Woman's Hour

A new documentary, Copa 71, follows the trailblazing women who headed to Mexico for an unofficial Women's World Cup in 1971. Woman's football had been banned in many countries including the UK for 50 years. Unperturbed 6 teams gathered and played in front of crowds of 100,000 fans. One of those players, Chris Lockwood joins Anita Rani alongside co-director of the film Rachel Ramsay. On Internation...

Nikki Haley has officially dropped out of the race to become Republican candidate for US President. So what does this mean for the upcoming elections, for women voters and also for women in politics? Emma Barnett speaks to political strategist at the Harvard Belfer Center, Shannon Felton Spence and director of the US and Americas at Chatham House, Leslie Vinjamuri. The author Liz Jensen’s son Raph...

The South London singer-songwriter Raye joins Emma Barnett following her record-breaking six wins at the Brit awards last weekend. Raye tells us about her grandma Agatha who joined her on stage after winning Best Album for My 21st Century Blues. She also talks about being a woman in the music industry and the strength she has found from fellow female musician Charli XCX. The English channel has al...

Two years after the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, lawmakers in France yesterday made history by enshrining this right in their country's constitution - it was a global first. We talk to Stephanie Hennette-Vauchez about the change. Singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris performs live. We look at what's behind the cuts to Birmingham City Council's budget - equal pay...

On the 3rd March 2021, Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, an off-duty police officer. The incident sparked national outrage and a surge in fighting violence against women and girls. Three years on, how much has changed? Emma Barnett speaks to the Detective Inspector who interviewed Wayne Couzens, Nick Harvey, and former Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudri. If you’ve browsed through...

The twice Oscar-nominated actor Samantha Morton has just received the Bafta Fellowship: a lifetime achievement award which recognises an outstanding contribution to film and television. She grew up in the social care system and began working in film and television at the age of 13. In a moving speech at the Baftas last week, Samantha dedicated the award to every child in care today. Both Republica...

A parliamentary committee has issued a new and scathing report about Primodos - a pregnancy test drug issued by doctors between the1950s and 1970s. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests says claims there is no proven link between Primodos and babies being born with malformations is “factually and morally wrong". The report claims evidence was “covered up” that it's possible...

Both Republicans and Democrats in the US state of Alabama are trying to find a legal solution that would protect access to IVF treatment, after a court ruling cast doubt on its future. Alabama's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. Jenny Kleeman speaks to lawyer Eric Wrubel, who specialises in fertility law and Kristia Rumbley who has three f...

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is calling for 'Raneem’s Law' in memory of a 22-year-old woman who was stabbed to death by her ex-husband. Raneem Oudeh spoke to police five times in less than two hours before her ex-husband killed her and her mother Khaola Saleem in 2018. One of Labour’s proposals is for domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms so that victims speak to an expert from th...

Through her songs, the Mercury prize nominated singer/songwriter Nadine Shah has explored mental health, the refugee crisis and feminism. The subject matter of her last album, Kitchen Sink, included themes of fertility, tradition and identity told through the stories of women at different stages of their lives. Now Nadine’s latest work - Filthy Underneath – is a raw collection of songs which chron...

The twice Oscar-nominated actor Samantha Morton has just received the Bafta Fellowship: a lifetime achievement award which recognises an outstanding contribution to film and television. She grew up in the social care system and began working in film and television at the age of 13. In a moving speech at the Baftas last week, Samantha dedicated the award to every child in care today. 2024 is a leap...

It has been almost two years since the death of The Wanted star Tom Parker after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 2020 aged 33. His wife, Kelsey Parker, announced last month that, after a lot of reflection, it was time to take off her wedding rings. Kelsey tells Anita Rani about the decision and how she has dealt with her grief. The Ukrainian government says it has identified 20...

It has been almost two years since the death of The Wanted star Tom Parker after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 2020 aged 33. His wife, Kelsey Parker, announced last month that, after a lot of reflection, it was time to take off her wedding rings. Kelsey joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio to discuss this decision and how she has dealt with her grief. What is the impac...

