Woman's Hour

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - the first woman to occupy that role - has faced one of her biggest international tests yet. She is the first European leader to go to Washington to meet President Trump since his recent announcement of new tariffs on the EU. So how did Meloni's meeting with Donald Trump go, and how is Giorgia Meloni being seen back home, particularly by Italian women? Kylie Pentelow is joined by Laura Gozzi, Senior News and Foreign Affairs Journalist at the BBC. For the first time in its 900 year history, girls will be singing in the choir at St Paul’s Cathedral on Easter Sunday. We hear from some of the girl choristers, and Kylie speaks to Dr Katherine Hambridge, Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Durham and Carris Jones, Vicar Choral and Girls' Voices Project Manager at St Paul's Cathedral about the significance of this moment. Eczema is a complex long-term condition involving the immune system, genetics, skin barrier and the environment. 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults have it. With NHS waiting times for dermatology appointments varying widely depending on location - many young women have taken to social media to talk about the condition, their own skin journeys and share photographs. Kylie is joined by two of them, Chloe Tatton and Katie Mackie, who both grew up with eczema; and Dr Tess McPherson, Consultant Dermatologist from the British Association of Dermatologists and the author of Skin Conditions in Young People. In Emma Gannon's new novel Table for One, the main character Willow learns to embrace the benefits of her new-found singledom after years of being in a relationship - and that includes learning to do typical couple activities, like going out for dinner, alone. Emma joins Kylie to discuss this, alongside expert on all things self-care, psychologist Suzy Reading. Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Rebecca Myatt

The UK Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The decision came following a six-year legal case between the Scottish government and the women's rights group For Women Scotland, regarding equalities legislation. Kylie Pentelow is joined by legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg to discuss this decision. Roblox is the UK’s most popular game platform for children aged 8-12, but what are the risks? Kylie speaks to Hannah Estcourt, the Associate Director from Revealing Reality about their research into the risks facing young users, and BBC Senior Reporter Graham Fraser explains how the platform works and why some parents have concerns. Stephanie Yeboah is a writer, journalist, and body image advocate. She joins Kylie to discuss her debut romantic comedy novel, Chaotic Energy - a story full of heart, humour, and honesty, following a confident Black woman – Temz - navigating work, love, and social media mishaps. Rising star of classic retro music Georgia Crandon joins Kylie to talk about her music, upcoming tour and overcoming social anxiety in the music business, and she performs live in the studio. Presented by Kylie Pentelow Producer: Louise Corley

The UK Supreme Court rules that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. BBC correspondent Catriona Renton joins Nuala to discuss the ramifications of the ruling. Parents of disabled children are being forced to spend thousands of pounds of their own money to plug funding gaps in the health and social care system, according to new research by the disability charity Sense. Nearly half of mums polled have had to give up work as they don't get enough support to care for their child, and many families are turning to loans, credit cards and even crowdfunding to plug the gaps. Nuala is joined by Harriet Edwards, Head of Policy at Sense, and mum-of-three Kimberley Hind. The Irish writer Edna O'Brien died last year at the age of 93. The last person to be granted an interview with her was the documentary director Sinéad O’Shea. Her new film Blue Road weaves those final interviews with archive and readings from Edna’s own diaries to tell the story of her extraordinary life. How does parental infidelity impact children, even years later when they become adults? Juliet Rosenfeld, a psychoanalyst and author of Affairs, and Tanith Carey, parenting expert and author of What's My Tween Thinking, join Nuala to discuss. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor

The Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking has issued a "wake-up call" to the world to act on what they deem "one of the most pervasive human rights issues of our time." The report makes several recommendations specifically for women and girls who make up 54% of the estimated 50 million people trapped in slavery around the world. They are more frequently targeted for forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and domestic labour. Nearly one in four victims are children. To discuss the topic Nuala McGovern is joined by the former Prime Minister, Baroness Theresa May and Nasreen Sheikh, who is a survivor of modern slavery. As the Six Nations passes the half way mark we speak to fans from each of the four nations to discuss their teams. We also look ahead to their hopes for the Women's Rugby World Cup, being held in England later this summer. Nuala is joined by Kate Buck, Betti Ginnelly, Charlotte Williams and Ailbhe O'Nolan. As a teenager, Roxy Longworth was coerced into sending nude images online. After years of shame and struggling with her mental health, she is now 22 and leading the Behind Our Screens campaign about child safety online. Roxy and her mother Gay, co-authors of the memoir When You Lose It, join Nuala to talk about shame, recovery and bridging the generational gap. And a look at the cultural history of the speculum from Dr Shema Tariq. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Corinna Jones

