Woman's Hour

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Woman's Hour: The only woman in a group of men, Children conceived by donors, Finding My Voice, Face masks

The only woman in a grop of men, Children conceived by donors, Finding My Voice

The only woman in a group of men, Children conceived by donors, Finding My Voice, Face masks

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, The only woman in a group of men, Children conceived by donors, Finding My Voice, Face masks

What is it like to be the only woman in a group of men? Is it isolating? Intimidating?

This year in the UK, children conceived by sperm, egg or embryo donation who turn 18 will be able to request information that identifies their donor. What are the implications?

What is it like to be the only woman in a group of men?   Is it isolating? Intimidating? Or, can there be a certain, maybe shameful, thrill of being included as ‘one of the lads’?  To discuss, Nuala speaks to Immy Humes, a documentary filmmaker who has spent years gathering archive images of all-male groups including exactly one woman, which she published as a collection in her book ‘The Only Woman’.   They are also joined by Emma John, a sports journalist and author of ‘Self Contained’, her memoir of single life. She’s spent her career covering cricket and rugby, often as ‘the only woman’ surrounded by male friends and colleagues.

This year in the UK children conceived by sperm, egg or embryo donation who turn 18 will be able to request information that identifies their donor.  This includes the donor’s name, birth name, date of birth and address,  as long as the information is on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s register.  It’s a result of a change in the law in April 2005 meaning that  the first of those children conceived after the law changed  will have their 18th birthdays this year. Nuala discusses the implications for donors, children conceived by donor as well as their families, with Clare Ettinghausen, Director of Strategy & Corporate Affairs at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority,  the UK’s Fertility Regulator.  And Nina Barnsley Director of the Donor Conception Network which is a UK based charity supporting donor conception families.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 1 in 45 people in England have covid – and the UK Health Security Agency are now advising people to wear face masks if they are ill and need to leave the house, and to keep ill children home from school. So what does this mean? Are we going to get back to wearing face masks everywhere? Nuala McGovern speaks to the Times Science Editor Tom Whipple to get the latest on the situation, and government covid advisor Professor Susan Michie to hear how we should be changing our behaviour. 

In our series Finding My Voice we’re talking to women about the moment they realised they had something to say or stand up for.  Nuala speaks to Shekeila  Scarlet. She was excluded from school when she was just 12 years old. After an appeal process that eventually reversed the decision, she was reinstated at the school.  But seeing her case debated by a board of governors made her realise the importance of having young people involved in school governance. At 26, she’s now the Chair of Governors at Stoke Newington School in Hackney, making her one of the youngest chairs of a school governing board in the UK.

Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer : Louise Corley
Editor: Beverley Purcell

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The only woman in a group of men, Children conceived by donors, Finding My Voice, Face masks

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