when they try to report it, they say the military closes ranks. Anita talks to the director of the Survivor Family Network, Natalie Page. Former lawyer turned author Ella King’s new novel, Dear Darling is the story of Lauren, a young teenage girl who has a relationship with a much older man. When she’s an adult and a mother herself, he comes back into her life and Lauren decides to confront him and the harm that he did to her. Ella joins Anita to discuss the novel and how her former work with victims of abuse and domestic violence have informed her research. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

    58 min

  7. 1 APR

    Women in Iran, Miscarriage cradle, Zoom bombing

    The week marks one month since the United States and Israel attacked Iran. We take a look at the impact the resulting war has had on the women and children of the country. Krupa Padhy is joined by BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and Ghoncheh Habibiazad, Senior Reporter from BBC News Persian. Recurrent miscarriage is when you experience more than two or three pregnancy losses, and it affects around one in 100 women. A device designed to offer more care and dignity during miscarriage, and that could aid greater understanding, is now being used in 28 hospitals across the UK. Engineer Laura Corcoran created a miscarriage collection cradle after she suffered the loss of her third pregnancy. She is calling for a wider roll-out of the device. Laura speaks to Krupa, along with Siobhan Quenby, Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Warwick. A new exhibition at Kensington Palace is celebrating the 150th birthday of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh – the Punjabi princess and suffragette. The Last Princesses of Punjab exhibition explores her life and five other women who shaped her. Krupa talks to the curator Polly Putnam and journalist and Radio 4 presenter Anita Anand, author of Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary. Another chance to hear our interview with Janet Willoner, known as the tree growing granny. Janet has grown more than 4,000 trees in her garden.  She forages for seeds, grows them, and they eventually grow in forests in her local area of North Yorkshire.  Zoom bombing involves crashing into a meeting and taking it over - more often than not showing shocking content including pornography. Businesswoman Lou Robey was holding a meeting on International Women's Day when it was zoom bombed. Lou has put out a call for action for media platforms and the wider community to act. She and Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI at Queen Mary, University of London join Krupa to discuss. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Dianne McGregor

    58 min

  8. 31 MAR

    Violence against women in NI, Singer Rita Wilson, Fashion getting skinnier?

    The music in this broadcast has been removed from this podcast for rights reasons. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said last week that it is "shameful" that Northern Ireland is the part of the UK where it is "most dangerous to be a woman". He described the scale of violence against women and girls in the area as a "source of enormous sadness" and "shame". Thirty women have been violently killed in Northern Ireland since 2020, two lost their lives just this month. They were 28-year-old Amy Doherty and 23-year-old Ellie Flanagan. So what is being done about the violence, which is predominantly carried out by men? Krupa Padhy is joined by Allison Morris from the Belfast Telegraph, BBC journalist Jennifer O'Leary, who has made a documentary telling the story of domestic violence in Northern Ireland through the tale of a women's refuge, as well as Marie Brown, CEO of Foyle Women's Aid and Foyle Family Justice Centre. Rita Wilson discusses her new album of deeply personal songs, Sound of a Woman. She's a film and TV actor, as well as a singer/songwriter, and was the producer behind blockbuster movies Mamma Mia! and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Rita also happens to be married to Tom Hanks. She joins Krupa to share her reflections on marriage, parenthood and illness. The Society of Radiographers has said that the demand for ultrasound has increased, but there aren't enough people being trained to do the work. They say this is leading to pregnant women and cancer patients facing delays for vital ultrasound scans which could be 'dangerous for the patient.' Rachel Nolan, president elect of the Society of Radiographers, tells us what needs to change. A recent Vogue Business size inclusivity report has documented a decline in the use of models with bigger bodies on the catwalk. Of the almost 8,000 looks presented across over 180 shows and presentations for Autumn/Winter 2026, over 97% of the looks were what is called "straight-size" (that's a UK size 4-8), just over 2% were mid-size (a UK size 10 - 16), and only 0.3% were plus-size (a UK size 18). Last season, it was 0.9%. So plus-size representation has declined. The report also cites the growing use of weight loss drugs (GLP-1s) as a key part of the change compared to recent years. So, what's happening in the fashion industry when it comes to body-size inclusivity, and are we seeing an impact on the clothing sizes available in the shops on our high streets? Elizabeth Paton, Fashion Editor of the Financial Times, and Gabriele Dirvanauskas, Deputy Editor at Drapers magazine, join Krupa in the studio.

    54 min
See All (2k)

Hosts & Guests

About

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire. Listen to our new series of conversations, The Woman's Hour Guide to Life, on BBC Sounds - your toolkit for the juggle, struggle and everything in between: www.bbc.co.uk/guidetolife

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2k
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Woman's Hour

More From BBC

You Might Also Like