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Woman's Hour

WASPI women, Puberty blockers, Black female journalists

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The government has announced that a ban on the private prescriptions of medicines used to delay puberty to young people questioning their gender in the UK, is being made indefinite. They are no longer prescribed on the NHS. Following the recommendations of the Cass review, the only new access to these puberty blocking drugs for young people will be via a clinical trial, due to start in early 2025. Deborah Cohen, former BBC Newsnight health correspondent and Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE Health has been looking into what this trial might look like and the debates around its design and ethics. She joins Nuala McGovern to explain further.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) say they are furious at the latest government announcement that they won't be paid compensation. They say they weren't properly informed that their state pension age was rising and therefore weren't able to prepare for retirement. A Parliamentary Ombudsman investigation in March recommended that they be paid compensation, the government says the cost - which it says would be up to £10.5 billion - would not "be fair or proportionate to taxpayers". Nuala speaks to the current Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Rebecca Hilsenrath.

Before Taylor Swift, there was Kay Swift - the first woman to compose a hit Broadway musical. She also worked alongside George Gershwin on many of his works such as Porgy and Bess – and they had a long affair. But Kay has largely been forgotten by history. A new Radio 3 Drama: Gershwin & Miss Swift, seeks to change that. Nuala is joined by Kay’s granddaughter, the author Katharine Weber, and actor Lydia Leonard who plays Kay in the drama.

A recent report by the National Council for the Training of Journalists found that 91% of UK journalists come from white ethnic groups. This has increased by 3% since last year. Amid large numbers of job cuts within the sector, what can be done to help keep female black and minority ethnic journalists within the profession? Nuala is joined by Habiba Katsha, a freelance journalist considering an alternative career, and award-winning writer and journalist Afua Hirsch.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie Garton

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, it's Nicola Cocklin.

0:02.8

Young people have been making history for years, but we don't often hear about them.

0:06.6

My brand new series on BBC Sounds sets out to put this right.

0:10.6

In history's youngest heroes, I'll be revealing the fascinating stories of 12 young people

0:16.0

who've played a major role in history and who've helped shape our world.

0:19.8

Like Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela,

0:22.5

Louis Braille and Lady Jane Grey, history's youngest heroes with me, Nicola Cochlin. Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:31.4

BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts. Hello, I'm Nula McGovern and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.

0:39.8

Just to say that for rights reasons, the music in the original radio broadcast has been

0:44.0

removed for this podcast.

0:45.8

Hello, good morning.

0:47.2

Welcome to the programme.

0:48.5

Well, here were some of the headlines I was reading in the newspapers.

0:52.9

In the telegraph, Labour betrays waspy women.

0:55.7

The Gorge in fury after Labour rejects waspy women payouts.

0:59.8

And the Times goes with Labour MPs rebel over new blow to pensioners.

1:04.8

They are in response to a decision by the government to not compensate millions of women,

1:09.9

affected by an increase in the state

1:11.8

pension age. We will hear from the parliamentary ombudsman whose office investigated the cases

1:17.9

and recommended compensation this hour. Debbie Despon, who is from the Waspie campaign,

1:24.0

from the women who were campaigning and were directly affected by that increase in age,

1:30.2

gave her reaction to the Today program this morning.

...

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