Woman's Hour

The ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry starts again today, having already uncovered "appalling practices in undercover policing" over the past 50 years in England and Wales, since the inquiry was first established in 2015. It is believed at least 50 women were duped into intimate relationships with undercover officers over decades. Alison, not her real name, spent five years living with a man she knew as Mark Cassidy, who was in fact a married undercover Police Officer whose real name was Mark Jenner. She joins presenter Nuala McGovern along with BBC London journalist Ayshea Buksh, who has been following this inquiry.
A hidden detail has been found in one of the most famous portraits of Anne Boleyn, which historians argue proves it was painted as a rebuttal against accusations of witchcraft. In Anne Boleyn’s Hever “Rose” portrait she wears her “B” pendant and holds a red rose in her right hand and it's the hand that's holding the rose which people are saying is significant. Scientific analysis of the painting at Hever Castle, her childhood home in Kent, has uncovered evidence that an Elizabethan artist sought to create a visual rebuttal to claims she was a witch with a sixth finger on her right hand. Nuala is joined by historian and author Tracy Borman to find out more.
A BBC investigation has found that some social media accounts which are claiming to document the nightlife of cities are instead focussing on women in dresses and skirts, filmed from angles that at times show intimate body parts. The BBC has identified 65 YouTube accounts posting these videos, with a combined total of more than three and a half billion views. BBC Reporter Shona Elliott shares what she has found, along with Rebecca Hitchens from the End Violence Against Women Coalition.
The Puppini Sisters are celebrating 20 years of their antique pop, neo-burlesque swing music. Their new album The Birthday Party marks two decades since their debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, spent almost a year on the Billboard chart in the US. It became the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history, with their fans including Robbie Williams and King Charles. The Puppini Sisters are Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins and Rosanna Schura and join us in the studio.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd

Last week a report from the Welsh Health and Social Care Committee revealed that women in Wales felt that they were being failed by gynaecological cancer services, with many facing long waiting lists to see a specialist or start treatment. Anita speaks to Jess Mason who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2022, Lowri Griffiths, Director of Policy, Research and Insight at Tenovus Cancer Care and Aarti Sharma, Consultant Gynaecology Oncology Surgeon, University Hospital of Wales.
Politicians in France have moved to abolish so called "conjugal rights," the concept of a marital duty to have sex with your partner. A bill approved on Wednesday in the French National Assembly adds a clause to the country's civil code, which currently defines the duties of marriage as "respect, fidelity, support and assistance," and says couples commit themselves to a "community of living." The proposed law makes clear that "community of living" does not create an "obligation for sexual relations." Anita is joined by the French journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet.
Across Wales more than 700 women volunteers regularly bring faulty toasters, ripped jeans, wobbly chairs and other broken stuff back to life for free. They are part of Repair Café Wales, a charity that spans 134 locations. They are launching 'Fix It February', a month-long campaign to inspire people to repair one broken item instead of replacing it. Anita is joined by Repair Cafe Wales director Phoebe Brown and Lucy Harris, one of the volunteers.
The writer and performer Paris Paloma has a new single out today about women’s bodies called Good Girl. Paloma joins Anita to sing and talk about her music, including her 2023 track Labour about women’s unpaid work which started a social media trend as women around the world related the song to their own experiences with sexism.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

There's been a stark warning to MPs about the number of women pensioners living in poverty. The House of Commons Work and Pensions committee has been hearing the pension system is dysfunctional, and contributing to more gender disparity, that's according to the feminist economic think tank the Women's Budget Group, which gave evidence this week. Anita Rani is joined by their incoming director Dr Daniella Jenkins and Sarah Pennells, consumer specialist at Royal London finance company.
It's less than a week to go until the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy. With a record 47% of female athletes competing, the games will be the most gender-balanced in Winter Olympic history. Two women who are gearing up to cover every twist and turn of these Games are former two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller and Jeanette Kwayke, who'll be fronting the BBC's coverage as part of an all-female line up alongside Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine.
The writer and performer Paris Paloma has a new single out today about women’s bodies called Good Girl. Paloma joins Anita to sing and talk about her music, including her 2023 track Labour about women’s unpaid work which started a social media trend as women around the world related the song to their own experiences with sexism.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor

There's been a stark warning to MPs about the number of women pensioners living in poverty. The house of commons work and pensions committee has been hearing the pension system is dysfunctional, and contributing to more gender disparity, that's according to the feminist economic think tank the Women's Budget Group, which gave evidence yesterday. Anita Rani is joined by their incoming director Dr Daniella Jenkins and Sarah Pennells, consumer specialist at Royal London finance company.
New figures revealed in a super-complaint suggest tens of thousands of sexual offence investigations are taking years to complete with some stretching beyond seven years to complete. Campaigners say excessive police delays are causing serious harm to survivors leaving them in limbo and may even be breaching their human rights. The complaint has been submitted by a coalition of legal and support organisations including Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre. Anita is joined by one of the co-authors, Ellie Ball, an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Manager, who’s helped survivors of sexual violence navigate the criminal justice system for over a decade.
Madeleine Gray’s first book Green Dot was a big hit and she's just published her second novel – Chosen Family. She joins Anita to discuss her fairy tale debut novel story, how then writing a second was daunting and why your ‘chosen family’ is so important.
Is there a gender gap when it comes to using AI? Journalist Olivia Petter says the men she meets are obsessed with using it but believes that women are far more cautious. Studies show women are less likely to use AI in the workplace. As the government rolls out free AI training for every UK adult, the question is: what happens if women don’t feel equally confident or equally protected in this new AI driven world? Olivia and Prof Gina Neff from the  Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge join Anita to discuss.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Pornhub has announced it will restrict access to its website in the UK from next week, blaming the tougher age checks which have been introduced for explicit sites. Back in October, their parent company Aylo said the law change, which was made under the UK's Online Safety Act, had caused traffic to their website to fall by 77%. As of next week, only people who have previously made a Pornhub account will be able to access its content. Nuala McGovern discusses the implications of these changes with Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, the author of Women On Porn and Professor of Sexual Violence and the Co-Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University.
The decision by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to suspend home birth services is to be challenged in the High Court. The suspension was announced back in November after the trust cited safety concerns raised by their staff and dealing with more complex births. Now a coalition including the charity Birthrights is taking the trust's leaders to judicial review asking them to reconsider the suspension. Nuala is joined by Birthrights' legal lead Laura Mullarkey and Matthew Hill, Health Correspondent for the BBC in the South West.
This weekend gamers and music fans alike will be headed to 'BAFTA Games in Concert' which is starting its tour in London. It's celebrating two decades of BAFTA-nominated and award-winning games music and the composers behind these hugely popular gaming soundtracks. One of those composers is Jessica Curry. Ten years ago her score for the videogame 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture' won a BAFTA Games music award, the first for a solo woman. Jessica tells Nuala why her music channels grief, love, and loss and the impact music can have on gamers.
It's a week to go until the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy. With a record 47% of female athletes competing, the games will be the most gender-balanced in Winter Olympic history. Two women who are gearing up to cover every twist and turn of these Games are former two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller and Jeanette Kwayke, who'll be fronting the BBC's coverage as part of an all-female line up alongside Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd