Woman's Hour Folgen

Today’s Rethink essay comes from the musician and artist Brian Eno, he asks what the response to the pandemic has taught us about leadership, and how what we want and need from our future leaders might have changed. To discuss the future of leadership Jane speaks to Dame Heather Rabbatts, Chair of Time’s Up UK, Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyds of London and Professor Ngaire Woods, founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University. A new Netflix documentary – Athlete A – explores the physical, mental and sexual abuse of young women within the United States of America Gymnastics; including at the hands of former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar. Former artistic gymnast and writer Jennifer Sey tells Jane about her career and the culture within gymnastics that she believes allowed this to happen. Presented by Jane Garvey Produced by Sarah Crawley Interviewed guest: Dame Heather Rabbatts Interviewed guest: Inga Beale Interviewed guest: Professor Ngaire Woods Interviewed guest: Jennifer Sey

Michaela Coel’s new drama “I May Destroy You” on BBC 1 is receiving rave reviews on Twitter and in the papers. The story centres around a writer called Arabella who is drugged and sexually assaulted but has no recollection of the assault except in flashbacks and has to piece together what happened to her. How effective is the way the story is told and what questions does it raise about consent, relationships and the portrayal of women’s everyday lived experience on screen? To discuss the series, Jenni is joined by Weruche Opia who plays Bella’s best friend, Terry, Zing Tsjeng, executive editor of Vice UK and the poet Vanessa Kisuule. The children’s charity Barnardo’s has seen a 44% increase in the number of children who need foster care during the coronavirus pandemic. This, coupled with a fall in potential foster carers coming forward, is creating what they call a ‘state of emergency’. Vulnerable children who may have experienced neglect or abuse are now having to wait to be placed in foster families. What can be done? Jenni speaks to Brenda Farrell, Head of Fostering at Barnardo’s. Ukrainian chef, food writer and food stylist, Olia Hercules tells the story of a part of Ukraine’s culinary history that is disappearing. Summer kitchens are little buildings in the vegetable garden where produce is prepared and eaten during the warmer months, and surplus food is pickled and preserved for the long winters. Olia joins Jenni to talk about the food of her childhood and discuss how to Cook the Perfect… Beetroot leaf rolls with buckwheat and mushrooms.Covid 19 has introduced a number of new terms to public debate - the key worker is perhaps the most important one. It turns out that the most essential workers are predominantly women, and many of them employed in low paid work in health and social care as well as cleaning and supermarkets. In her new book, Feminism and the Politics of Resilience, the sociologist Angela McRobbie argues that these and other disadvantaged women have become increasingly trapped in low-paid and casualised work which offers no possibility for progression or promotion. And the kind of feminism we’ve seen promoted in the last decade, which has emphasised individual resilience, hasn’t helped. Middle class and often white women have been exulted to lean in and achieve more at work and in motherhood, while low-paid women to be shamed for lacking resilience. So, have we become distracted from recognising the social and economic forces that shape women’s lives? Jenni discusses with Angela McRobbie and Zoe Williams, Guardian columnist.Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

Rethink is a series of essays and discussions across BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and the World Service that looks at how the world might change after the coronavirus pandemic. Today's essay features the political philosopher Clare Chambers who considers how our relationship with our bodies, and our appearance has been affected by the lockdown. To discuss Jenni is joined by Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Kate Lister, Lecturer in the School of Arts and Communication at Leeds Trinity University, and Shahidha Bari, Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion. The American crime writer Karin Slaughter has sold over 35 million books worldwide. Her stories are violent and gritty and she writes frankly about the impact of violence against women and the long-lasting effects of trauma. She hopes people will see her books as an honest telling of stories we do not often hear about… survivors, fighters, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends and rogues. She joins us to talk about her latest book, The Silent Wife.Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Dianne McGregor