Woman's Hour

Maternity care and its shortcomings will be in the spotlight over the next fortnight, as the biggest maternity inquiry in the history of NHS England prepares to report its findings. The independent review by former midwife, Donna Ockenden, has looked into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Meanwhile new figures from the Royal College of Midwives show that more than nine out of 10 of those polled felt unsafe staffing levels are directly impacting the quality of care they provide for women and babies. Next week we'll also hear the recommendations of a national review by Baroness Amos. BBC's social affairs correspondent, Michael Buchanan, talks to presenter Nuala McGovern about what we know so far.
Joanna Cherry was elected as an MP in 2015, part of the SNP landslide when they took 56 out of 59 Scottish seats, just a year after the referendum on Scottish independence resulted in a No vote. Her memoir, Keeping the Dream Alive, captures the disappointment and euphoria of that time. Joanna went on to lose her seat in 2024 and has become a vocal critic of the party, and of Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership. She was also well-known for expressing gender-critical views and concerns at a time when the SNP was trying to deliver a gender self-ID law in Scotland. She joins presenter Nuala McGovern to talk about that "tumultuous decade" in Scottish politics.
A new study from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol is looking into how heavy periods impact daily life. Led by Gemma Sharp, a Professor of Epidemiology at Exeter, researchers will collect real-time data from thousands of participants to help us understand the relationship between periods - particularly heavy periods - and our energy levels, sleep and mood.
Did you know that mini golf has feminist roots? A playful and ‘playable’ exhibition, The Art of Mini Golf, has just opened at the Battersea Arts Centre in London, channelling the inclusive, subversive spirit of the game’s female founders. Nuala's joined by curator Grace Herbert and one of the featured artists, Delaine Le Bas, to hear more about mini golf's hidden history and the art it’s inspired.
Presented by: Nuala McGovern
Produced by: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Peptides have become a new buzzword in the wellness industry. Social media influencers have spoken about using them for optimising performance in the gym and improving their appearance, and they’re increasingly popular with women. But some unregulated peptides haven’t been through clinical trials and could be ineffective, or even harmful. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC Health reporter Ruth Clegg, who has been looking into the way women are using peptides, and Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Lancaster.
Jon Snow, the lead presenter of Channel 4 News for over three decades. has revealed he has Alzheimer's disease. During his career, he reported on stories including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama's inauguration. In a new Channel 4 documentary, made in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society, Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, he is seen uncovering an environmental disaster in Zambia. In her first broadcast interview since the diagnosis was announced, Jon’s wife, Dr Precious Lunga, joins Anita Rani to talk about how they are navigating life now.
Actor Geraldine James is renowned for a host of roles in theatre and on screen, from Jewel in the Crown to The Cage. Now she's making her Chichester theatre debut in the stage premiere of the 2015 film 45 years, alongside Gabriel Byrne. The couple are about to celebrate 45 years of marriage, when news arrives in a letter from Switzerland about a woman's body that's been discovered in a melting glacier, sending shockwaves through their marriage.
There is rising demand for homegrown blooms. According to the trade association Flowers From the Farm, small-scale growers now generate £30 million a year — with women making up 80% of members. British Flowers Week is celebrating both the flowers and the women behind them, while highlighting the sector’s economic and environmental impact. Nuala is joined by two women behind Flowers From the Farm, Olivia Wilson, a florist and flower farmer, and Georgie Newberry who has a flower farm in Somerset.
The Government recently launched a consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children. It includes consideration of Hugh’s Law, named after Hugh Menai-Davies, who died aged six from cancer in 2021. His parents are campaigning for a standalone statutory entitlement to leave and pay for parents of seriously ill children. To discuss, Nuala is joined by Frances and Ceri Menai-Davies, and Professor Lorna Fraser from King’s College London, who has been researching the impact on parents of caring for a seriously or terminally ill child.
Eli Davies has embarked on a nostalgic and cultural exploration of the single woman's kitchen, unpacking women’s complicated history with domesticity and how their choice to couple up may shape mealtimes and their relationships with food, cooking habits and self-care. Eli’s book The Spinster Cookbook: Culture, Politics and Pleasure in the Single Woman’s Kitchen is also a story of rebellion, explaining how cooking for one as a woman can become an act of care, defiance, pleasure, and self-expression.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor

Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day is out today in cinemas. It’s billed as an unromantic-comedy set in the early 20th century and tells the story of young aristocrat Katharine Hilbery, who dreams of studying astronomy at university, but society’s expectation is that she should marry. Anita Rani is joined by Haley Bennett who plays the determined lead character and Anna Snaith, Professor of Twentieth-Century Literature in the English Department, King’s College, London.
Andy Burnham has won in the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer. Baroness Harriet Harman, currently the Prime Minister's Adviser on Women and Girls, spoke this morning about the need for there to be a woman in that likely contest. Anita asks the BBC's Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman why there are currently none in the running.
With only men allowed to ascend the throne and only a Princess on offer, Japan’s Parliament has drafted a bill with some solutions. Could the country ever see a female emperor and what would this look like? Anita speaks to BBC Tokyo Correspondent Kurumi Mori and Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield, Jennifer Coates.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark has raised questions about whether each additional hour to an eight-hour working day of bending forward, walking and standing may increase the risk of pregnancy loss in the first trimester. This is an observational study and does not prove cause and effect. BBC health reporter Michelle Roberts explains.
Eli Davies has embarked on a nostalgic and cultural exploration of the single woman's kitchen, unpacking women’s complicated history with domesticity and how their choice to couple up may shape mealtimes and their relationships with food, cooking habits and self-care. Eli’s book The Spinster Cookbook: Culture, Politics and Pleasure in the Single Woman’s Kitchen is also a story of rebellion, explaining how cooking for one as a woman can become an act of care, defiance, pleasure, and self-expression.

The latest public version of ChatGPT can be made to generate sexualised images or depict scenes of graphic violence with a simple prompt, researchers have told the BBC. British AI security startup Mindgard figured out how to make ChatGPT create graphic pictures by slightly altering a widely-shared instruction, or prompt, which was originally designed to produce humorous results. To find out more, Anita Rani speaks to Technology correspondent Chris Vallance and Mindgard's Peter Garraghan.
A spokesperson for Open AI said: "We take these reports seriously. After investigating this trend, we’ve introduced additional safeguards against this type of prompt. Our safety systems are designed to block potentially harmful images that are uploaded to ChatGPT and we analyse whether the AI generated image violates our policies before we show the image to the user. We also combine automated systems and human review to identify and block harmful material.”
Jon Snow, the lead presenter of Channel 4 News for 32 years, has revealed he has Alzheimer's disease. During his career, he reported on stories including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama's inauguration, receiving numerous awards including the BAFTA Fellowship in 2015. In a new Channel 4 documentary, made in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society, Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, he is seen uncovering an environmental disaster in Zambia. In her first broadcast interview since the diagnosis was announced, Jon’s wife, Dr Precious Lunga, joins Anita to talk about how they are navigating life now.
Testing the microbiome of your vagina is increasing in popularity, with direct-to-consumer companies offering at-home tests and claiming that this information is critical to women's health. Anita speaks with Dame Lesley Regan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College London, and Dr Caroline Mitchell, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School, to discuss what we know about the vaginal microbiome and the recent surge in private testing.

New novel Mrs Dickens by Emily Howes, tells the imagined story of Kate Hogarth, wife of the writer and journalist Charles Dickens. She is much loved at first, but as Charles finds fame and the family rise through the ranks of Victorian society, Charles’s attitude towards Kate changes and she is devastated. Emily talks to Anita about how she pieced together and embellished the invisible life of Kate, a woman who bore Charles 10 children during a 22-year marriage and had an unparalleled view of one of the world’s greatest writers.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Tomorrow a by-election will be held in the parliamentary seat of Makerfield in Wigan, one of three taking place. Makerfield has found itself at the epicentre of British politics - and the result could decide the next prime minister. We look at what the polls are saying about the way women in the area are saying they will vote and what is impacting that decision. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC’s political correspondent Alex Forsyth.
Scotland are one of the home nations, alongside England and Ireland, hosting the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup currently taking place here. The Scots got their campaign underway last Saturday against Ireland with an historic win. Nuala is joined by the CEO of Cricket Scotland, Trudy Lindblade and by one of their team, all-rounder, Priyanaz Chatterji to talk about the growth of the women’s game in Scotland and what this tournament means for the future of the game.
Peptides have become a new buzzword in the wellness industry. Social media influencers have spoken about using them for optimising performance in the gym and improving their appearance, and they’re increasingly popular with women. But some unregulated peptides haven’t been through clinical trials and could be ineffective, or even harmful. Nuala is joined by BBC Health reporter Ruth Clegg, who has been looking into the way women are using peptides, and Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Lancaster.
Global Sex: What Sex Workers Know about Love and Capitalism is the title of a new book by the Danish anthropologist Sine Plambech. Sine Plambech is an internationally renowned expert on sex work, migration and human trafficking. Sine Plambech joins Nuala to tell us about her book and how she has dedicated her life to pursuing the trail of money and sex across the globe, while introducing us to four women from Thailand and Nigeria at the heart of her research.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Simon Richardson