Hundreds of children were caught up in riots with well over 100 arrested and a number charged last summer after the murder of three children in Southport. Since then far right extremism and racism in schools has intensified - an everyday experience in primary and secondary schools, according to the teachers union, the NASUWT. The top priority at their annual conference next week is a motion on behaviour and school safety with the agenda citing problems caused by the Southport riots. Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT joins Nuala McGovern. Frances Mayli McCann stars as Daisy Buchanan in a new musical of The Great Gatsby. The show comes to London following a hit run on Broadway. We speak to Frances and the show’s writer Kait Kerrigan about placing women at the centre of this classic story, celebrating its centenary year. Julie Bindel’s new book, Lesbians: Where are we now? is described as part-memoir, part frontline reportage and part cultural commentary. In it she examines what defines lesbian culture, love, friendship and happiness today and asks why - in her view - lesbians so often seem to face particular hostility? The journalist, feminist campaigner and author is in the Woman’s Hour studio. Today marks 11 years since over 270 girls were abducted from their school in the town of Chibok, Nigeria by Boko Haram. The tragedy sparked international outrage - you might remember the campaign hashtag #bringbackourgirls - and today, global leaders and advocates including UN representatives are gathering in London to mark the anniversary with a photo exhibition and panel discussions. We hear from Dr Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode - lawyer and activist from the Murtala Muhammed Foundation. The Herring Girls were the predominantly Scottish, working-class women who laboured in the UK’s once thriving fishing industry. An itinerant workforce, they went from port to port, following the fishing fleet and working gruelling hours, gutting and packing fish for export in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Artist and farm labourer Joanne Coates has spent six months researching the life and work of this community on the east coast of Scotland. Using art, photography and performance she wants to reclaim their history and reconnect local people with their Herring Girl heritage. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Varada Sethu joined Woman's Hour to talk about stepping into the iconic role of the Doctor Who companion. She tells Datshiane Navanagayam how she went from a guest star to landing the role of Belinda Chandra, why this character feels like her most personal yet, and what it means to her to bring cultural authenticity to the Tardis. With a background in science, classical dance, and Star Wars fandom, Varada brings a fresh energy to the Whoniverse. Grace Davidson was a teenager when she was diagnosed with a rare condition that meant she did not have a uterus. But, following a transplant using her sister's donated womb, she gave birth earlier this year to baby Amy. Nuala McGovern speaks to Isabel Quiroga, the surgeon who led the transplant team at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, and to Lydia Brain, who is currently on the waiting list for a womb transplant. Emily MacGregor is a music historian and trombonist. After the sudden death of her father, a jazz guitarist, she found she wasn’t able to bear the sound of music. The very thing that once connected them became a source of pain and silence. In her new book, While the Music Lasts, she explains how she reconnected with her father through the pieces left on his music stand, from tangos to Handel, Cádiz to Coltrane. She joined Nuala to talk about how she learnt to navigate grief and how she discovered the joy of music again. BBC2’s Saving Lives in Cardiff is back on our screens from tonight. Based in the largest hospital in Wales, University Hospital in Cardiff, the series highlights the weight of difficult, sometimes life and death decisions surgeons make about who to prioritise next. The first episode follows Dr Indu Deglurkar, a cardiac surgeon, one of only 19 women in this role in the UK. She tells Nuala about the pressures and joys of her job. Have you been watching The White Lotus? The season three finale aired this week and one of the key themes that's had fans talking has been female friendship. It's left us wondering - is three a crowd? In the show the dynamic plays out between a trio of friends Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie, played by Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb and Carrie Coon, who alternate between loving and loathing one another. So can friendships between three people work? TV critic Rachael Sigee and relationships writer at the Independent Olivia Petter joined Nuala McGovern. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Sarah Jane Griffiths

