Woman's Hour

A 40-year career retrospective of Dame Tracey Emin’s work has opened at the Tate Modern in London, featuring many of the artist’s most iconic pieces, from 1998’s controversial Turner-Prize winning My Bed (1998) to her neon artworks, textiles, bronze sculptures, photos and paintings. Called A Second Life, it will explore the connections and tensions between her early career and the work she’s created since 2020, when she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a huge operation. Tracey joins Anita Rani to discuss her body of work and her journey from controversial 90s YBA to national treasure.Anita speaks to Dr Danielle Einstein - a clinical psychologist specialising in anxiety and our use of tech and screens, whose research was integral to Australia’s social media ban for under 16s. We take a scientific look at menstrual blood - one of the few easily produced bodily fluids not regularly used for medical testing. We ask why and speak to scientists currently working in this field. Renate van der Molen is from Radboudumc in The Netherlands and Christine N Metz, from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research New York.And, Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, has become the first Green Party candidate to win a Westminster by-election - and the party's first Green MP in northern England - after taking the seat for Gorton and Denton with more than 40% of the vote. Reform came second, pushing Labour, who previously received more than 50% of the vote in the 2024 general election, into third place. Anita asks the Times political Reporter Daisy Eastlake: who is Hannah Spencer? Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

An interim report from Baroness Amos, who is leading a government-commissioned review into NHS maternity care in England, says maternity services are failing "too many" families, with problems "at every stage" of the maternity journey. Six factors were highlighted including racism, staffing and accountability issues. To give their reactions, Anita Rani is joined by the film-maker and activist Pippa Bennett-Warner and Theo Clarke, parent and campaigner and formerly a Member of Parliament, who suffered from birth trauma and gave evidence to Baroness Amos' investigation this week. Molly vs the Machines is a new feature-length documentary that tells the story of Ian Russell and his fight for online safety, after his daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 following months of viewing content relating to self-harm and suicide on social media. The film recreates the inquest where Ian was told the online images were safe and follows twin narratives – the story of what happened to Molly in the lead-up to her tragic death, and the broader economic logic behind AI and giant tech companies as they continue to shape and influence lives. Molly’s friends Charlotte Campbell and Sophie Conlan tell Anita why it was important for them to take part in the film.Last week the Taliban published a new penal code and women's rights groups have said that women and girls in particular are set to suffer at the hands of the courts in Afghanistan. Anita is joined by Mahjooba Nowrouzi, a senior journalist for the BBC’s Afghan Service and Manizha Bakhtari, who was the Afghan Ambassador to Austria until the Taliban took control in 2021. She continues to be an Ambassador, but without a country, representing the Afghan people against the Taliban's order. She remains accredited in Vienna, and works with a renewed focus on advocating for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. She's the subject of a new documentary The Last Ambassador. Fantasy fiction author Saara El‑Arifi’s new novel Cleopatra is a bold re-imagining of one of history’s most iconic women, Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC, a woman celebrated for her beauty and her love affairs with the Roman warlords Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. El-Arifi's Cleopatra is not confined by the limits set by men or society. She reclaims Cleopatra’s story through the perspective of a Black woman and gives voice to the queen behind the myth.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

A baby boy has become the first to be born in the UK to a mother with a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Grace Bell, who is in her 30s, delivered her baby boy, Hugo, in December. Clare McDonnell is joined by transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga who completed the transplant in collaboration with Professor Richard Smith and colleagues at Oxford University Hospital and Imperial College, London, and established the first uterus transplant programme in the UK.Today is the day Season 2 of the TV series We Might Regret This is released. Its creator and star, Kyla Harris, discusses how she has drawn on her experiences as a disabled person to create this funny and unflinching look at life with disability. The first results from the University of Exeter's Women in Farming health and wellbeing study are in, and they paint a concerning picture of the wellbeing of women in farming across the UK.Alev Scott’s latest book, Cash Cow, investigates the global fertility industry, exploring how much the female body is being commodified, and its impact on women across the world. Who should make money from the maternal body - only the women themselves, anyone or no one? Going undercover, she explores the breast milk black market, the trade in harvesting eggs, and the women who are surrogates for others. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Woman's Hour in collaboration with our SEND in the Spotlight podcast brings you a special programme on the impact of the government's SEND reforms in England.Whether you’re a parent, a young person, a teacher or someone who works in the wider system we find out what the changes mean for you - and help you decode the new language - whether it's IB, ISP, Targeted, Targeted Plus, or SPP. Nuala McGovern speaks to parents, teachers, charities, the School Standards Minister and the Children’s Commissioner for England. We also hear from SEND in the Spotlight podcast regulars - actors Anna Maxwell Martin and Kellie Bright.Search for the SEND in the Spotlight podcast on BBC Sounds.Contributors: Georgia Gould MP, Schools Standards Minister Marsha Martin, founder of Black SEN Mamas Katie Ghose, CEO of Kids charity and Disabled Children's Partnership Margaret Mulholland, Association of School and College Leaders Kate McGough, BBC Education reporter Eleanor Wright, solicitor at SOS!SEN Ramandeep Kaur, SEND parent Carrie Grant, SEND parent and broadcaster Katie Nellist, SEND ambassador Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for EnglandPresenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Crawley, with Carolyn Atkinson Digital producer: Olivia Bolton Editor: Karen Dalziel

