Women protesting in Iran, Drugs and teens, Subpar relationships, Midwives and burnout
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 ⢠3K Ratings
đď¸ 14 January 2026
âąď¸ 58 minutes
đď¸ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Reports say that the number of people killed in Iran after 18 days of protests is over 2000. We hear about the women on death row who are facing execution as there are fears of quick reprisals from the regime. Women are taking extraordinary risks to take part in protests as is demonstrated by the death of the fashion student Rubina Aminian, who was shot in the head during the protests, after taking to the streets to demand change and more freedoms. BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and human rights lawyer Azadeh Zabeti discuss with Nuala McGovern.
A BBC investigation has found that more than half of the 16,000 children in drug treatment between 2024 to 2025 were 15 or younger. The BBC has found disparities in community care, gaps in strategy and a lack of state funded residential facilities for teenagers. Experts and grieving families say many are not receiving the help they need. Kate Roux, whose son Ben died in a homeless shelter at 16, and Dame Professor Carol Black, the governmentâs independent drugs adviser, discuss the systemic issues preventing children from getting the help they need and what is being done to create parity of care.
What happens if the person youâre in a relationship with doesnât quite meet all the qualities you look for in a long-term partner? Do you stay anyway? Journalist Eve Simmons has recently written about this in her new book, âWhat She Did Nextâ, which looks at why millennial women might settle for what she calls âsubparâ relationships. Nuala is also joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford who believes it may not just be women settling for less.
After reading the coronerâs report on the tragic deaths of Jennifer Cahill and her daughter Agnes Lily in June 2024, midwife and author, Leah Hazard decided to investigate how long midwives across the country were expected to work at any one time. The many responses she received led her to set up a petition which has now garnered more than 19,000 signatures. She tells Nuala why she is asking for stricter legal protections on midwivesâ working hours, and midwife Abigail Latif describes the pressures she feels under to work long hours.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:05.7 | Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, and I'm Ed Gamble, host of another BBC podcast, The Traitors Uncloaked. |
| 0:12.7 | But my show is available only on BBC Sounds, just like Ellis and John's Saturday bonus episodes, |
| 0:18.2 | The Pop Top Ten podcast with Scott Mills and Rylan, and comedy specials |
| 0:22.2 | from the likes of Harriet Kemsley, Susie Ruffel and Rommashranganathan. However, and maybe I'm biased, |
| 0:27.9 | it's really all about the traitors uncloked. So for a whole bunch of exclusive scoops and |
| 0:32.6 | podcasts, listen only on BBC Sounds. Hello, this is Neula McGovern, and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast. |
| 0:40.1 | Hello and welcome to the program. |
| 0:42.1 | Well, in a moment, Least Ducet on the women's resistance in Iran, as President Trump says |
| 0:46.3 | the US will take very strong action against Iran if it executes protesters and also says |
| 0:53.1 | that help is on the way. |
| 0:55.2 | Also, a woman whose teenage son died after becoming addicted to drugs has told the BBC that the system failed her child. |
| 1:02.5 | This hour will speak to Kate about her son Ben and also what she thinks could have saved him. |
| 1:08.2 | We'll talk about the subpar relationship. My guest believes that many millennial |
| 1:13.5 | women, so women in their 30s and 40s, are settling for men that are not, they're equal. We'll have |
| 1:19.5 | that conversation also coming up this hour. And if you want to get in touch with anything you hear |
| 1:24.0 | on the program, you can text us 84844 on social media. |
| 1:28.2 | We're at BBC Woman's Hour. |
| 1:29.6 | Or you can email us through our website. |
| 1:31.9 | For a WhatsApp message or voice note, the number is 0-3700, 10044444. |
| 1:38.4 | And we'll also hear why one midwife is leading a petition |
| 1:41.7 | to establish legal limits on midwives' working hours. |
... |
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