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Woman's Hour

Parole and victims, Met Police vetting, Women’s Prize for Non-fiction

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ellie Wilson, a rape survivor, is campaigning for the right for victims to be able to appear at parole hearings, after being denied permission to attend one for her attacker. She tells Nuala McGovern why she wants the law changed in Scotland, and barrister Harriet Johnson explains more about the process.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says that rooting out people who should not be in the force, has been made harder due to a High Court ruling that an officer accused of rape could not be dismissed because the process was fundamentally unfair. So, what does this ruling mean exactly and what could the wider impact be on women? Nuala McGovern discusses with the BBC's Senior UK correspondent Sima Kotecha and former Met Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri.

Did you know anyone can legally call themselves a nurse, regardless of qualifications? Labour MP Dawn Butler introduced a ten minute rule bill in Parliament yesterday seeking to make 'nurse' a protected title in UK law. Professor Alison Leary, Deputy President of Royal College of Nursing joins Nuala to explain why she believes this move is important.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction which was established to recognise the literary achievements of female writers. There have been huge improvements in sales for fiction written by women since then, however only 34 per cent of the top 500 non-fiction books in 2022 were written by women. The Women's Prize awarded its inaugural non-fiction category last year and have just released their 2025 longlist. Will it have the same impact as the Fiction Prize? Nuala is joined by Women’s Prize co-founder Kate Mosse and this year’s Chair of the Non-Fiction Prize, journalist and author Kavita Puri.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie Garton

Transcript

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0:00.0

Eleven climbers appeared to have died on the world's second highest mountain K2.

0:06.0

It was one of the deadliest days in mountaineering history.

0:10.0

Rock falls, avalanches.

0:11.0

Huge pieces of ice. All are big enough to kill you.

0:14.0

He just flew out into Devoid and he was gone.

0:17.0

How did it all go so wrong?

0:19.0

And is it really worth risking death to feel alive?

0:22.1

Why would somebody pay to go to a place called the death cell on a vacation?

0:26.6

Extreme. Peak Danger. With me, Natalia Melman Petrazella. Listen to the full series now. First, on BBC Sounds.

0:36.6

Music, radio, podcasts.

0:40.7

Hello, this is Neula McGovern and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast.

0:45.6

Hello and welcome to the program.

0:48.0

Policing has been left in a hopeless position, according to Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, following a high court ruling that took place yesterday.

0:57.5

He says the largest police force in the country now do not have any mechanism to get rid of officers who are unfit to keep their vetted status, including those, and I quote, who cannot be trusted to work with women, unquote.

1:10.6

So what are the implications of this ruling for women's safety we will discuss?

1:15.8

Also today on Women's Hour, why some are calling for the title of nurse to be protected.

1:21.4

And today we'll also talk about nonfiction.

1:24.7

Here is a stat for you.

1:26.3

Nonfiction books written by women only make up

1:29.5

34% of the top 500 bestsellers. We'll have Kate Moss and this year's chair of the Women's

1:36.4

Prize for Nonfiction, as she is, and the author Kavita Puri on why that is and also how to change

1:42.6

the balance. So this morning, I am looking to you for your recommendations,

...

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