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Woman's Hour: The Morning After Pill, The Economics of Care, Women of the Royal Society

25/11/2019

The Morning After Pill, The Economics of Care, Women of the Royal Society

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, The Morning After Pill, The Economics of Care, Women of the Royal Society

Why do so many myths surround the morning after pill?

We discuss the myths surrounding the morning after pill, and we hear from the economists leading their profession to better recognise the value of care work.

When journalist Rose Stokes wrote about her experience of getting pregnant after taking the morning after pill and what it revealed to her about exactly how this emergency contraception works (and when it doesn’t), the response online was huge. We look at how emergency contraception works, how safe it is, and ask why women don’t know more.

Recent research from the social market Foundation proposed that women start receiving a pension boost to offset the increasing disadvantage of a growing care burden, both with child care and as the population ages. This is one of many policy suggestions that are currently being developed to deal with a problem that all parties acknowledge. But how should we price the care work that so many women do? And do policy makers have the data they need in this area? Kathryn Petrie, author of the report, says not. We ask why the economics profession hasn’t done more on this subject and hear from leading Care Economist Prof. Susan Himmelweit, Emeritus Professor of Economics at The Open University who is working to change that. She explains why a feminist approach to economics is needed to make care work visible.

The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world’s most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.  Its charter book contains the signatures of all the Fellows of the Royal Society since it was founded in November 1660.   It wasn’t until 1945 that the first two women were elected as Fellows.  Jane discusses eminent women scientists with the librarian at the Royal Society, Keith Moore.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

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