Irish author Marian Keyes has sold over 30 million copies of her books worldwide over the past three decades. From her 1995 debut Watermelon to Rachel's Holiday and last year's 'menopause romance' My Favourite Mistake, she’s championed telling ordinary women's stories in all their glory, with plenty of humour thrown in. Now some of her most-loved books and characters have been adapted into a TV series called The Walsh Sisters which has just debuted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Marian and the show’s co-creator Stefanie Preissner talk to presenter Nuala McGovern about bringing Rachel and her sisters to life on screen. As the Government prepares to unveil its plans for a major overhaul of the SEND system, we hear from BBC Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth on what's been said so far and what's expected. The government has said it will spend billions to make English mainstream schools more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with Sir Keir Starmer saying that the experience of his late brother, who had learning disabilities, makes him "determined to change Britain so that it is truly built for all." The number of people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) up to the age of 25 in England has doubled in a decade. Student midwives have contacted us to say many of them are struggling to find jobs despite a serious shortage of midwives in the NHS. A new survey from the Royal College of Midwives echoes that finding. It says 31% of those newly qualified midwifes are still not employed in the role and the majority of those who have found employment are on fixed term contracts. This comes a year after the government announced it's Graduate Guarantee pledging that every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England would have the opportunity to apply to join the NHS workforce. We hear from Safia, who is in her final year of midwifery training, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives. Award-winning British Nigerian fashion designer Tolu Coker joins Nuala in the studio fresh from kicking off London Fashion Week with King Charles in the front row. Her latest collection, Survivor’s Remorse, is inspired by grief, nostalgia and childhood memories and is a joyful celebration of growing up in 1990s London and the community that shaped her. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Rosamund Pike, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is known for standout roles in Saltburn, her Oscar nominated lead in Gone Girl, and Made in Dagenham. Next month she stars on the West End stage, coming back to the role of Jessica Parks, the maverick judge at the heart of the National Theatre’s hit play Inter Alia, also filmed for NT Live screenings. She joined Anita Rani to discuss her role that explores motherhood, masculinity and the complexities of justice.It’s more than a decade since Nadiya Hussain became a household name after winning the Great British Bake Off. Since then, she’s fronted her own cookery shows, written more than a dozen cookbooks and a series of children’s books. Her latest collection of recipes is called Quick Comforts, and Nadiya joined presenter Clare McDonnell to talk about finding comfort in food, her career so far and lots more.In December 2024, Dominque Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisèle. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Dominque had drugged Gisèle with medication without her knowledge, raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. At least another 20 men who took part in these rapes could not be identified. Waving her right to anonymity, Gisèle Pelicot declared that shame has to change sides. Despite her becoming a household name, not only in her native France but around the world, very little was known about Gisèle herself. She has written her memoir, A Hymn to Life, with writer Judith Perrignon and Judith joins Nuala McGovern to discuss.Dr Punam Krishan is a Glasgow based NHS GP and the resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme. Back in 2024 she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing where she was the first dancer to perform a Bollywood routine. But six months ago, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has since gone through treatment. She has recently written about how being a doctor didn’t prepare her for the experience of being a patient. Dr Punam joined Anita to discuss.Ketamine has become a worryingly popular recreational drug among young people, and the consequences can be devastating. That's according to a specialist NHS clinic which reports that some teenagers suffer such severe bladder damage from taking it, that some rely on incontinence pads. To discuss the implications, Anita was joined by Dr Alison Downey, Consultant Urologist at Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust, who is treating young people with ketamine related bladder problems. Also joining them is Eva, who has stopped using ketamine and is receiving support from the hub.The award-winning internationally renowned Welsh harpist and composer Catrin Finch first came to prominence in her early 20s as the official Royal Harpist to King Charles, the-then Prince of Wales. She achieved chart success with her No. 1 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Catrin, who began playing the harp at just six years old, has a new album, Notes to Self, a series of reflective and deeply personal new tracks she has composed for Katy, her 13-year-old-self. She joined Nuala and performed live in the studio. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells

Rosamund Pike, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is known for standout roles in Saltburn, her Oscar nominated lead in Gone Girl, and Made in Dagenham. Next month she stars on the West End stage, coming back to the role of Jessica Parks, the maverick judge at the heart of the National Theatre’s hit play Inter Alia, also filmed for NT Live screenings. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her role that explores motherhood, masculinity and the complexities of justice. Ketamine has become a worryingly popular recreational drug among young people, and the consequences can be devastating. That's according to a specialist NHS clinic which reports that some teenagers suffer such severe bladder damage from taking it, that some rely on incontinence pads. To discuss the implications, Anita is joined by Dr Alison Downey, Consultant Urologist at Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust, who is treating young people with ketamine related bladder problems. They are also joined by Fay Maloney, Director of The Lifeboat Recovery Community Hub, along with Eva, who has stopped using ketamine and is receiving support from the hub. The American writer Madeline Cash has just published her debut novel Lost Lambs — already an instant bestseller — and she’s only 29. She won high praise from Lena Dunham, who has called her ‘a voice like no other’. Lost Lambs follows the Flynn family — parents Bud and Catherine and their three teenage daughters — whose decision to open their marriage plunges the household into chaos. As the Winter Olympics comes to a close, BBC sports reporter Katie Falkingham joins Anita to discuss the standout female athletes and record breaking performances.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Children with special education needs and disabilities - known as SEND - in England will have their support reviewed as they move into secondary school, according to leaked government plans. Anita Rani speaks to Catriona Moore, policy manager from IPSEA, and SEND parent and campaigner Rachel Filmer.It's 150 years since the death of George Sand, the pen name of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin who, by the time she was thirty, was one of the most famous writers in the world. Born in 1804, her works became extremely popular in French and in translation, outselling Hugo and Balzac in Britain. She wrote more than 70 novels, countless plays, political essays, and an autobiography as well as launching a literary review, two local newspapers and two national republican political journals. She dressed as a man, smoked cigars, and had what was said at the time to be a promiscuous private life. Her biographer, Fiona Sampson tells her story to Anita. Dr Punam Krishan is a Glasgow based NHS GP and the resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme. Back in 2024 she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing where she was the first dancer to perform a Bollywood routine. But six months ago, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has since gone through treatment. She has recently written about how being a doctor didn’t prepare her for the experience of being a patient. Dr Punam joins Anita to discuss.We hear from the creators of a brand new opera exploring the Divine Feminine, its relevance in the modern world and the enduring archetype of the Goddess across different cultures. Soprano Emma Tring from the BBC Singers, composer Shiva Feshareki and award-winning poet Karen McCarthy Woolf join Anita to discuss their empowering, futuristic opera, which has been commissioned by Radio 3 to celebrate International Women’s Day next month. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

The woman tipped to be the next head of the UK Civil Service has faced multiple bullying complaints according to reports this morning. The Times newspaper says "there is more than a whiff of misogyny" in the briefings against her. Nuala McGovern hears more about the debate over the possible appointment of Dame Antonia Romeo with Kitty Donaldson, the Chief Political Commentator for the i Newspaper, and Caroline Slocock. Caroline was the first female private secretary to a British Prime Minister when she served alongside Margaret Thatcher.Belle Burden is a former corporate lawyer, a pro bono immigration lawyer, a Harvard graduate and a mother of three, born into American high society. When she got married in 1999, her wedding was announced in the New York Times. Two decades later she broke with convention and published her candid essay on the marriage’s sudden rupture, in the long-running New York Times Modern Love series. Now her book Strangers: A Memoir of a Marriage has become a New York Times bestseller. Belle Burden joins Nuala live from New York to discuss ghosting, grieving and getting on with life on her own terms.Tomorrow, the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will speak about the plight of women and girls in Sudan at the United Nations Security Council. Stories from the war-torn country are harrowing. Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces or RSF. More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Nuala is joined BBC’s Africa Correspondent, Barbara Plett Usher.Two years ago, Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s first Patient Safety Commissioner, published a report laying out a plan for compensation for women harmed by pelvic mesh implants. The Hughes report set a deadline for the government, which has just passed without action. Dr Hughes tell Nuala what action she wants to see from the government, and Kath Sansom, the founder of the Sling The Mesh campaign group, tells us how women’s lives have been affected.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