A new type of drug for one of the most common types of breast cancer is now going to be available in the NHS in England. In Wales, the drug is approved for use but its funding is still to be decided, and the drug hasn't been approved for use in Scotland and Northern Ireland yet. Some 3,000 women a year could benefit after a clinical trial showed it can slow the progression of the disease. Nuala McGovern discusses how the drug works and who could benefit with Dr Liz O'Riordan, a former breast cancer surgeon who herself has had breast cancer and is currently in remission. Emily MacGregor is a music historian and trombonist. After the sudden death of her father, a jazz guitarist, she found she wasn’t able to bear the sound of music. The very thing that once connected them became a source of pain and silence. In her new book, While the Music Lasts, she explains how she reconnected with her father through the pieces left on his music stand, from tangos to Handel, Cádiz to Coltrane. She joins Nuala to talk about how she learnt to navigate grief and how she discovered the joy of music again. Between 2021 and 2022 the number of women having abortions rose by 17%. A recent study in the BMJ reported that, amongst women having abortions, the number of women using hormonal contraception fell from 18.8% in 2018 to 11.3% in 2023. Over the same period, the number of women undergoing abortions who were not using any contraception when they conceived went up by 14%. So are women turning their backs on hormonal contraceptives? Does this change lie with the contraceptives themselves, women’s access to contraception or could there be other factors like the increase in the use of fertility apps? Nuala speaks to Dr Paula Briggs, Consultant in Sexual & Reproductive Health, and journalist Barbara Speed. In 2014, the Church of England passed the necessary laws to allow women to become bishops. For some, this was a controversial decision. In an attempt to smooth that change the five guiding principles were introduced which allowed those who felt unable to accept women’s ministry to flourish within the church. Now WATCH, Women and the Church, are calling for those provisions to be removed. Nuala speaks to Reverend Martine Oborne, Chair of WATCH, and Dr Ros Clarke, Associate Director of Church Society. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

The programme that offers a female perspective on the world

The programme that offers a female perspective on the world

A recent study into synthetic hair, which many black women use to achieve popular hair styles including braids, found that ten samples of the most well-used brands contained carcinogens, and in some cases, lead. It's provoked a big reaction online. Nuala McGovern is joined by academic and author of Don't Touch My Hair, Emma Dabiri, and also by BBC Correspondent Chelsea Coates. New play Shanghai Dolls explores the relationship between two of the most influential women in Chinese history during the cultural revolution; Jiang Qing (also known as Madame Mao – one of the architects of the Cultural Revolution) and Sun Weishi, China’s first female director. Amy Ng the playwright and Gabby Wong, who plays Madame Mao, join Nuala in the Woman’s Hour studio. Set in a quiet 1950s seaside town in a boarding house full of strange characters, Jess Kidd’s new novel, Murder at Gull’s Nest, is the first in a new series of books. Jess talks to Nuala about the heroine of the series, the fearless former nun Nora Breen, who has left behind her enclosed order of nuns after 30 years to solve crimes. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

If you've been watching The White Lotus, you might be counting down the hours until the season three finale airs tonight. One of the themes central to this series has been female friendship, and it's left us wondering - is three a crowd? This dynamic plays out in the show between the trio of friends Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie, played by Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb and Carrie Coon, who alternate between loving and loathing one another. So can friendships between three people work? TV critic Rachael Sigee and relationships writer at the Independent Olivia Petter join Nuala McGovern. An investigation for a documentary that will air on BBC1 NorthWest tonight by the BBC's Hayley Hassell asks: How safe are our nurseries? There have been almost 20,000 reports of serious childcare incidents in nurseries in England in the past five years, some with devastating outcomes. Nurseries are highly regulated, so how did some of them mislead Ofsted about their practices? Two years ago, Sudan was thrown into disarray when its army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a powerful paramilitary group called Rapid Support Forces, began a vicious struggle for power. The civil war, which continues to this day, has claimed more than 150,000 lives, displaced millions of people and plunged parts of the country into famine. Mass sexual violence has also been widely documented as a weapon of war. Hala al-Karib is a Sudanese activist and regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA). One of the BBC World Service’s 100 Women 2024, she gives us the latest from Sudan. Conceiving Histories: Trying for Pregnancy, Past and Present is a blend of memoir and history, illustrated with over 100 original colour images. More than a decade in the making, its author, Dr Isabel Davis, talks about using frogs for pregnancy tests, phantom pregnancies and the brief fashion for looking pregnant even if you weren’t. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

