Woman's Hour podcast | Listen online for free

Available Episodes

5 of 1994

25/03/2025
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
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56:01
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Sugababes, Lockdown babies, June Sarpong, History of abortion, Women in construction
The Sugababes started their music career together in 1998 but, after Siobhán left the band in 2001, it wasn't until 2019 that Mutya, Keisha and Siobhán came back together as the Sugababes. All three members joined Nuala McGovern to celebrate the release of their brand new single, Jungle, and their biggest ever UK and Ireland tour.Five years on from the first Covid lockdown, what can be done to support the 200,000 ‘Lockdown babies’ born when lockdown was at its most restrictive, between 23 March and 4 July 2020? Nuala was joined by Nicola Botting, Professor of Developmental Disorders at City St George’s, University of London, Jane Harris, CEO of Speech and Language UK, and mum of three, Frankie Eshun.Broadcaster June Sarpong co-founded the Women Inspiration and Enterprise Network and in 2019 was appointed the first BBC Director of Creative Diversity. She joined Nuala to discuss her biography of Una Marson, the poet, playwright, feminist and activist who made history as the first black female broadcaster at the BBC.A new book Abortion – A History, gives the long view of ending pregnancy. From ancient Greece to Roe v Wade, Mary Fissell charts changing practices of and attitudes towards abortion. She joined Nuala in the Woman’s Hour studio to explain why she wrote the book and what she has learned.Work has started on a home extension and renovation that is being built and designed entirely by women. In an industry facing huge labour shortages, women remain a minority in construction, only making up 15% of the industry and only 1% of those in manual, skilled roles. Nuala was joined by the project's lead, Kat Parsons and builder, Yas Poole.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Laura Northedge
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56:19
Newborns & communication, Kirsty Coventry, Women in Construction
Long before they can speak, babies are brilliant communicators and all that those who care for them have to do is to listen to them, to be curious about them and to be ready to discover who they are, and everything else will fall into place. That's what child psychotherapist and mother of four Marie Derome has written about in her book for new parents - What Your Baby Wants You To Know. She joins Nuala McGovern.Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee. She beat six male candidates including Britain’s Sebastian Coe. The 41-year-old former swimmer will replace Thomas Bach on the 23 June and will be the youngest president in the organisation's 130-year history. The BBC's Sport Editor Dan Roan tells us more.We’re hearing more misogynistic lyrics in music, and some of it is from female artists themselves. Is this a good way to reclaim the language or is it women being derogatory about themselves? India McTaggart, entertainment correspondent at The Telegraph, discusses.Santosh, which was the UK’s official entry into the Oscar’s International Feature Film category for 2025, is set to be released in UK cinemas on 21 March. The Hindi language film follows the title character who, through a government scheme, takes on her deceased husband’s role as a police officer in North India and is quickly embroiled in the murder investigation of a young girl. The film was written and directed by documentarian Sandhya Suri in her narrative feature film debut and she received a Bafta nomination for her efforts. Sandhya is in the Woman's Hour studio to discuss the film.Work has started on a home extension and renovation that is being built and designed entirely by women. In an industry facing huge labour shortages, women remain a minority in construction, only making up 15% of the industry, and only 1% of those in manual, skilled roles. We hear from the project's lead, Kat Parsons and builder, Yas Poole.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey Editor: Karen Dalziel
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57:10
Disability and maternity care, Ads in mobile games, Nursery costs, Playwright Julia Grogan
Disabled women in the UK face significant barriers in maternity care, with new research highlighting higher risks of stillbirth, lack of support, and negative attitudes of staff. Labour MP Marie Tidball is camplaigning for change. She joins Kylie Pentelow to describe her own experience, along with Professor Hannah Kuper, one of the researchers behind the report, who details her findings. The Advertising Standards Authority has recently banned a number of ads in mobile games which objectify women, use pornographic tropes, and feature non-consensual sexual scenarios. It's not what you expect to see popping up when playing your favourite mobile game. Kylie hears more from Jessica Tye, Regulatory Projects Manager at the ASA, who led the investigation.Nursery costs have fallen for the first time in 15 years - according to the children's charity Coram. This comes as the Government is continuing to roll out its funded childcare scheme, which will provide all eligible working parents of pre-school children with 30 hours of childcare per week from September 2025. But while some parents have seen a reduction in fees, many with children or grandchildren will be aware of the challenging costs of childcare. Are costs really falling? Can you get a nursery place? Kylie discusses the picture with BBC Education Correspondent Vanessa Clarke, Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance, and nursery owner, Claire Kenyon.Julia Grogan's debut play Playfight was the breakout hit of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It earned five-star reviews, sell-out audiences – and even praise from Phoebe Waller Bridge, who called it ‘a blinding sucker-punch of a play’. The very funny and very frank play about three young women navigating sex, porn and friendship is now touring the UK, and Julia joins Kylie to discuss.Presented by Kylie Pentelow Producer: Louise Corley
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57:20
June Sarpong, Disability benefit changes, Women war artists
Broadcaster June Sarpong co-founded the Women Inspiration and Enterprise Network, and in 2019 was appointed the first BBC Director of Creative Diversity. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss championing inclusion, and why she has just published a biography of Una Marson, the poet, playwright, feminist and activist who made history as the first black female broadcaster at the BBC.Yesterday the government revealed its plans for disability benefit reforms. Reactions to the proposals have varied but Carers UK says it's very concerned about how the ideas could hit unpaid carers who are predominantly women. The charity's Director of Policy and Public Affairs Emily Holzhausen tells Nuala why, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, former Paralympic athlete and crossbench peer talks about the possibility that she might lose PIP (Personal Independence Payment) under the new rules now out for consultation.Last night, Real Madrid beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Women's Championship League quarter final in Spain, but commentators have been mainly discussing the standard of the ground they played on, with former Arsenal footballer and pundit Ian Wright calling the surface a 'disgrace'. Nuala talks to Fiona Tomas, women's sports reporter at the Telegraph.Cécile Ndjebet is a Cameroonian environmental activist and social forester. She co-founded the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests and campaigns for the involvement of women in forest management and their right to forested land. Tonight Cécile will receive the Kew International Medal 2025 and she joins Nuala in the studio.A new film War Paint: Women at War examines the trailblazing role of women war artists on the front lines round the world, championing the female perspective on conflict through art and asking: when it's life or death, what do women see that men don't? Nuala speaks to Margy Kinmonth, the director.
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