More than 141,000 children are in kinship care in England and Wales. According to new research from the charity Kinship, 40% of kinship carers are forced to claim benefits or increase their benefits when they step in to take on the care of a child from a family member. To explain why some kinship carers want the same parental rights as others in a parental role, like an adoptive parent, Clare McDonnell is joined by the CEO of Kinship, Lucy Peake and carer Nash, who took on the permanent care of her sister’s children after her sister died.Broadcaster, model and activist Ashley James says she’s always been underestimated and often written off as a ‘bimbo’. But now she’s reclaiming the word as the title of her new book, which explores many of the judgmental labels used to describe women and their life choices. From 'bossy' to 'mumsy' to 'silly girl', Ashley joined Clare to unpack the impact such words can have on women and girls and why she hopes opening up about her own experiences will inspire others to stop shrinking and shake them off.Team GB snowboarder Mia Brookes gave an amazing performance coming fourth in the women's snowboard big air final at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The 19-year-old had been hoping to become Great Britain's first gold medallist on snow. She went for a backside 1620 trick - featuring four-and-a-half rotations - and landed before she over-rotated and her heel edge caught in the snow. Mia's mum, Vicky Brookes, joined presenter Nuala McGovern on the line from her campervan in Livigno close to the Olympic venue.Deborah Douglas has written a memoir about her experience as a victim turned campaigner in one of the biggest scandals in British medical history. Her story sits at the centre of the case of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, jailed in 2017 for performing harmful and unnecessary operations on women who believed they were being treated for cancer. An inquiry in 2020 found both NHS and private hospitals missed repeated chances to stop him. Deborah joined Clare to discuss The Cost of Trust.A new exhibition at the Charles Dickens museum celebrates the women who influenced the great Victorian novelist's female characters, social commentary and campaigning to improve the lives of vulnerable women. But how does this sit alongside the other, darker narrative, that Dickens himself was a misogynist who mistreated his own wife? To sort the fact from the fiction, the exhibition curator Kirsty Parsons & the historian Professor Jenny Hartley joined Nuala to discuss.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Annette Wells

In December 2024, Dominque Pelicot and 46 other men were found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisèle. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Dominque had drugged Gisèle with medication without her knowledge, raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. At least another 20 men who took part in these rapes could not be identified. Waving her right to anonymity, Gisèle Pelicot declared that shame has to change sides. Despite her becoming a household name, not only in her native France but around the world, very little was known about Gisèle herself.Today sees the publication of her much-anticipated memoir, A Hymn to Life. Nuala McGovern is joined by writer and journalist Judith Perrignon, who co-wrote the memoir with Gisèle, and Professor Manon Garcia, who watched the trial in Avignon and analysed its resonance in her book Living with Men, Reflections on the Pelicot Trial. The award-winning internationally renowned Welsh harpist and composer Catrin Finch first came to prominence in her early 20s as the official Royal Harpist to King Charles, the-then Prince of Wales. She achieved chart success with her No. 1 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Catrin, who began playing the harp at just six years old, has a new album, Notes to Self, a series of reflective and deeply personal new tracks she has composed for Katy, her 13-year-old-self. She tells Nuala about her first album of solo compositions in a decade.One of the children talking about their everyday achievements in our new podcast, SEND in the Spotlight, which features young people with special educational needs, is Henry. He's autistic, and school is not always easy. Things got even tougher when his grandma died. That's when Henry decided to raise money for the hospice which looked after her. We hear his story in his own words.With the Winter Olympics in full swing in Italy, how are sports like ice hockey faring here in the UK? And what are women doing on the ice rink? Joining Nuala are Ellie Wakeling and Abbie Sylvester, who both play alongside male players with the Romford Buccaneers.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