One manifesto pledge of the incoming Labour government was to provide over 3000 new nurseries in empty school classrooms in England. The first 300 of these will open by September and offer an average of 20 places each. Nuala McGovern speaks to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, about this announcement and also about the current state of provision and funding for children with special education needs. Darkly funny, unsettling, and razor-sharp, I Hope You’re Happy by Marni Appleton is a haunting collection of short stories exploring modern womanhood through the lens of horror and satire. From viral photos to eerie performances in dead-end jobs, these stories capture the weirdness of millennial life... where power struggles, fleeting connections, and social media anxieties collide with the surreal. Marni joined Nuala to discuss the themes and her inspiration. A new exhibition called Curious Cures at Cambridge University Library explores medicine in the medieval era. Dozens of unique medical manuscripts, recipes, cures and guides to healthy living from the 14th and 15th centuries are on display. To discuss women’s role in medieval medicine, Nuala was joined by the exhibition’s curator and medieval manuscripts specialist, Dr James Freeman. The Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood believes “prison isn’t working” for women and wants to reduce the number of female prisoners. Nuala speaks to Scarlett Roberts, a former prisoner and is now a Churchill Fellow and to former prisoner Jules Rowan, who co-hosts the Life After Prison podcast. They are joined by former prisoner officer and former Head of Security and Operations at HMP Wormwood Scrubs Vanessa Frake-Harris, and by prison Intelligence Analyst, author of Five by Five, Claire Wilson and Lucy Russell, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the charity Women in Prison. The Neonatal Care Act starts tomorrow. It allows employed parents to take up to 12 weeks of additional leave on top of their maternity or paternity leave if their newborn baby stays in hospital for more than seven days. We hear from Catriona Ogilvy, founder of premature baby charity The Smallest Things, who has been fighting for this law change for 10 years. Echo vom Eierstock is Switzerland’s first feminist yodelling choir. Elena Kaiser is their founder and joined Nuala to discuss where her love of yodelling came from, and why she is challenging the make-up of traditional yodelling choirs and songs. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Emma Pearce

The Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood believes “prison isn’t working” for women and wants to reduce the number of female prisoners. So what has gone wrong? Nuala McGovern speaks to Scarlett Roberts who is a former prisoner and is now a Churchill Fellow and to former prisoner Jules Rowan, now a personal trainer, who co-hosts the Life After Prison podcast. They are joined by former prisoner officer and former Head of Security and Operations at HMP Wormwood Scrubs Vanessa Frake-Harris, and by prison Intelligence Analyst and author of Five by Five, Claire Wilson. And Lucy Russell, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the charity Women in Prison, describes the challenges faced by women in prison today. What can be done to improve the prison system for women? Nuala speaks to justice system reformer Lady Edwina Grosvenor about her pioneering project Hope Street in Southampton, which aims to keep women in criminal justice system out of jail and with their children and to Alex Davies Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice about the Government's plans to tackle the issue of women's prisons. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

Chinese PHD student Zhenhao Zou was recently convicted for drugging and raping 10 different women in both London and China. Police only managed to identify two of those 10 women, but have just announced that a further 23 women have now come forward with allegations. No victims have given media interviews before but Wanqing Zhang, senior reporter from the BBC’s Global China Unit, has managed to make contact with two of the women. Sally Phillips is the actor, writer, comedian, presenter and disability rights campaigner. Her career includes successful television British comedies such as Smack the Pony, I’m Alan Partridge, and Miranda. And she has recently reprised her role as Shazzer, in the latest Bridget Jones film - Mad About the Boy. She joins Datshiane Navanayagam to talk about her new BBC comedy series, Austin, playing an illustrator married to a much-loved children’s author performed by Ben Miller. Social media influencer Danielle Mansutti says she is suing a Harley Street plastic surgeon after she says she was left with what she describes as overly large breasts and what she says is 'a poor cosmetic appearance'. If you are someone who has an elective cosmetic procedure - how much control can you expect to have over the end result? Marc Pacifico, an aesthetic cosmetic surgeon and President of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and Ashton Collins, Director of Save Face - a UK-based register of safe, ethical, and qualified medical aesthetic practitioners, discuss. The Neonatal Care Act starts next week. It allows employed parents to take up to 12 weeks of additional leave on top of their maternity or paternity leave if their newborn baby stays in hospital for more than seven days. We hear from Catriona Ogilvy, founder of premature baby charity The Smallest Things, who has been fighting for this law change for 10 years. How much do you worry about the amount of time your child or children spend on their phone or computer? Have you tried to do something to limit access? We were contacted by a concerned listener who has two children aged 12 and 15. She would like tech companies to help support putting restrictions in place. To discuss the dilemma for parents and what parents can do we hear from BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam Producer: Kirsty Starkey

