Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire. The Woman's Hour Guide to Life collection is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/guidetolife
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Sep 29, 2026 · 58:23
Many parents will have just experienced the departure of their children from the family home as they head for university, turning once-bustling households into so-called 'empty…
Sep 28, 2026 · 57:17
Ten NHS staff have been removed from duty or suspended after accessing the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods, without authorisation. A major search for Noah was…
Sep 26, 2026 · 27:16
Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones joined Nuala McGovern to talk about her new action thriller series, Kill Jackie and taking on one of her most formidable roles yet, not least…
Sep 25, 2026 · 56:11
What is the impact of the Durham breast cancer scandal on the women affected? It's been announced that 4,500 patients will have their medical records reviewed. There has been a…
Sep 24, 2026 · 53:48
Naomi Alderman is an award-winning novelist, broadcaster, TV producer and videogames creator. Her latest novel The Strangers blends memoir and speculative fiction to explore…
Sep 23, 2026 · 58:02
Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones joins Nuala McGovern to talk about her new action thriller series, Kill Jackie and taking on one of her most formidable roles yet, not least…
Sep 22, 2026 · 58:15
Author Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel Big Little Lies followed the lives of a group of women in the affluent Sydney suburbs, exploring some dark themes beneath the suburban…
Sep 21, 2026 · 57:16
For months Lucy Godley documented the abuse she suffered at the hands of her former partner. Secretly, she photographed injuries, gathered evidence and sent it to the one person…
Sep 19, 2026 · 52:00
Dame Meera Syal is a multi-award winning writer and actor, and a name and face very familiar to many of us having graced our screens for decades now. She's just published her…
Sep 18, 2026 · 53:26
Georgia Hunter Bell rediscovered her teenage love of running during lockdown, and two years later won Team GB a Bronze medal in the 1,500m at the Paris Olympics, at the age of…
Sep 17, 2026 · 56:58
Dame Meera Syal is a multi-award winning writer and actor, and a name and face very familiar to many of us having graced our screens for decades now. She's just published her…
Sep 16, 2026 · 56:33
A new film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility will be released in cinemas on Friday 25 September. Austen's first published novel tells the story of the Dashwood…
Sep 15, 2026 · 53:31
A new advert featuring the American actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked a backlash from some female athletes for sexualising women’s sport. The advert, for the sports betting…
Sep 14, 2026 · 57:03
Is artificial intelligence more likely to disadvantage women at work? Women make up more than 60% of the UK’s administrative workforce – jobs considered among those most exposed…
Sep 13, 2026 · 55:34
The government has announced plans to require smartphones and tablets to block people from taking, sharing or viewing nude images by default, with adults able to switch the…
Sep 11, 2026 · 56:57
More than 50 children's charities and parent organisations have written to the Prime Minister, warning that disabled children are being overlooked in the Government's planned…
Sep 10, 2026 · 56:05
The number of high earning parents turning down pay rises in order to keep free childcare is on the rise. Research from the University of Warwick and the London School of…
Sep 9, 2026 · 57:15
The government has announced plans to require smartphones and tablets to block people from taking, sharing or viewing nude images by default, with adults able to switch the…
Sep 8, 2026 · 56:52
High-profile Reform UK member and former cabinet minister Nadine Dorris was alerted by the police that a deepfake pornographic image had been made of her. She joins Nuala to…
Sep 7, 2026 · 56:34
The Irish boxer Katie Taylor sold out Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night. More than eighty thousand people turned out to see Katie perform one last spectacular time before…
Sep 5, 2026 · 56:12
The award-winning singer-songwriter and actress Natalie Imbruglia first hit our screens in the early 1990s, playing the role of Beth Brennan in the Australian soap Neighbours.…
Sep 4, 2026 · 57:24
Tomorrow the Sussex Maternity Review will launch in Brighton to examine more than 1,000 cases spanning over a decade. The independent review's chair, the former midwife Donna…
