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Weekend Woman's Hour

Professor Angela Davis, the enduring appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and is there a place for men in the feminist movement?

The celebrated civil rights activist Professor Angela Davis on what it's like to go from being on the FBI's ten most wanted list to a place in the 100 'cool' American's exhibition in Washington earlier this year.

We discuss the link between hormones and mental health and what it's really like to be a teen with PMT.

The TV series Little House on the Prairie was based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We look at the continuing enduring appeal of her original books and the latest annotated autobiography Pioneer Girl.

We hear about the campaign to stop parents who have abused their children from continuing to disrupt their lives and from a woman whose daughters were abused by their father and despite being convicted of the offence still fought for access to them.

Plus you may not know the name Bevis Shergold but she made a huge contribution to the war effort interrogating POW's in Egypt and Algeria as well as representing Britain in the 1948 London Olympics.

A debate on whether there is a place for men in the feminist movement? And can the struggle for equality for women around the world also improve the lives of men as well?

And we hear from the Scottish/Zambian singer songwriter Namvula.

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58 minutes

Last on

Sat 6 Dec 201416:00
BBC Radio 4

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Professor Angela Davis

Professor Angela Davis was known as a radical activist and member of the Black Panthers in the 1960s-1970s. Still a celebrated civil rights activist and respected academic she speaks frankly about the actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide political movement for her freedom. Forty years on she's moved from having a place on the FBI’s ten most wanted list to having a place on the 100 ‘cool’ Americans exhibition displayed earlier this year in Washington’s National Portrait Gallery. Angela Davis talks to Jenni on Woman’s Hour about that journey.

Hormones

Reporter Anna Bailey speaks to secondary school teenagers in Birmingham, to see if they are affected by their hormones. 
We then look at how hormones affect older women as a small percentage of women have hormonal fluctuations pre-menstrually, post-natally and around the time of the menopause that can be severe enough to stop them living normal lives. We’ve all heard of post-natal depression. PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is perhaps less well known and GPs and psychiatrists have been known to misdiagnose severe premenstrual syndrome as bipolar disorder. Jane speaks to a listener who was misdiagnosed in this way. She is also joined by psychiatrist Dr Michael Craig who works at the Female Hormone Clinic at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Pioneer Girl

Those of a certain age will be familiar with the TV series a Little House on the Prairie. It was based on a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Annotated Autobiography Pioneer Girl has just been published, and goes back to her original manuscripts . Jane talks to Nancy Tystad Koupal, the editor-in-chief and director of the Pioneer Girl Project and to author Tracy Chevalier who’s a huge fan about the enduring appeal of the original books.

The sexual abuse of children by their father

Mosac are an organisation which tries to offer support to the non-abusing parents of children who’ve been sexually abused. Following Jane’s interview yesterday with Luci Coffey, an advocacy manager from Mosac, Jane speaks to Jackie, not her real name, who has two daughters, both who were abused by their father. Her testimony is spoken by an actor.

Bevis Shergold

Bevis Shergold, was a British Intelligence servicewoman in WWII, and represented Britain in the 1948 London Olympics. She was one of the first women to be posted abroad to the intelligence services, and worked as a translator during the interrogation of POW’s in both Egypt and Algeria. Dr. Peter Johnston from the National Army Museum, and Dorothy Elliott, Bevis’ friend, speak about her military and athletic achievements, and the contribution she and other women made to the war effort

Men and Feminism

Is there a place for men in the feminist movement? And can the struggle for equality for women around the world also improve the lives of men? Those are the questions raised in a new book called ‘Feminism and Men.’ Its author Nikki Van Der Gaag, says unless men are involved in the debate on how best to tackle discrimination against women, then they will continue to block women’s advancement. Nikki Van Der Gaag and feminist and activist Karen Ingala Smith debate the issues.

Namvula

The Scottish/Zambian singer songwriter Namvula joins Jane to talk about her new album, Shiwezwa, and the women who inspired it. She’ll also perform live in the studio.

Credits

PresenterJane Garvey
ProducerRabeka Nurmahomed
EditorBeverley Purcell
Interviewed GuestAngela Davis
Interviewed GuestNamvula
Interviewed GuestLuci Coffey
Interviewed GuestNancy Tystad Koupal
Interviewed GuestTracy Chevalier
Interviewed GuestPeter Johnson
Interviewed GuestDorothy Elliott
Interviewed GuestNikki van der Gaag
Interviewed GuestKaren Ingala Smith

Broadcast

  • Sat 6 Dec 201416:00
    BBC Radio 4

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