One manifesto pledge of the incoming Labour government was to provide over 3000 new nurseries in empty school classrooms in England. The first 300 of these will open by September and offer an average of 20 places each. Nuala McGovern speaks to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, about this announcement and also about the current state of provision and funding for children with special education needs. The family of a woman who is dangerously ill with anorexia is challenging a previous court decision which ruled she cannot be force fed. The family want the Court of Protection judge to make a new decision which would allow a hospital to act so that her life can be saved. We speak to the woman's aunt, and also hear from MIchelle Wright, who says she was in a similar position, on an end of life programme in a hospice, but who has now been recovered for 15 years and is speaking out for the first time. Plus we hear from law and philosophy academic Dr Camillia Kong who explains what will be considered as the Court makes its decisions in the patient’s ‘best interests’. Over the last few weeks Woman’s Hour has been talking to some of the writers who have been longlisted in the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-fiction this year. Well this morning, the shortlist for the fiction prize has just been announced. Nuala is joined by the author and Chair of Judges Kit de Waal. Echo vom Eierstock is Switzerland’s first feminist yodelling choir. Elena Kaiser is their founder and joins Nuala to discuss where her love of yodelling came from, and why she is challenging the make-up of traditional yodelling choirs and songs.

Irish actress Caitríona Balfe won a Bafta for her performance in Kenneth Branagh’s film Belfast and is also known to many as Claire in time travel drama series Outlander. Caitríona joins Nuala McGovern in the studio to discuss her latest role in new film The Amateur, playing a Russian spy alongside Rami Malek. The latest figures on child maintenance show there is currently £690m unpaid, leaving thousands of children without the financial support they are entitled to. Critics argue that the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is failing to use its legal powers, while the Government says enforcement measures are improving. As an inquiry by the cross-party House of Lords Public Services committee calls for evidence, we look at how unpaid child maintenance can be used as a form of economic abuse. Nuala hears from Sam Smethers, Chair of the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, and a survivor whose ex-partner used the system to control her. A new exhibition called Curious Cures at Cambridge University Library explores medicine in the medieval era. Dozens of unique medical manuscripts, recipes, cures and guides to healthy living from the 14th and 15th centuries are on display. To discuss women’s role in medieval medicine, Nuala is joined by the exhibition’s curator and medieval manuscripts specialist, Dr James Freeman. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Eid is a celebration of strength and gratitude where Muslims all around the world come together to mark the end of Ramadan. Nuala McGovern is joined by one of the first Muslim headteachers in the country, Bushra Nasir, author & podcaster Shelina Janmohamed and Executive Board Member at the Muslim Council of Wales Jamilla Hekmoun to discuss what roles they have on this day, from acting as the ‘memory markers’ to passing down the rich traditions that keep religious stories and practices alive as well as some of the pressures women can feel at this time. Women across England will be able to get the morning after pill for free from pharmacies from later this year, the Government has said. Emergency contraception is already free of charge from most GPs and sexual health clinics. But ministers say getting it in pharmacies is a "postcode lottery" - with some councils funding free prescriptions, while elsewhere women can pay up to £30. Nuala discusses the plan with Dr Janet Barter, President, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. The Government says it's going to create 10,000 new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools. Ministers are saying £740 million will be allocated in England over the next three years. It comes as a new report is launched at Westminster today which warns that more and more children are 'losing learning' because their needs are not being met, or they are being suspended or excluded. Nuala discusses the issues and possible solutions with the report's author, Ellie Harris, Aaliyah, a young woman who couldn't attend school due to SEND, and the actress and mother Anna Maxwell Martin and Louise McLeod, the Executive Headteacher of two primary schools in Norfolk. Darkly funny, unsettling, and razor-sharp, I Hope You’re Happy by Marni Appleton is a haunting collection of short stories exploring modern womanhood through the lens of horror and satire. From viral photos to eerie performances in dead-end jobs, these stories capture the weirdness of millennial life... where power struggles, fleeting connections, and social media anxieties collide with the surreal. Marni joins Nuala to discuss the themes and her inspiration. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

