Woman's Hour

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was known as the ‘godmother of rock and roll’ and influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. Now Olivier Award-winning performer Beverley Knight is playing Sister Rosetta in a new production, Marie and Rosetta, which has just opened at the Rose Theatre in London. It tells the story of Rosetta and her singing partner, Marie Knight, described as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history. Beverley joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio to discuss how the show hopes to restore these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight. The Government has announced that care workers will no longer be recruited from overseas as part of a crackdown on visas for lower-skilled workers. The care sector has criticised the plans as "cruel" and "short-sighted". To discuss this and what good care looks like, Nuala is joined by Gavin Edwards, Head of Social Care at Unison, and care worker Kathryn Faulke, author of the memoir Every Kind of People: A Journey into the Heart of Care Work. It’s thought that around 3 to 4% of people in the UK, that’s one in 20, have ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However many women still remain undiagnosed for decades of their lives, with those in their 40s, 50s and 60s only now discovering they have it for the first time. Jo Beazley was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago at the age of 49, after her symptoms worsened during the menopause. She joins Nuala along with Amanda Kirby, the former chair of the ADHD Foundation and a professor in the field of neurodiversity. This week we'll be hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued interim guidance that, in places open to the public, trans women shouldn't use women's facilities such as toilets. Today Nuala speaks to Robin Moira White, a barrister who specialises in taking discrimination cases, and who is also a trans woman. Robin transitioned in 2011 and is co-author of A Practical Guide to Transgender Law. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Tonight sees the 70th Ivor Novello awards taking place at Grosvenor House in London.  They are coveted in the UK music industry because they specifically celebrate songwriting. Singer-songwriter Lola Young leads the nominations this year including one for 'best song musically and lyrically' for her breakthrough hit Messy, which spent a month at number one in the UK earlier this year.  Does this spell good news for women in the music industry? Anita Rani is joined by Linda Coogan-Byrne to discuss. If you've ever had the bad luck of getting a UTI - or Urinary Tract Infection - you'll know how painful they can be. It's a bacterial infection which can affect the bladder, urethra or kidneys and give a burning or stinging sensation when you urinate. Yesterday, in a powerful parliamentary session, the Labour MP Allison Gardner spoke through tears as she described her experiences of chronic UTIs. The MP for Stoke on Trent is now hoping to launch a cross-party parliamentary group to look at chronic UTIs - Allison joins Anita, as does the GP Ellie Cannon. A major new exhibition opens this week at The Imperial War Museum in London. Called Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, it looks at the atrocities inflicted during war and conflict from the First World War until the present day. Helen Upcraft is the exhibition’s lead curator and Sara Bowcutt is the Managing Director of Women for Women International, one of the NGOs working in the field of sexual violence in conflict, who’ve also contributed to this exhibition. They join Anita in the studio. Women and listening... how do women listen? How good a listener are you? Two books out this month focus on listening, from listening to sounds to listening more deeply to other people. Anita speaks to writers Alice Vincent, and Emily Kasriel. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

In the last of our interviews about the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, Nuala McGovern speaks to Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. As the body responsible for enforcing the Act, the EHRC gave evidence in the Supreme Court case. In the first BBC interview since launching a consultation on updating their Code of Practice in light of the judgment, Baroness Falkner explains who they want to hear from and why. Five years after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, a new BBC documentary is reflecting on the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that followed, including in the UK. Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd tells the story through the eyes of some of those who found themselves on the frontline during the spring and summer of 2020, including Khady Gueye, who made headlines after a local protest she planned in the Forest of Dean was initially cancelled. She joins Nuala, along with author, producer and speaker Nova Reid, to reflect on the impact the events of that time have had on their lives, and what has changed since then. Nuala is also joined by Sarah Pochin, the first female MP for the Reform UK Party. The Runcorn and Helsby by-election was won by just six votes - the closest result in modern history. A former Conservative Councillor and mayor for Cheshire East, Sarah was a magistrate for 20 years. During her maiden speech she focussed on immigration, the cost of living and sexual violence against women. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

Mental health nurse Rachel Luby has been discussing her shopping addiction with a UK newspaper. She says it led to her ordering thousands of pounds worth of presents for staff and patients on her ward and was receiving parcels every day. She feels her shopping addiction was trivialised - rather than being seen as a red flag. So how common is this? And why is it a problem to think that shopping is just something women do and enjoy? Nuala McGovern hears from financial psychotherapist and author of Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, Vicky Reynal. Why are survivors of sexual assault being cross-examined at trial about the fact that they made a previous disclosure of another sexual offence by a different perpetrator? The Centre for Women’s Justice, Rape Crisis and other women’s groups have launched a campaign to clarify the law around this. Nuala is joined by Katrin Hohl, independent advisor to the government on sexual violence and professor of criminology at City St Georges University in London, who has spent months investigating how and why this is happening. Liane Child’s novel The Trad Wife’s Secret is inspired by influencers who believe in traditional gender roles in marriage. So is this a wholesome phenomenon or a dangerous and sexist regression? And what is the appeal to the millions of people who follow 'trad wives' online? Liane Child joins Nuala along with British “traditional housewife” and influencer Charlie Gray. Israel has announced a reprieve in its 11-week blockade of aid into Gaza. Nuala speaks to the BBC’s Paul Adams and Humanitarian Director at Save the Children, Rachael Cummings, to find out more about the impact of this block of aid on women and children. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

How do we teach children to have grit? That's what the Government is suggesting needs to be a new focus in schools, to bolster children's mental health. To discuss how parents can help their children develop resilience, Anita Rani is joined by Sue Atkins, parenting coach and author of Parenting Made Easy and child psychologist Laverne Antrobus. We are currently hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today Anita speaks to Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK. At age 20, actor Sam Ipema was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Her highly successful play, Dear Annie, I Hate You details this experience and is currently on at Riverside Studios in London. She joins Anita Rani and neurologist Dr Faye Begeti to discuss. Founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Laura Bates, has been looking into artificial intelligence.  Laura argues that existing forms of discrimination are being enforced by AI through historic coding, prioritising profitability at the expense of women’s safety and rights. But also worrying is how simple it is for AI to enable users to create deepfake or AI girlfriends, that can perpetuate the abuse of women.  Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt