logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
57m 40s

Weekend Woman's Hour: Holly Smale, Paris...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

A former senior Army officer is calling for the military to have a “#MeToo moment” and is claiming that hundreds of female troops have been raped and sexually abused by colleagues. Lt Col Diane Allen, who served for 37 years, says the Armed Forces are being run by “a toxic group of privately-educated white senior officers” We talk to Diane Allen and also hear from the Defence Minister Baroness Goldie.

Some women and trans men are reporting unusual symptoms after having their Covid vaccinations – ranging from menstrual irregularities to bleeding post menopause. We talk to the reproductive immunologist Dr Viki Male from Imperial College in London to find out what’s behind these symptoms.

The best selling author of the Geek Girl series Holly Smale has been diagnosed with autism at age 39. She said she feels relief that she now has an explanation for why she’s felt she’s never “fitted in”.

Prof Catherine Heymans, astrophysicist and world-leading expert in the so-called dark universe, is now the Astronomer Royal of Scotland. She's the first woman to hold this prestigious role, but the problem is she's still not entirely convinced she should have the job. She talks to us about impostor syndrome, challenging the status quo and dealing with aggressive criticism.

Paris Lees is a journalist, anti-bullying campaigner, and a Contributing Editor at British Vogue. She was the first openly trans woman to present on BBC Radio 1, and also the first to appear on Question Time. She’s written a memoir called What it Feels like for a Girl, which covers the period aged 13 to 18 – a turbulent, heady time full of adventure and disaster.

What generation do you define as? The term 'geriatric millennial' went viral last week, after writer Erica Dhwan used it to describe the micro-generation born between 1980 and 1985. Erica believes they make particularly good employees due to their experience of life before the digital world. Rosa Silverman, a senior features writer at the Telegraph, says she is proud to self-define as one of the around 5 million UK geriatric millennials in the UK.

Up next
Today
Southport inquiry, Cam, DCI Helen Tebbit
The Southport inquiry - the first phase of which took place in Liverpool this week - heard statements from the families of four girls who survived despite being seriously injured during the attacks on 29 July last year. The public inquiry heard testimony from one of the girls' mo ... Show More
52m 58s
Yesterday
Christine McGuiness, Dianaworld, Marcia Grant inquest, Weight loss ads
The TV presenter and autism advocacy campaigner, Christine McGuinness, is mother of three autistic children, and she received an autism diagnosis herself as an adult. She is highlighting new research from Barrett Redrow which found that half of parents of children with disabiliti ... Show More
57m 8s
Jul 8
Caroline Eshghi, Fats Timbo, Malaria drug for babies
In the 1970s and 80s, Caroline Eshghi was a young girl living in Bristol, Somerset, and Wiltshire. From the moment she was born until she ran away at the age of 15, Caroline was beaten, burned and starved by her mother. In May this year, Melanie Burmingham was jailed for 20 month ... Show More
57m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
Gutsy Women (with Gloria Steinem and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha)
By now it’s an all-too-familiar phenomenon: A woman who dares to defy stereotypes or step out of her “place” gets called “shrill,” “bossy,” “ambitious,” or worse. But more often than not, those are the women who get the job done. Hillary talks to feminist activist Gloria Steinem ... Show More
44m 3s
May 2024
Overcoming Gender Bias in Healthcare: How Women Should Talk to Their Doctors
In this episode, Dr. Diane Reidy-Lagunes sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Comen, author of "All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women's Health and Why It Matters Today." They discuss ways to empower women to advocate for their health when talking to doc ... Show More
18m 58s
Sep 2023
Why is syphilis making a comeback?
When the Government released the latest statistics on STIs in the summer, one in particular stood out. Syphilis. A sexually transmitted infection which might make you think more 1823 than 2023. But figures in England are currently at their highest since 1948, a rise which is refl ... Show More
28m 42s
Apr 2024
His and hers medicine
Dr Zoe Williams talks to researchers and clinicians around the world as she investigates how and why the care of women has been so neglected, and what moves are afoot to change that. She examines the historical inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of women, particularly in ... Show More
49m 28s
Apr 2022
90. Menopause: What We Deserve to Know with Dr. Jen Gunter
1. Hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, and the less common, frequently-missed symptoms of menopause. 2. A strategy and script for how to talk to your doctor without being dismissed.3. The lies and truth about menopause hormone therapy.4. Why our cultur ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2020
Wendy Moore, "No Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain's Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I (Basic Books, 2020)
Today’s guest is journalist and author, Wendy Moore. Her new book, No Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain's Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I (Basic Books) explores the WWI British military hospital known as Endell Street.A hospital run by two ... Show More
56m 50s
May 2023
Everything You Need To Know About Menopause with Professor Annice Mukherjee #360
Right now, there are more than 13 million peri- or post-menopausal women in the UK. That’s around 25% of the population, you may be in that category or you will be interacting with women in that category. That’s why it’s imperative that all of us have a deeper understanding of wh ... Show More
1h 57m
May 2021
Menopause: Misunderstood, Mysterious & Magnificent
We've come a long way when it comes to discussing topics in public that used to be considered taboo or referred to as 'women's business', but one issue that is still shunned by society is menopause. Given the obsession with looking and feeling young, it can be difficult for anyon ... Show More
20m 55s
Jan 2016
The Danish Girl, War and Peace, Deutschland 83, Angela Clarke Follow Me, Fallout 4 and Her Story
The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, portrayed in the film respectively by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), and directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hoope ... Show More
41m 43s