In the documentary Growing up Gypsy, Stacey Dooley gets to know three young English Romany Gypsy women. Invited into the traditionally private community, Stacey discovers the complex balancing act the young women face growing up in one of Britain’s most maligned ethnic minorities. She meets 23 year old Chantelle who prides herself in keeping with the ‘old’ Gypsy values her granny Rita taught her and shares her ‘Gypsy Cleaning’ videos on social media where she has nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok and 15 million likes on her page. Chantelle joined Kylie Pentelow to talk about her life, alongside Stacey Dooley. In this week’s Women’s Prize discussion, Clare McDonnell heard from two authors about the debut books they’ve had long-listed for this year’s prestigious literary prize. Sanam Mahloudji’s novel, The Persians, tells the story of the Valiat family from the perspective of five women from 1940s Iran into a splintered 2000s. And Labour MP Yuan Yang’s non-fiction book, Private Revolutions, explores the lives of four women born in China in the 1980s and 90s during a time of rapid change in society. Since its release, the Netflix TV series Adolescence has caused widespread discussion about what’s shaping our teenagers’ lives. The four-part series follows the fallout from 13-year-old Jamie’s arrest on suspicion of murdering his female classmate, Katie. The show is a critique of social media-boosted toxic masculinity and its role in the teenage experience. Clare discussed the issues with clinical psychologist, Dr Amani Milligan and Consultant Forensic Psychologist, Dr Ruth Tully. Do you enjoy a bit of gossip? The thrill of being the first to hear something and sharing it, or the irresistible urge to be let into the lives of others? What’s the difference between idle gossip and hurtful criticism behind someone’s back, do women gossip as much as men and can gossip be used to keep women safe? American journalist Kelsey McKinney joined Clare to discuss her new book, You Didn't Hear This From Me: Notes on the Art of Gossip. Technology journalist and author Lara Lewington asks how artificial intelligence can improve women’s health, and what we are ready for it to do for us? From prevention and diagnostics to testing and tracking, we speak to female experts, scientists and practitioners. Her experts include Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor of the Financial Times, Nell Thornton, Improvement Fellow, The Health Foundation and Dr Ellie Cannon, a GP and author. This week we heard how victims and survivors of domestic abuse want the police to better protect them from perpetrators, but there's also a very practical and positive way some women have been trying to process their trauma to build a future for themselves. British boxer Lesley Sackey - who previously won gold at the EU Championships - is a survivor of an abusive relationship and now helps other women to gain confidence and move forward by getting into the boxing ring. She joined Claire, along with Olivia Culverhouse, who took part in Lesley’s 10-week Fight Forward course. Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Sarah Crawley

In the documentary Growing up Gypsy Stacey Dooley gets to know three young English Romany Gypsy women. Invited into the traditionally private community, Stacey discovers the complex balancing act the young women face growing up in one of Britain’s most maligned ethnic minorities. She meets 23 year old Chantelle who prides herself in keeping with the ‘old’ Gypsy values her granny Rita taught her and shares her ‘Gypsy Cleaning’ videos on social media where she has nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok and 15 million likes on her page. Chantelle joins Kylie Pentelow to talk about her life, alongside Stacey Dooley. If you've been in a pub you might have seen the posters which tells you to Ask for Angela at the bar if you feel unsafe. In response to hearing the word "Angela", trained staff should offer to help you leave the property safely. The national scheme was set up in 2016 to help anyone who is feeling vulnerable on a night out to get the support they need. It was named after Angela Crompton, who was killed by her husband in 2012. Her name becoming the codeword. However, recent BBC secret filming revealed that more than half of venues visited failed to respond correctly, with many staff members completely unaware of what to do. Angela's daughter Hollie explains why she is calling for government action to ensure it is implemented properly. The Oscar-nominated actor Lily Gladstone is the first Native American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award – and the first indigenous woman to win a Best Actress Golden Globe, both for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon. Now she's starring in the romantic comedy The Wedding Banquet. Lily explains her character's journey through IVF, how she chooses roles and the responsibility she feels in representing her community. In the 1970s, British sociologist, Professor Ann Oakley, led a ground-breaking project called Becoming a Mother. She spoke to over 50 first-time mothers before and after they gave birth. What she found reshaped how we think about motherhood and started a sea-change in practice and policy around maternity care. Now a new project takes that legacy forward. It’s called 50 Years of Becoming a Mother and is led by Professor Ann Oakley and Dr Charlotte Faircloth at the UCL Social Research Institute. They will revisit the original mothers, and study 55 new mothers, to understand how women’s experiences of motherhood have changed over the last 5 decades. Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Kirsty Starkey Editor: Karen Dalziel

Technology journalist and author Lara Lewington asks how artificial intelligence can improve women’s health, and what we are ready for it to do for us? From prevention and diagnostics to testing and tracking, we speak to female experts, scientists and practitioners. Contributors: Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor of the Financial Times Nell Thornton, Improvement Fellow, The Health Foundation Dr Ellie Cannon, GP and author Dr Jodie Avery, Program manager, IMAGENDO Meriem Sefta, Chief Diagnostics Officer, Owkin AI Marina Pavlovic Rivas, Co-founder & CEO of Eli Health Dr Lindsay Browning – Sleep expert and chartered psychologist Producer: Sarah Crawley