Sep 3, 2026 · 57:19
Whilst the vast majority of nurseries provide safe and caring environments, there have been a number of highly distressing cases in recent years where children have been abused…
Sep 2, 2026 · 57:22
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the body that represents NHS paediatricians, has warned of a sharp rise in the number of children aged 6 to 17 turning up at…
Sep 1, 2026 · 57:14
The award-winning singer-songwriter and actress Natalie Imbruglia first hit our screens in the early 1990s, playing the role of Beth Brennan in the Australian soap Neighbours.…
Aug 31, 2026 · 48:45
After a summer when hot weather has drawn many of us towards the water, we explore its pull as a place of freedom, adventure and friendship, as well as the risks it can pose.…
Aug 29, 2026 · 29:02
Women who have missed a cervical screening appointment in England are to be offered HPV self-testing kits by the NHS. Over the next year, nearly four million women will receive…
Aug 28, 2026 · 56:03
Hormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of dementia, a new study has found. Researchers tracked more than 180,000 postmenopausal women and their analysis suggests that…
Aug 27, 2026 · 57:13
People who were sexually abused as children and later seek help for mental health problems are being failed by the NHS, according to The Royal College of Psychiatrists. The RCOP…
Aug 26, 2026 · 56:44
Singer-songwriter, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton has died aged 80. She was a feminist icon, although she denied the former. Known as The Queen of Country, she paved the…
Aug 25, 2026 · 57:10
Women who have missed a cervical screening appointment in England are to be offered HPV self-testing kits by the NHS. Over the next year, nearly four million women will receive…
Aug 24, 2026 · 57:03
After the death of both her parents best-selling novelist Louise Doughty made a startling discovery whilst clearing out the family home. Inside a black suitcase, she stumbled…
Aug 21, 2026 · 57:09
Are GCSE's working for all children? Figures show resits in Maths and English are dragging down the overall results in those subjects. Whilst post 16 education has evolved with A…
Aug 20, 2026 · 54:57
Doctors are warning that vaping could be harming children's health and say more needs to be done to make vapes less attractive and accessible to young people. The warning comes…
Aug 19, 2026 · 57:14
A senior French civil servant stands accused of drugging hundreds of women. Police say Christian Nègre kept a spreadsheet documenting what he described as his ‘experiments’ in…
Aug 18, 2026 · 57:17
The revelation that a paedophile had changed his name more than 20 times to hide his past has renewed pressure on the government to change the law. Jason Brown was first…
Aug 17, 2026 · 56:28
Amy Hunt became the first athlete in the 92-year history of the European Championships to win four gold medals in a single event, claiming titles in the 100m, 200m, women's…
Aug 15, 2026 · 56:48
Five years after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, we hear how it has changed women’s lives in the country and beyond. Anita Rani speaks to 21-year-old Purvin Juma who fled to…
Aug 14, 2026 · 57:19
Five years on since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, we hear how it has changed women’s lives in the country and beyond. Anita Rani speaks to BBC World Service journalist…
Aug 13, 2026 · 57:32
A serial sex attacker who had a 'morbid fascination' with sex has been jailed for the rest of his life after he was found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third.…
Aug 12, 2026 · 57:08
One of the most spectacular solar eclipses the UK has seen for decades is taking place this evening. The extraordinary celestial event will see the Moon move across the face of…
Aug 11, 2026 · 55:53
Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz won three Grammys for her 2024 album Revolución diamantina, and this week sees the work's UK premiere at the BBC Proms, when conductor Gustavo…
Aug 10, 2026 · 57:08
New York congresswoman and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed she has decided to freeze her eggs and will be documenting the process on social media - despite what…
Aug 8, 2026 · 56:54
Listener 'Sarah' tells us about the burden and resentment she feels at caring for a parent who is in her 90s, when she is a pensioner too. This is the time she thought she would…
Aug 7, 2026 · 57:22
Listener Week on Woman's Hour is where we bring your stories, ideas and the issues you want to hear about to air. A father has written to us about his daughter's experience of…
