Woman's Hour

In a special programme exploring 'mistakes' and our relationship with the word Nuala McGovern speaks to clinical psychologist and best-selling author of Open When, Dr Julie Smith, and hears why we dislike making mistakes in our personal and professional lives.

Journalist Nicole Mowbray tells Nuala how she felt when her mistake at The Observer caused an 'international incident'.

Are women judged more harshly for the mistakes they make...

The negative effects that smartphones and social media access can have on students has become a national conversation in recent months, with differing views on who should take the lead in protecting children. Anita Rani was joined by secondary head teacher Emma Mills, whose school in Warrington has banned smartphones. Birchwood High attracted national attention two years ago when teenage student Brianna Ghey was murdered.

Paula Radc...

Headteachers are gathering today in Harrogate for the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers. The negative effects on their students of smartphones and social media access has become a national conversation in recent months, with differing views on who should take the lead in protecting children; the Government, schools, parents, or tech companies. Anita Rani talks to secondary head Emma Mills. Her school, B...

A recent investigation has unearthed previously unknown information about the death of a female Ukrainian journalist who had been looking in to war crimes in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Viktoriia Roshchyna, herself Ukrainian, was captured in 2023 whilst reporting from the occupied territories. She died in 2024 after a year in detention, where she was held without charge and without legal assistance. Editor on the Inves...

For the last decade, Frances Ryan has been a columnist and reporter at the Guardian. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her new book - Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls’ Guide to Life. Part memoir, part manifesto, it explores six facets of life: education, careers, body image, health, relationships and representation, as well as how to survive life's bumps in the road.

Groomed: A National Scandal is a new Channel 4 documentary f...

London Grammar frontwoman Hannah Reid joins Nuala McGovern to discuss more than a decade at the helm of the band, their fourth album The Greatest Love, and what it’s been like navigating the music industry as a new parent.

With US President Donald Trump reaching the 100 day mark of his presidency, who are some of the women in his cabinet? And what impact have those first 100 days had on women's lives in the US? Nuala speaks to Repub...

Paula Radcliffe broke records and redefined women’s long-distance running, holding the marathon world record for more than 16 years. The four time British Olympian secured the Six Star Medal last week - and has now run all six original marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City. Recently she has had her resilience tested in a whole new way - supporting her teenage daughter Isla through a rare and aggressive fo...

After suffering complications during the birth of her son, Leo, in 2021, former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson developed PTSD. She posted about this to her followers on social media and has now written about it in her new book, Lucky. She told Clare McDonnell about her experience and why she is trying to break the taboo surrounding birth trauma.

People who have committed murder, manslaughter or stalking offences should be forc...

The onset of menopause has resulted in 10% of women leaving work for good and more than half having to take time off, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development. These findings were presented to business leaders yesterday at the launch of the first advisory group for menopause in the workplace. Mariella Frostrup is the Government's Menopause Employment Ambassador and she joins Anita Rani.

The Women's Six Nati...

This morning, the UK regulator Ofcom released its Children's Safety Codes. These are the regulations that platforms will have to follow to protect young users and abide by the Online Safety Act. Platforms will have three months to carry out a risk assessment and bring the codes into effect. Ofcom can start enforcing the regulations from July. The most significant aspect is the requirement for strong age verification. Anita Rani hea...

Trans women should use toilets according to their biological sex, according to the equalities minister Bridget Phillipson, this is in response to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling a week ago on the legal definition of a woman. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer has welcomed the decision, saying it provides much needed clarity, and his office has confirmed that the Prime Minister no longer believes trans women are women. There have been pr...

After suffering complications during the birth of her son, Leo, in 2021, former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson developed PTSD. Now, she’s been trying to break the taboo surrounding birth trauma by posting about it to her 1.5 million followers on social media. Louise was invited to Parliament to hear women addressing the Birth Trauma Inquiry last year, led by MP Theo Clarke, and wrote about her experience in her Sunday Times b...

Spring cleaning is in the air - so whether you’ve woken up with the urge to clear out the ‘drawer of doom’ this Bank Holiday, are feeling too overwhelmed or time poor (or both) to know where to start, or have just decided to ‘bless the mess’, join us as we take a deep dive into decluttering, our relationship to our stuff and the impact clutter can have on our lives. Presenter Nuala McGovern is joined by two of the UK’s leading pr...

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 dome...

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, ...

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 eight to 1...

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 gi...

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 dome...

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 a...