Woman's Hour

A young woman in the US has successfully sued Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp - and Google, owner of YouTube, over her childhood addiction to social media. In an unprecedented case, a jury in Los Angeles has found that the companies intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed the 20-year-old's mental health. The woman, known as Kaley, has been awarded $6 million dollars (£4.5m) in damages. Both tech companies say they disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Anita Rani is joined by BBC Tech reporter Shiona McCallum.
Non-monogamous relationships appear to be having a pop culture moment, with polyamorous couples on our screens and open marriages profiled in numerous books on the topic, alternative relationships appear to be everywhere currently. Anita will discuss polyamory with Molly Roden-Winter, author of the memoir More: A Memoir of Open Marriage, and The Times journalist, Sarah Ditum.
Spain is to formally pardon 53 women survivors who were among thousands incarcerated by the Franco regime for being supposed 'fallen' women. Anita speaks to BBC Mundo journalist Alicia Hernandez and freelance journalist Cristina Garcia Casado about what happened in the 1940s when, as adolescents, the women were locked up by the Board for the Protection of Women, a collection of institutions run by religious orders and overseen by Carmen Polo, the wife of the dictator Gen Francisco Franco.
Actor Katherine LaNasa is starring in the second series of HBO’s award-winning TV medical drama The Pitt. She plays Dana Evans, a nurse; a part for which she won an Emmy. Katherine talks to Anita about nearly throwing in the boot before landing this role, how she and the rest of the cast were trained for hospital scenes and how her real-life experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer has impacted her work.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt

It's OIivia Dean's world and we are all just living in it. The 27-year-old music star picked up three MOBO awards last night to add to her four Brit awards and her Grammy for Best New Artist. So what is the secret to her massive success? BBC Newsbeat reporter Naomi Clarke who was at the MOBOs in Manchester last night and joins Anita Rani.
A new investigation by CNN has uncovered online group chats which they say show men from around the world openly exchanging tips on how to drug and rape their wives. It has echos of the Gisele Pelicot case which shocked the world, when a high profile court case in 2024 revealed how she was drugged and raped, whilst unconscious, by her husband. He and 46 other men were convicted of rape, two more of attempted rape and two of sexual assault.
Joining Anita is CNN's Paris Bureau Chief Saskya Vandoorne, who conducted their investigations into online group chats, and Zoe, who also took part in their report.
We’re delving into the world of eSports, also known as electronic sports, as a major video game festival gets underway in Birmingham. eSports is a thriving business with professional leagues and a global, devoted following. To discuss, Anita is joined by Hannah Marie ZT, an eSports and gaming journalist, and Viiki, an eSports gamer and content creator who is competing at the festival.
Actor, writer and comedian Andi Osho’s latest novel, Most Wanted, is about a couple who are so frustrated with not being able to get a foot on the housing ladder, they go on a crime spree to bring prices down. Andi tells Anita how her own demoralising property search inspired the book and why community spirit matters.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones

Today marks a historic moment for the Church of England as Dame Sarah Mullally is installed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church’s 1,400‑year history. What unique skills and priorities will she bring to the role, and what challenges lie ahead for her as she takes on one of the most influential positions in the Anglican Church? Joining Kylie Pentelow to explore these questions are the Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek; the Reverend Martine Oborne, chair of WATCH Women and the Church; and Professor Andrew Atherstone, author of a new biography of the Archbishop.
A campaign backed by charities, MPs and peers is urging for more checks on pornography websites to protect children and vulnerable people. It’s looking to change the law to get websites to verify the age of people appearing in the content that’s published, and to guarantee that their consent has been given. To discuss the proposals, Kylie is joined by Baroness Bertin, author of an independent review into the regulation of online pornography, and Naomi Miles, founder of the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation charity.
The revolutionary Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli is being celebrated in a dazzling new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Sonnet Stanfill, Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A and curator of Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art and fashion historian, Justine Picardie, author of Fashioning the Crown, discuss her life and work.
What can Taylor Swift teach us about the economy? Associate Professor at the University of Kansas, Misty Heggeness, explains how her concept of Swiftynomics shines a light on the true value of women’s work and influence.
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Emma Pearce

Naz Shah has been the MP for Bradford West since 2015, after a battle with George Galloway’s Respect Party, but her personal journey into politics is remarkable. Naz was born in Bradford but sent to Pakistan at the age of 12, to escape the attentions of her mother’s abuser. Then when she was 20 her mother was convicted of his murder. For years Naz looked after her younger siblings, while campaigning alongside Southall Black Sisters for her mother’s release and was instrumental in achieving a reduction in her mother’s jail term. She joins presenter Kylie Pentelow to discuss her story as she publishes her memoir Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics.
Have you heard about the ‘alpine divorce’ trend? Women on social media are describing it as an extreme style of breakup in which a man leaves his partner stranded during a hike or outdoor adventure. Jo Hemmings, a Behavioural Psychologist and Relationship Counsellor, and broadcaster and author Mary-Ann Ochota discuss this troubling new relationship trend and how women can feel safe while navigating the outdoors.
The Anti-discimination charity Kick it Out has received 131 reports of sexist incidents at football matches from the start of the men's season until the end of February this year. That's more than double than for the same period last season, with comments to female fans including, 'What do you know about football? You should be in the kitchen getting your husband's tea." We discuss why this sexism is increasing and what can be done about it with BBC Sport senior journalist Sally Freedman, who's written a book about her expereinces, and Sarah Collins, head of Safeguarding at Stockport County Football Club.
In the new play, John Proctor is the Villain, high school girls in small town America are studying The Crucible, Arthur Miller's allegorical portrayal of the Salem witch trials. The play takes place just as the #MeToo movement catches fire, and comes close to home. As the Broadway hit premieres in the UK at London's Royal Court Theatre, playwright Kimberly Belflower and director Danya Taymor join Kylie to discuss viewing Miller's classic through a #MeToo lens.
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

NB The music in this broadcast has been removed from the podcast for rights reasons
We start today's programme with the sad news that Dame Jenni Murray has died. For 33 years she brought her sharp intellect, wit and passion for women's stories to generations of listeners, having conversations with some of the most famous women on the planet from Margaret Thatcher to Nicole Kidman. And yet it was her intuition for understanding women's lives - the struggles and the opportunities - and her openness about the challenges in her own life that endeared her to so many. To help us remember her, Kylie Pentelow is joined by former Woman's Hour editor Jill Burridge, who worked closely with her for many years.
Emmy award-winner Elisabeth Moss, best known for Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale, and Kate Mara from House of Cards and The Martian join Kylie in the Woman's Hour studio. Playing best friends – they discuss their new drama series, Imperfect Women.
Experts at the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) are highlighting the urgent need for clearer, evidence-based guidance on the use of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They want to draw attention to what they say are significant evidence gaps, inconsistent advice for patients, and the longstanding exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women from clinical trials. Kylie speaks to Dr Emma Magavern, a clinical lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology at Queen Mary University and a fellow of the BPS, and Nikki Wilson, CEO of The Maternal Mental Health Alliance, who decided to go onto antidepressants when pregnant with her second child.
Singer and showbiz legend Jane McDonald talks about her new album, Living the Dream.
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Kirsty Starkey