Rape investigations, Ashley Dalton MP, Winter Paralympics, Comic novel Motherfaker

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.1 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The government’s independent advisor on rape, Professor Katrin Hohl, is warning that despite an overhaul on how to investigate rape, there is a lack of awareness of the changes across courts in England and Wales which is affecting the outcomes of trials. Also today, the Justice Secretary David Lammy is launching a new national Legal Advisors service for rape victims, as well as a pilot project that will look at shifting the focus of rape court cases from the victim to the perpetrator. It will be led by Professor Hohl who joins presenter Nuala McGovern to discuss it along with Nogar Ofer from the Centre for Women's Justice.

As the Winter Paralympics get underway, we look at why women remain under-represented. Only 26.5% of Paralympians are expected to be women, and just 24% of Team GB. Meanwhile research from Activity Alliance and Women in Sport shows that disabled girls are far less likely than boys to see a future for themselves in sport. So what’s holding them back, and what needs to change? We’re joined by Phil Smith of ParalympicsGB, Kate Baker from UK Sport, and Paralympic champion Kelly Gallagher, all live from Italy.

Ashley Dalton, the MP for West Lancashire, announced last week that she was stepping down from her role as Health Minister to focus on constituency work and her health. Last year she revealed that her breast cancer had returned, and metastasised. This means living with advanced breast cancer everyday – it can’t be cured, but it can be managed. She joins Nuala to discuss her decision.

How far would you go for a year off work? The character at the centre of new comic novel Motherfaker is prepared to fake a pregnancy. After her husband disappears with her life savings, teacher Barri Brown is dreaming of escape and a new life, but has limited options. So begins her great pregnancy heist. Anna Brook-Mitchell discusses the inspirations for her debut novel and its key themes from grief to connection and being child-free by choice.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:07.2	Savings, credit cards, car finance, reclaiming, insurance, investing, power of attorney, decision,
0:12.2	indecision, analysis, paralysis.
0:15.4	Don't panic.
0:16.4	The Martin Lewis podcast is twice weekly, helping you navigate our complex consumer world. I'll walk you through a big money saving topic step by step. Then in question time, you set the agenda and ask whatever's on your mind. Would you rather be locked in an empty shopping centre with a thousand snakes or just one gorilla? Within reason. The Martin Lewis podcast, listen on BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Nula McGovern and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast. And while you're here, I wanted to let you know that the Woman's Hour Guide to Life is back. You might have listened to some of the episodes from the first series, including ambition without burnout, or turning aging into your superpower. Well, we've got some of the episodes from the first series, including ambition without burnout, or turning
0:55.4	aging into your superpower? Well, we've got six new episodes for you over the coming weeks
1:01.3	that will give you practical tips on issues like self-promotion without feeling awkward, caring
1:07.5	for aging parents, navigating infertility with family and friends,
1:12.6	and also how to love your face, whatever your age.
1:17.1	I'm really excited about this series of the Woman's Hour Guide to Life,
1:21.3	so I really hope you'll join us.
1:23.4	You will find the episodes in the Woman's Hour podcast feed on Sundays.
1:27.4	It's only on BBC Sounds.
1:29.8	But now, back to today's Woman's Hour.
1:34.2	Hello and welcome to the program.
1:36.8	This hour, the government's independent advisor on rape, Professor Catherine Hull.
1:41.8	She is warning that despite an overhaul on how to investigate rape, there is a lack of
1:46.7	awareness of the changes across courts in England and Wales, and that it is affecting
1:51.5	the outcomes of rape trials.
1:53.9	We'll speak to her in a moment.
1:55.8	Also today, we celebrated the almost gender parity at the Winter Olympics, but that's not the case when it comes to the Winter Paralympics.
2:03.9	Just over a quarter of the competitors are women.
	...

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