It’s more than a decade since Nadiya Hussain became a household name after winning the Great British Bake Off. Since then, she’s fronted her own cookery shows, written more than a dozen cookbooks and a series of children’s books. Her latest collection of recipes is called Quick Comforts, and Nadiya joins presenter Clare McDonnell to talk about finding comfort in food, her career so far and lots more.A series of stories in The Guardian this week are spotlighting the role that domestic abuse plays in suicides - they say the number of women's suicides that are being are linked to domestic abuse is being severely underreported in police statistics. Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council's Domestic Homicide Project have shown for the last two years that there were more victims of domestic abuse who took their own lives in England and Wales than were killed by their partner. Research by a suicide prevention programme in Kent led by Tim Woodhouse is suggesting the figures could be much higher. We hear from Tim and Dr Hannana Siddiqui, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Research at Southall Black Sisters.Actor Kate Fleetwood talks about her latest role as the angry, vindictive Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s fairy tale musical Into the Woods. She’ll be singing live and telling Clare about playing the villain, the challenges of this demanding singing role and why Shakespeare holds an important part of her life.Megan Boxall is running the coastline of Britain, hoping to complete 200 marathons in 200 days. She joins us live from the Scottish Highlands - the latest stage of her challenge - to update us on her progress so far and the people she has met along the way.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The Government yesterday published new guidance for schools in England on what to do when children question their gender. It says schools should not initiate steps towards social transitioning when pupils change their name or pronouns, and that toilets and changing rooms should be protected spaces, used according to biological sex. Branwen Jeffreys, the BBC's Education and Family Editor, joins Clare McDonnell to discuss this latest guidance.The one-child policy in China spanned a period of over 35 years. It led to large numbers of girls being abandoned by their birth mothers. And for many children, it’s had a lasting impact on their lives. Eva Brookes has been reflecting on what that policy meant for her as she was adopted from China as a baby. Her new podcast series, Made in China, is out this week. In it she delves into her life in the UK and speaks to transracial children like herself, along with her own parents, and explores how it has shaped her own identity.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers yesterday. Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13, has in recent months been pictured beside her father in high-profile events including a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad. BBC Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon tells Clare about how surprising this selection is and what we know about her.Covent Garden is nowadays a centre for high-end designer shops, theatres and award-winning restaurants. However back in the 1700s it was a hotspot for taverns, coffee houses and prostitution. This is the colourful backdrop for the fourth novel from Louise Hare. Called The House of Fallen Sisters, it follows the story of Sukey, a mixed-race girl and an orphan, who has recently moved to London to live with her guardian - the guardian also happens to be a madam who runs a brothel and Sukey knows that once puberty hits, she too will join the women earning their keep. Louise tells Clare what drew her to this story. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Andrea Kidd