It is has been 11 years since the American journalist James Foley was kidnapped in northern Syria, and nearly a decade since his mother, Diane Foley, discovered he had been beheaded by Islamic State fighters. Diane has written a book with the novelist Colum McCann, called American Mother, in which she recounts the story of her son’s kidnapping and murder, and her campaign to improve the chances of...

This week marks two years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's government says it has identified 20,000 children who have been abducted by Russian forces. Now Qatar has brokered the third and largest deal, which will see eleven Ukrainian children reunited with their families. Emma speaks to the BBC’s Hague Correspondent, Anna Holligan and film maker Shahida Tulaganova,...

Former government minister Tracey Crouch has joined the list of MPs who’ve said they won’t be standing at the next general election. She won the former Labour seat of Chatham and Aylesford in 2010 and has turned it into a healthy majority of more than 18,000 for the Conservatives. A self confessed 'sports nut', in 2015 she attained her dream job as sports minister and oversaw the government’s foot...

The comedy and acting star Aisling Bea grew up in County Kildare in Ireland and in 2011 became the first woman for 20 years to win the prestigious stand-up competition So You Think You’re Funny? Her Bafta-winning sitcom This Way Up firmly established her as a presence to be reckoned with on our TV screens- last year she played the lead in the film based on Take That’s music, Greatest Days, and she...

Lorraine Kelly CBE has been described as the queen of morning television. Now after a lifetime of wanting to, she has written her first novel, The Island Swimmer, a story of family secrets, island communities and overcoming fear. Lorraine joins Anita Rani to discuss her novel, her life and her 40-year career. It’s been almost 40 years since most UK coal miners went on strike over pit closures and...

Lorraine Kelly CBE has been described as the queen of morning television. She joined TV-am as their Scottish correspondent in 1984 and, save for a brief maternity leave 30 years ago, has barely left the schedules since - for the last 14 as host of ITV’s Lorraine. Now after a lifetime of wanting to, she has written her first novel, The Island Swimmer, a story of family secrets, island communities a...

In April last year, The Guardian exposed allegations of rape, sexual assault and harassment at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Rain Newton-Smith took over as Chief Executive and pledged to reform the culture of the organisation. As she approaches a year in the job, Rain speaks to Nuala McGovern about what progress has been made. She also gives her reaction to the news that the UK fell...

Violence and abuse against shop workers rose to 1,300 incidents a day last year, up by 50% in the year to September 2023. That's according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium. Nuala hears from Michele Whitehead, a workplace rep for USDAW who has worked at a convenience store in Wolverhampton for 20 years. Dr Natalie Yates-Bolton is 57 and has survived cancer five times. The senior lect...

A forthcoming three-part ITV drama Breathtaking, set in a fictionalised London hospital, tells the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through the eyes of Acute Medical Consultant Dr Abbey Henderson. The series is based on Dr Rachel Clarke’s book of the same name. She worked on Covid wards and is also one of the writers on the series. Dr Henderson is played by Joanne Froggatt, known for ma...

Four years ago, Avon and Somerset Police offered Channel 4 unprecedented access to its Counter Corruption Unit, the people who police the police. The result is a three-part documentary series called To Catch A Copper. Emma Barnett speaks to Sarah Crew, Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, about why she made the decision to let the cameras in, and the consequences of doing so. Bryony Gordon...

Rhianon Bragg was held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Wyn Jones, for eight hours. He was sentenced in 2020 for stalking, false imprisonment, making threats to kill and possession of a firearm. Now, despite a parole board panel saying they are not satisfied it would be safe, he is being released from prison. Rhianon tells us about how her relationship with Wyn Jones developed, what...

Yesterday, Kate Garraway returned to Good Morning Britain following the loss of her husband, Derek. She spoke about her reaction to being called a widow for the first time, by a delivery man, apologising for her loss. Anita Rani speaks to Poorna Bell, a journalist and author who lost her husband in 2015, and Karen Sutton, host of The Widow Podcast, who became a trained grief coach after her husban...