Aug 6, 2026 · 57:19
In two weeks’ time, thousands of young people will open their GCSE results — but what about those who don’t get the grade 4 they need in Maths and English? 41% of pupils in Maths…
Aug 5, 2026 · 57:02
Listener Week on Woman's Hour is where we bring your stories, ideas and the issues you want to hear about to air. Why isn’t more known about Lipoedema? One listener wants to know…
Aug 4, 2026 · 58:08
Listener Week on Woman's Hour is where we bring your stories, ideas and the issues you want to hear about to air. Sarah tells us about the burden and resentment she feels at…
Aug 3, 2026 · 56:42
Listener Week on Woman's Hour is where we bring your stories, ideas and the issues you want to hear about to air. How much of the detail about your marriage or long-term…
Aug 2, 2026 · 28:45
Last month, two reports into maternity services in England were published. Donna Ockenden’s review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Baroness…
Jul 31, 2026 · 57:11
There's been a lot of opposition to FIFA's plans to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors. UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, have said they would…
Jul 30, 2026 · 57:24
Last week, the government announced a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues from April. These spaces are increasingly used for coffee mornings, parent and…
Jul 29, 2026 · 57:14
A BBC investigation has uncovered allegations of sexual assault against the Hollywood star and musician Jared Leto. Four women who've spoken to the BBC were all teenagers at the…
Jul 28, 2026 · 58:14
Academy Award-winning actor Helen Hunt is currently performing in the RSC’s production of The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss what it’s like…
Jul 27, 2026 · 57:19
The new Reform police and crime commissioner for Norfolk, former detective Colin Sutton, has said that releasing women from prison ‘would be a kind of a radical, outside-the-box…
Jul 25, 2026 · 56:37
Actor, writer and director Lena Headey is best known for playing Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. She has created and stars in Intimacy, a new BBC Sounds audio drama and…
Jul 24, 2026 · 56:27
As an immersive version of Grease opens for the summer in London, Anita Rani welcomes Didi Conn, who played 'Beauty School Dropout' Frenchy in the original 1978 film. Can you…
Jul 23, 2026 · 57:20
A BBC investigation has revealed that a police officer, Alan Greer, who took his own life in May was a violent rapist who carried out a spate of sexual attacks and attempted…
Jul 22, 2026 · 56:54
According to experts at Imperial College London, England is seeing a "worrying increase" in young women in their 20s developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is serious and…
Jul 21, 2026 · 58:19
We look at the women in Andy Burnham's government. Three out of four of the great offices of state are now occupied by men, but there are lots of female MPs joining - and…
Jul 20, 2026 · 57:14
As Andy Burnham takes over as Prime Minister, we ask leading campaigners and experts on women’s issues what they think he should prioritise on day one of his premiership. Clare…
Jul 18, 2026 · 56:58
What impact do hormones have on women with ADHD? A pioneering study by Kings College and Queen Mary University in London is putting the link to the test, by asking 50 women who…
Jul 17, 2026 · 57:18
There is speculation today that the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will become Chancellor when the incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham announces his Cabinet on Monday. Whoever…
Jul 16, 2026 · 57:26
New research from the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse suggests one in five girls and one in ten boys experience sexual abuse during childhood. Yet the organisation says…
Jul 15, 2026 · 57:23
A new report from the Health and Social Care Committee says customers are being pushed towards products high in fat, sugar and salt which are typically cheaper than more…
Jul 14, 2026 · 57:30
What impact do hormones have on women with ADHD? A first of its kind study by Kings College and Queen Mary University in London is putting the link to the test, by asking 50…
Jul 13, 2026 · 57:37
Sarah Hadland will be a familiar face to many, having played numerous roles over the years, but is probably best known for her role as Stevie in the BAFTA-nominated sitcom…
Jul 11, 2026 · 57:40
Emma Grede is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been featured on Forbes' America’s Richest Self-Made Women list. Emma joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her book…
