Ireland plans to hold a referendum on abortion next year. At the moment the laws on abortion in Ireland are some of the strictest in Europe. Abortion is only allowed if the life of the mother is in danger, and anyone who is convicted of having an illegal abortion could face up to fourteen years in prison. Jenni speaks to Senator Catherine Noone, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

In 1969 Rupert Murdoch took over The Sun newspaper. The play 'Ink' at the Duke of York Theatre London follows the first year of the paper, from the hiring of the first Woman's Editor Joyce Hopkirk to the launch of page 3. Jenni speaks to Sophie Stanton who plays Joyce in the play and the former newspaper editor Eve Pollard, about what it is was like at that time to be a woman working in Fleet Street.

Elizabeth Short, known posthumously as 'The Black Dahlia', was an American woman who was found murdered in 1947. For her new book, the writer and former lawyer Piu Eatwell has re-examined one of America's most notorious unsolved murders, and attempted to solve the crime.

On yesterday's programme we heard from the feminist campaigner and writer Julie Bindel who wants to abolish the global sex trade. Today we hear from an independent sex worker and Laura Watson from the English Collective of Prostitutes

And we delve into the Woman's Hour archive. Joan Hamer describes her account of life in a wheelchair in 1962.

Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Dianne McGregor. Show less