A story gripping headlines across the United States is the disappearance of 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC News Today anchor Savannah Guthrie. Nancy was abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson, Arizona, in the USA more than a week ago, triggering a massive search and emotional appeals from her family. Clare McDonnell speaks to Claire Moses, a reporter from The New York Times, who has been following the story.Broadcaster, model and activist Ashley James says she’s always been underestimated and often written off as a “bimbo”. But now she’s reclaiming the word as the title of her new book, which explores many of the judgmental labels used to describe women and their life choices. From 'bossy' to 'mumsy' to 'silly girl', Ashley joins Clare to unpack the impact such words can have on women and girls and why she hopes opening up about her own experiences will inspire others to stop shrinking and shake them off.More than 141,000 children are in kinship care in England and Wales. According to new research from the charity Kinship, 40% of kinship carers are forced to claim benefits or increase their benefits when they step in to take on the care of a child from a family member. To explain why some kinship carers want the same parental rights as others in a parental role, like an adoptive parent, Clare is joined by the CEO of Kinship, Lucy Peake and carer Nash, who took on the permanent care of her sister’s children after her sister died.A few years ago, Saaniya Abbas was working as an art director in an advertising agency in Dubai. Today, she is a rising star of comedy, after finding stand-up comedy helped her deal with the end of her marriage. Her tour, Hellarious, has just hit London and she speaks to Clare about writing material based on her life so far.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Clare McDonnell speaks to Amy Wallace, the co-author of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl. Amy spent two years closely working with Virginia - one of the most prominent and vocal accusers of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and an advocate of justice for survivors of sex trafficking. We hear Amy’s reactions to the latest Epstein revelations.More than 1.7 million children in England have special needs and today, the government has announced that all secondary schools and colleges will be expected to have a dedicated Special Educational Needs and Disability - or SEND - base. Called an 'inclusion base' it would be a dedicated safe space away from busy classrooms where pupils can access targeted support that bridges the gap between mainstream and specialist provision. We speak to BBC education reporter Kate McGough and Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Deborah Douglas has written a memoir about her experience as a victim turned campaigner in one of the biggest scandals in British medical history. Her story sits at the centre of the case of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, jailed in 2017 for performing harmful and unnecessary operations on women who believed they were being treated for cancer. An inquiry in 2020 found both NHS and private hospitals missed repeated chances to stop him. Deborah joins Clare to discuss The Cost of Trust. The classical concert pianist Alexandra Dariescu performs in studio, and tells us why she is so dedicated to promoting the works of female composers.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Team GB snowboarder Mia Brookes gave an amazing performance last night coming fourth in the women's snowboard big air final at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The 19-year-old had been hoping to become Great Britain's first gold medallist on snow. She went for a backside 1620 trick - featuring four-and-a-half rotations - and landed before she over-rotated and her heel edge caught in the snow. Mia's mum, Vicky Brookes, joins presenter Nuala McGovern on the line from her campervan in Livigno close to the Olympic venue. A musician who sent lewd images of himself to two women he had never met has been given a 12-month suspended sentence for cyberflashing. Ben Gunnery, 46, sent his victims unsolicited images of his genitals and videos of him masturbating. As the scale of his offending is revealed by a BBC Investigation, we hear from BBC Midlands Investigations' senior reporter Nicola Goodwin. A new exhibition at the British Museum, Samurai, reveals the untold history of Japan’s Samurai class, including the fact that half of them were women. Known as onna bugeisha, these women trained, fought, governed and defended their communities and shaped the samurai legacy. We explore the image and myths of these iconic warriors over the past 1,000 years with exhibition curator Dr Rosina Buckland and Jennifer Coates, Professor in Japanese Studies at Sheffield University. New research suggests that almost 70% of NHS areas in England now offer only one cycle of IVF for women under 40— despite official guidance saying three full cycles should be offered. A fertility charity says the situation is having a devastating impact on people struggling to conceive. We hear from Sarah Norcross, director of the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust. Three in five people over the age of 50 think that sex is important in a relationship, yet many struggle to talk about it. That's according to new research from Age UK, which discovered many of the people they spoke to felt their sexual wellbeing was being sidelined by healthcare professionals, and a quarter wanted more information. As the charity publishes a new guide on sex and intimacy, we speak to Dr Lis Boulton from Age UK, and psychologist Jo Hemmings about intimacy in our later years. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

At the end of January, the US government released new files from its investigation into the sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The latest drop of material consists of three million pages, and thousands of images and videos. But why has the focus of the coverage been on the political fallout, appearing to show exchanges with high-profile men? What does this say about society’s attitude to women more broadly? Some have already been voicing their concerns. Nuala McGovern is joined by Times journalist Helen Rumbelow and Penny East, Chief Executive at the Fawcett Society.At 41, Lindsey Vonn was hoping to become the oldest athlete to win a downhill skiing medal. The American skier has dominated the sport winning 84 World Cup races along with her three Olympic Winter Games medals. Having already suffered an ACL injury ahead of the Games, but still determined to compete, during the downhill event yesterday she crashed just a few seconds into her race. She had to be airlifted off the course. To find out more, we speak to two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller.Tonight BBC’s Panorama focuses on the murder of two teenage boys in South London, Daejaun Campbell and Kelyan Bokassa, killed in 2024 and 2025 - both victims of child criminal exploitation and groomed by local gangs. Nuala speaks to Jodian Taylor, Daejaun’s mother, and BBC’s Frankie McCamley, the documentary’s reporter.A new exhibition at the Charles Dickens museum celebrates the women who influenced the great Victorian novelist's female characters, social commentary and campaigning to improve the lives of vulnerable women. But how does this sit alongside the other, darker narrative, that Dickens himself was a misogynist who mistreated his own wife? To sort the fact from the fiction, the exhibition curator Kirsty Parsons & the historian Professor Jenny Hartley are in the Woman's Hour studio.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry started again this week. It is believed at least 50 women were duped into intimate relationships with undercover officers over decades. Alison, not her real name, spent five years living with a man she knew as Mark Cassidy, who was in fact a married undercover Police Officer whose real name was Mark Jenner. She joins Nuala McGovern along with BBC London journalist Ayshea Buksh, who has been following this inquiry.The government has announced plans to relax fostering rules and create 10,000 new places for vulnerable children in England. Roxy and her mum Judy, from the BBC’s recent Traitors series, join Nuala to discuss. Roxy was fostered until the age of five before being adopted by Judy. They are also joined by Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network.Paula Varjack talks to Anita about her show Nine Sixteenths. It examines the fallout from the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident at the 2004 Superbowl and the backlash that almost ruined Jackson’s career. The play questions what this says about the demographics of who controls the media, the scrutinising of black women in the public eye and asks if anything has changed.We hear a lot about ‘mum guilt’, but what about the guilt that can come along with not becoming a mother? Writer Ellen C Scott is child-free by choice but has recently experienced guilt towards her parents because she won’t be providing them with grandchildren. She recently explored the topic for Stylist magazine and was surprised by how much it resonated with other women. Ellen and psychotherapist Professor Hannah Sherbersky discuss.AI companions are becoming increasingly common, with one in three adults now using them for conversation, advice and support. Now recent research from Bangor University has shown that many teen AI companion users believe their bots can think or understand. That research prompted Nicola Bryan, a reporter for BBC Wales News to investigate and acquire an "AI boyfriend" of her own in the process. Nicola talks to Anita about what happened next.The Puppini Sisters are celebrating 20 years of their antique pop, neo-burlesque swing music. Their new album The Birthday Party marks two decades since their debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, spent almost a year on the Billboard chart in the US. It became the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history, with their fans including Robbie Williams and King Charles. They join Nuala to discuss their music.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

The cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has been nominated for an Academy Award for “Sinners," an American horror film nominated this year for a record sixteen Oscars and thirteen BAFTAs. It's a period drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in the 1930s South, with a supernatural twist. Autumn’s previous credits include The Last Showgirl and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Anita talks to Autumn about her career so far and becoming the first woman of colour - and only the fourth woman ever - to be recognized in the Oscars cinematography category.Following the summer riots in 2024, the Women and Equalities Committee examined the impact of increasing tensions on women in Muslim communities across the UK and reported that the online, verbal and physical abuse and discrimination faced by Muslim women was having a ‘deeply damaging impact on individual lives and a corrosive effect on community cohesion’. Baroness Shaista Gohir OBE, CEO of the Muslim Women’s Network and Iman Atta, CEO of Tell Mama join Anita to discuss the WEC’s findings.AI companions are becoming increasingly common, with one in three adults now using them for conversation, advice and support. Now recent research from Bangor University has shown that many teen AI companion users believe their bots can think or understand. That research prompted Nicola Bryan, a reporter for BBC Wales News to investigate and acquire an "AI boyfriend" of her own in the process. Nicola talks to Anita about what happened next.Autism probably affects girls and boys equally, according to a long term study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The new research challenges previously held assumptions that autism is more common among males; it found that by the age of twenty, the male-to-female ratio of diagnoses was equal. But in children aged under ten, four boys are diagnosed for every one girl. To discuss the findings, Anita is joined by Doctor Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society and Betsey, an autistic 18-year old university student.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

New research which has just been published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that testing menstrual blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate way of screening for the disease. The BBC's Health Correspondent, Sophie Hutchinson, and Fiona Osgun, Head of Health information at Cancer Research UK join Anita Rani to talk about this new area of research and discuss the options currently open to women. English actor Imogen Poots is back on our screens taking on a challenging role in Kristen Stewart’s first feature film, The Chronology of Water. It’s a creative adaptation of an acclaimed memoir by American writer Lidia Yuknavitch which centres on her coming to terms with being abused as a child, battling pain and loss, and her ongoing healing journey. Imogen Poots joins Anita in the studio.The Kurdish-led self-administration in the north east of Syria is a territory where for years women have sat at the centre of political life, security and decision-making. But many are worried that the system is now under pressure following a new agreement between Kurdish authorities and the Syrian government, which will integrate the region into the Syrian state being rebuilt after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Anita is joined by Lina Shaikhouni, journalist at the BBC World Service and Dilar Dirik, Kurdish writer and author of The Kurdish Women’s Movement: History, Theory, Practice.Paula Varjack talks to Anita about her show Nine Sixteenths. It examines the fallout from the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident at the 2004 Superbowl and the backlash that almost ruined Jackson’s career. The play questions what this says about the demographics of who controls the media, the scrutinising of black women in the public eye and asks if anything has changed?Presenter: Anita Rani Producer : Corinna Jones