Jul 10, 2026 · 57:22
This programme was recorded before the police announced an investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death. Ann Widdecombe's political career spanned decades, serving as Conservative…
Jul 9, 2026 · 56:45
Iranian writer, Shahrnush Parsipur, who spent her life documenting what it meant to be a woman living under repression in Iran, died this week in the US, at the age of 80. Anita…
Jul 8, 2026 · 57:25
Emma Grede is a British serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mother of four. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Good American, and a founding partner of SKIMS. Recognised for…
Jul 7, 2026 · 56:56
New research into IVF and donor eggs suggests that older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs - with a marked drop-off from…
Jul 6, 2026 · 56:53
Parents are being warned about the risks of posting images of their children online due to an increase in AI-generated child abuse imagery. The Internet Watch Foundation found…
Jul 4, 2026 · 57:23
Annabel Rook dedicated her life to supporting vulnerable women, yet her own life was violently taken by her partner. Annabel co-founded MamaSuze, a creative grassroots arts…
Jul 3, 2026 · 57:00
Joining Nuala McGovern and Anita Rani on stage is Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the BBC Podcast Fame Under Fire, which focuses on celebrity court cases. Anoushka talks to…
Jul 3, 2026 · 56:00
Today the Prime Minister is expected to apologise on behalf of the state for its role in historical forced adoptions. Thousands of unmarried women were pressured into giving up…
Jul 1, 2026 · 57:15
Before the potential Prime Minister has even taken up office, a draft letter has been written for Andy Burnham asking him to appoint as many women as men in his government. It's…
Jun 30, 2026 · 57:06
As Baroness Amos releases her long-awaited National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation into maternity service failings in England, we discuss her key findings and what happens…
Jun 29, 2026 · 54:25
The most prestigious tennis tournament in the world begins today. But Wimbledon has already attracted global attention before the courts even open, with the wildcard return of…
Jun 27, 2026 · 29:23
Joanna Cherry was elected as an MP in 2015, part of the SNP landslide when they took 56 out of 59 Scottish seats, just a year after the referendum on Scottish independence…
Jun 26, 2026 · 53:43
For three decades, the singer-songwriter Beth Orton has remained one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. She’s developed a devoted audience, winning a BRIT…
Jun 25, 2026 · 57:25
More than 500 mothers and babies came to harm or died as a result of inadequate care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. That’s according to Donna Ockenden’s review…
Jun 24, 2026 · 57:11
Why are women’s bodies impacted by heat differently to men’s? What can women do to cool down? Nuala McGovern is joined by GP Dr Amir Khan, Alyx Gorman, lifestyle editor of…
Jun 23, 2026 · 57:42
One of Northern Ireland's most high-profile politicians Jeffrey Donaldson is now convicted of 18 child sex abuse charges, including one charge of rape. One politician said the…
Jun 22, 2026 · 57:24
Maternity care and its shortcomings will be in the spotlight over the next fortnight, as the biggest maternity inquiry in the history of NHS England prepares to report its…
Jun 20, 2026 · 57:55
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…
Jun 19, 2026 · 57:35
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…
Jun 18, 2026 · 57:45
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…
Jun 17, 2026 · 57:32
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…
Jun 16, 2026 · 57:21
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…
Jun 15, 2026 · 57:22
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…
Jun 13, 2026 · 56:50
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…
Jun 12, 2026 · 57:39
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…
Jun 11, 2026 · 57:09
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…
Jun 10, 2026 · 57:01
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…
Jun 9, 2026 · 57:32
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.…
Jun 8, 2026 · 57:15
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…
Jun 6, 2026 · 57:12
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…
Jun 5, 2026 · 57:10
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% -…
Jun 4, 2026 · 57:12
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…
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