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Woman's Hour

Ellie Wilson, Women-only tower block, Rejection, Women's Hour

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.13K Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For Ellie Wilson, now 25, it’s been a year since the man she once called her boyfriend was convicted of raping her and sentenced to five years in prison. Research shows that one in four women have been raped or sexually assaulted as adults, but it is estimated that only one in six will report it with less than 1% of reported cases ending in a conviction. Ellie speaks to Nuala to explain why she chose to waive her right to anonymity and what propels her to continue to campaign for reform of the justice system in light of her experience.

Plans for Britain’s first women’s-only tower block, to be built in Ealing, west London, have been approved. The brainchild of the housing association Women’s Pioneer Housing, it will be a 15-storey tower containing 102 flats to be rented to single women, in particular women who are disadvantaged in the housing market. Nuala is joined by the Chief Executive, Tracey Downie, and Vicky Spratt, the Housing Correspondent for the i newspaper, to discuss its potential social impact.

Why does rejection hurt so much? And what are some coping mechanisms can people use? Nuala discusses with the Chartered psychologist Fiona Murden, and Kate Wills who describes her fear of rejection, how it has held her back in life, and an experiment she undertook to try and cure it.

Many listeners will know that Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour has been broadcast for more than 75 years – since October 1946. But far less well known is an earlier programme called Women’s Hour, which first appeared 100 years ago, in early May 1923. To find about more Nuala speaks to Dr Kate Murphy, Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University - and author of the book Behind the Wireless: A History of Early Women at the BBC.

Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:05.0

Hello, this is Nulem O'Goveren and you're listening to the Woman's Hour podcast.

0:09.6

Good morning.

0:10.8

In a moment we'll hear from Ellie Wilson, a rape survivor who is one of the few who

0:15.7

has secured a conviction against her rapist.

0:19.0

Ellie is now working to change the system for others and decided to waive her right to

0:23.1

anonymity to do just that.

0:25.7

We're going to hear her story.

0:27.7

Also today we want to talk about Britain's first ever Women's Only Tower Block.

0:32.8

It hopes to give the single women who will rent there an affordable and safe place to

0:37.4

call home.

0:38.7

But some are questioning whether this is an effective way to alleviate some of the problems

0:43.0

women face when trying to find a suitable place to rent.

0:46.2

I'd be curious a few thoughts on the Women's Only Tower Block.

0:50.2

It's going to be an e-ling in London.

0:52.1

84844 is our text number.

0:55.5

But we also want to talk about rejection.

0:58.6

It's part of life, right?

0:59.6

But it doesn't always make it easy.

1:02.0

And I'm wondering whether you have a particular way of dealing with it?

1:05.1

One of our guests took radical action to combat the feelings of rejection.

1:09.6

So we're going to tell you exactly how she did that.

...

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