Woman's Hour

Peptides have become a new buzzword in the wellness industry. Social media influencers have spoken about using them for optimising performance in the gym and improving their appearance, and they’re increasingly popular with women. But some unregulated peptides haven’t been through clinical trials and could be ineffective, or even harmful. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC Health reporter Ruth Clegg, who has been looking i...

Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day is out today in cinemas. It’s billed as an unromantic-comedy set in the early 20th century and tells the story of young aristocrat Katharine Hilbery, who dreams of studying astronomy at university, but society’s expectation is that she should marry. Anita Rani is joined by Haley Bennett who plays the determined lead character and Anna Snaith, Professor of Twentieth-Century Literature...

The latest public version of ChatGPT can be made to generate sexualised images or depict scenes of graphic violence with a simple prompt, researchers have told the BBC. British AI security startup Mindgard figured out how to make ChatGPT create graphic pictures by slightly altering a widely-shared instruction, or prompt, which was originally designed to produce humorous results. To find out more, Anita Rani speaks to Technology c...

Tomorrow a by-election will be held in the parliamentary seat of Makerfield in Wigan, one of three taking place. Makerfield has found itself at the epicentre of British politics - and the result could decide the next prime minister. We look at what the polls are saying about the way women in the area are saying they will vote and what is impacting that decision. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC’s political correspondent Alex F...

It’s been 10 years since Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered in broad daylight by a man who lived in her constituency, motivated by far-right extremism. That truly shocking event sparked a national conversation about the safety of our elected representatives, and the civility of our public discourse. During her lifetime, Jo’s philosophy was that “we are far more united and have far more in comm...

The Prime Minister has announced a social media ban for under-16s to come into force in the early part of next year. The measures are part of the Government's plans to protect young people from harm online and address unhealthy late-night scrolling on phones. BBC reporter Chris Vallance outlines the developments and Nuala McGovern also hears from Professor Victoria Goodyear at the University of Birmngham, whose work explores how so...

This week, two debut authors received the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, each worth £30,000, respectively. Anita Rani spoke to the two winners, novelist Virginia Evans and Lyse Doucet, known to listeners as the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent.

The Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup has begun. Nuala McGovern talked to Clare Connor, former England women’s captain, now the outgoing Managing Direct...

Last night, two debut authors received the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, each worth £30,000, respectively. Anita Rani speaks to the two winners, novelist Virginia Evans and Lyse Doucet, known to listeners as the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent.

Last week, Hannah Murray, who played Gilly in Game of Thrones, told Anita that during the final season of the show, the papers wrote she was pregnant - when s...

On Tuesday violence broke out across Belfast following a knife attack in the city. Stephen Ogilvie is in hospital with serious wounds after the attack, and a 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder. Ogilvie's family, politicians and police have called for calm after people took to the streets, with some reporting that residents were targeted based on their skin colour. Anita Rani speaks to Louise Cullen, B...

A model who alleges Kanye West choked her on a music video set has told the BBC she was left feeling "suffocated, unsure and scared". Jennifer An, a former contestant on America's Next Top Model, is suing the rapper, now known as Ye, over an encounter she alleges took place in 2010. Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, presenter of BBC podcast Fame Under Fire, has interviewed Jennifer An and joins us to explain the story.

A British woman has...

The Women’s T20 cricket world cup begins on Friday. Nuala McGovern talks to Clare Connor, former England women’s captain, now the outgoing Managing Director of England Women. Over her 18 years in the job Clare has overseen the professionalisation of the women’s game as well as a big boost in the grassroots participation.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is arguing that the Public Sector Equality Duty should ...

Almost three years ago, Valdo Calocane – who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia – killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates. After three months of hearing evidence at the Nottingham Inquiry, Nuala McGovern talks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley-Kumar, the mothers of Barnaby and Grace, about what they believe must change and what they want to see happen now.

Serena Williams - who...

In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot waved her legal right to anonymity for the trial of her then husband, declaring that shame has to change sides. Her then husband had drugged and raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. He was found guilty of her aggravated rape, along with 46 other men. Gisèle has now written her memoir, A Hymn to Life and joins Nuala McGovern to talk about her decision to have an open court, the...

The way women give birth is changing, according to BBC analysis, which has discovered that one in four births in England are now emergency caesareans. The current figure is 26% - an increase of 8% in the past five years - and the rate of elective caesareans has also gone up. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say the system is struggling to cope with this increased level of unplanned surgeries. To discuss what's ...

Survivors who say they were abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed met Sir Keir Starmer yesterday afternoon, in what campaigners have described as a potentially significant moment. More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct against Al Fayed, dating back to 1977, have now been made. The meeting was organised by The Survivors Trust and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Survivors of Mohamed Al Fayed and Harrods. ...

New research shows that strength training twice a week can lengthen your life. Sarah Best and Emma Holmes, who are 49 and 51, will compete at an elite indoor fitness competition, the Hyrox World Championships later this month. Only the top 0.5% of competitors worldwide qualify to compete. They tell Nuala about how they achieved this impressive level of fitness and explain how you can be strong at any age.

Lady Brittan is calling on ...

A newly qualified doctor Charlotte Buttercase, has said she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment and intimidation while studying medicine at the University of Manchester. 32 other female students have now come forward to report similar abuse. Charlotte tells Nuala McGovern why she has waived her right to anonymity and written an open letter to the university to request a formal review of sexism within the School of Medical S...

In 2024 Gisèle Pelicot waved her legal right to anonymity for the trial of her then husband, declaring that shame has to change sides. Her then husband had drugged and raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. He was found guilty of her aggravated rape, along with 46 other men. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Gisèle has now written her...

World Rugby Player of the Year and World Cup Champion Ellie Kildunne joins Nuala McGovern fresh from a Player of the Match performance at the Six Nations final. She reflects on her rise to the top and the story behind her memoir Game Changer.

What are the implications for girls and young women of Alan Milburn's review for the Government into rising levels of inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds? There are currently just under a milli...