Woman's Hour Folgen

Welcome to Woman's Hour's Listener Week, when all the topics, interviews and discussions are chosen by YOU!On today's programme, we hear from listener Siobhan Daniels. She wrote to us on Instagram: 'I would love you to talk about van life and an alternative way of living.' Siobhan is 65 years old and after selling her home and possessions has lived in her motorhome for five years. She joins Nuala McGovern on the programme. A message from a listener raised his concerns about the amount of time it had taken for his daughter’s case to get to trial after she was sexually assaulted. He asked Woman’s Hour to speak to the Crown Prosecution Service about why these delays occur. The CPS were unavilable for an interview and have sent us a statement. To discuss this topic we are joined live by Rape Crisis CEO, Ciara Bergman and barrister and author, Harriet Johnson.What’s it like being a cathedral stonemason? After a listener asked to hear more about women working in heritage crafts, reporter Martha Owen went to meet Rachael Wragg, a stonemason at Lincoln Cathedral. Also known as @thegingermason on social media, Rachael tells us about working the stone, why she decided to retrain as a mason, and why she loves her job.For some surrogacy is extremely contentious, for others it's life changing. Our listener Helen Trenchard wanted to speak about her experience of having a baby by surrogate. It is legal in the UK although it is an offence to advertise that you are seeking a surrogate or are a potential surrogate looking for "intendend parents”. Nuala explores the topic with Helen and Rena Miras-Pye who carried Helen's baby. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Fresh from the Paris Olympic Games, the Team GB weightlifter Emily Campbell joins Jessica Creighton on the programme. Best known for her no-nonsense attitude, fabulous hair and of course, lifting extremely heavy weights, she joins Jessica to discuss adding bronze to her silver medal from Tokyo.In 2020, Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott had the case against her alleged rapist dropped by the CPS. They said that the defence had suggested she suffered from ‘sexsomnia’, where a person performs sexual acts in their sleep. Jade Blue put in a Victim’s Right to Review and received an apology from the CPS for dropping the case, which cannot be re-opened. Jade Blue then sued the CPS – and has now received £35,000 in compensation for damages. Jade joins Jessica to tell her how it feels to have that compensation.Throughout the summer we’ve been taking a look into the world of 'genre fiction' – the women who read it and the women who write it. In the latest of this series, we discuss science fiction. Seen by some as 'a genre for men,' there are lots of women authors and readers who think otherwise. Bafta-nominated screenwriter and playwright, Moira Buffini, who's written The Dig and TV series Harlots, joins Nuala to discuss her debut science fiction novel, Songlight. Larissa Lai, science fiction novelist and professor at University of Toronto, with two novels shortlisted by the Otherwise Award also joins Nuala.The Paris Paralympics are two weeks away, and Nuala is joined by archery champion Jodie Grinham. Having already won a silver medal in Rio and a gold at this year's European Para Cup, Jodie will be looking to win a medal again this summer. She has already broken one record, being the first member of Team GB's para team to compete whilst pregnant.What do you think of maternity clothes? For mums-to-be in 2024, it's apparently all about low-cut jeans and crop tops, moving away from traditional maternity wear. Retailers are recording a decrease of maternity clothes searches with women instead opting for regular clothes, perhaps in a bigger size. So why the shift? Jessica is joined by Assistant Fashion Editor at The Times, Hannah Rogers and influencer and author Alex Light to discuss.Mary Bridget Davies is playing Janis in A Night With Janis Joplin. It's a biographical musical about the life of Janis Joplin and her musical influences. It includes all the big Janis hits, including Piece of My Heart, Cry Baby, Me and Bobby McGee performed by Mary - a role she was Tony-nominated for in the Broadway version of the musical.Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

A new study just published says that perimenopausal women are more likely to experience bipolar and major depressive disorder. Cardiff University academics worked with charity Bipolar UK and the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database, to look at nearly 130,000 UK women and focused on the four years around the last menstrual period. Dr Clare Dolman, an ambassador for Bipolar UK and patient and public involvement lead on the project, joins Jessica Creighton.We Might Regret This is a brand new BBC comedy that has been pegged by reviews as ‘the next Fleabag’. It centres on Freya, who is an artist and tetraplegic, as she moves in with her partner and hires her best friend to be her personal assistant. The series is partly based on the experiences of Kyla Harris, the co-creator who stars as Freya. She joins Jessica to talk about everything from having a third person in a relationship to misconceptions around disability.What do you think of maternity clothes? For mums-to-be in 2024, it's apparently all about low-cut jeans and crop tops, moving away from traditional maternity wear. Retailers are recording a decrease of maternity clothes searches with women instead opting for regular clothes, perhaps in a bigger size. So why the shift? Jessica is joined by Assistant Fashion Editor at The Times, Hannah Rogers and influencer and author Alex Light to discuss.A brand new documentary film called Daughters follows four girls whose fathers are in prison in the US. They are all preparing for a special prison visit – a father-daughter dance that sees some of them meeting for the first time. Co-director of the film and CEO of Girls for a Change Angela Patton joins Jessica to talk about her work with black girls and their fathers, along with a father and daughter from the UK who have personal experience of the challenges of a father being in prison.