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Woman's Hour

Women's tennis in Saudi Arabia, 'Dear Sirs', Women and advertising

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2024

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week sees the culmination of the women's tennis season as the WTA finals are held, somewhat controversially, in Saudi Arabia. So far, top seed Aryna Sabalenka is through to the first semi-final, the second semi-final will be decided tomorrow. However, the decision to hold the tournament in a country which has been criticised for it's treatment of women has been in the spotlight and under scrutiny. To discuss this more, Clare McDonnell is joined by sports reporter Catherine Whitaker and Felix Jakens who is head of campaigns at Amnesty International.

A Woman's Hour listener is fed up with the phrase 'Dear Sirs' - Ellie Rees is the co-founder of Brickworks Estate Agency and despite her team being all female, they are often addressed in this way. Clare is joined by Ellie to discuss this, and also by Susie Dent, the author and lexicographer.

ADWOMEN: 100 Years of Women in Advertising opens this week at the Museum of Brands in London. It features iconic adverts from the 1920s to the present day looking at the creative women within advertising and the portrayal of women within the adverts themselves. It also examines the impact of advertising on women’s lives through defining periods of social history. Clare speaks to Alice Kain, the curator, and Sabina Usher, Head of Strategy and Partner at OMD.

Playwright Caitriona Cunningham has drawn on her own experience of being in a mother and baby home in 1979 for The Marian Hotel, a production that’s currently touring Northern Ireland. In it, a group of young pregnant unmarried women hold each other up with sharp, dark humour against the backdrop of the Troubles. Caitriona joins Clare to explain why she decided to tell this story now.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Emma Pearce

Transcript

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0:00.0

New American president straight ahead.

0:04.6

Follow the outcome of the U.S. election with AmeriCast.

0:08.2

It's the BBC podcast full of lively chats about politics and social media investigations.

0:13.7

Expert insights this way.

0:15.8

We'll guide you through all the key moments as the United States heads in its next direction.

0:21.3

Final destination, the White House.

0:24.0

Navigate your way through the US election.

0:26.4

America.

0:27.3

Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:30.9

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:34.8

Hello, this is Claire MacDonald, and you're listening to the Woman's Hour podcast.

0:39.7

Hello and welcome to Women's Hour.

0:42.6

The grand finale of the women's tennis season takes place in Saudi Arabia this week for the very first time.

0:49.3

Issues surrounding women's and LGBT rights in the principality are well known, of course.

0:55.2

So is Riyadh the right place to host the crown jewel of the women's game?

0:59.8

We'll walk that nuanced line between defending women's rights and growing women's sports.

1:06.4

Now, are there certain words that put your teeth on edge every time you hear them?

1:11.4

I ask because today we're going to be joined by Women's Hour listener, Ellie Rees,

1:16.1

who's on a mission to rid the world of that catch-all email letter opener, Dear Sirs.

1:22.7

Wordsmith, Susie Dent, will join me too.

1:25.1

So tell me the gendered words that really get under your skin.

1:29.8

And what have you replaced them with? You can text the program. The number is 84844.

...

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