Woman's Hour

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Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.

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Woman's Hour: The Letters of Edith Thompson, Women in Westminister, Donor-conceived Children, Lucy Rout on Dragons' Den

The Letters of Edith Thompson, Women in Westminister, Donor-conceived Children, Lucy Rout on Dragons' Den

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, The Letters of Edith Thompson, Women in Westminister, Donor-conceived Children, Lucy Rout on Dragons' Den

Donor-conceived children: listener Hayley shares her remarkable personal story.

The Letters of Edith Thompson: The wife who was executed for her lover's crime. A listener's story of being donor conceived herself and using a donor to conceive her own children.

One hundred years ago Edith Thompson and her lover Frederick Bywaters were hanged for the murder of her husband Percy, even though there was no evidence that she was involved with the killing. What condemned Edith were the letters that she had written to Freddy, which were interpreted by the law as incitement to murder. Laura Thompson has brought the letter together in a book Au Revoir Now Darlint. She joins Nuala to discuss the story and why the case still resonates a century later.

A report out today by the charity the Fawcett Society has found a ‘toxic and exclusionary’ culture in Westminster which they say risks pushing out women MPs and having a damaging effect on democracy. Nuala is joined by Jemima Olchawski, CEO of the Fawcett Society as well as the Conservative MP Maria Miller who is Chair of the APPG on Women and Parliament and the Labour MP Stella Creasy who has campaigned for better maternity rights for MPs. 

When Nuala spoke about donor conceived children on Woman’s Hour last week, listener Hayley got in touch to share her own story, not only of being a donor conceived person herself, but of using a donor to conceive her own children too. She explains why she thinks it’s so important to be open and honest about your child’s conception.

Dragons' Den has returned to our TV screens and the Dragons were impressed by Lucy Rout's pitch.  The 28 year old became the first entrepreneur in 20 series to receive investment and a job offer from Peter Jones alongside investment backing from two other dragons. Lucy is the founder of Tabuu, a business that sells stylish pill cases with the aim of removing the stigma around taking medication. Lucy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the 25, and following reconstruction of her digestive system has to take medication every time she eats. She talks to Nuala about her illness and her experience in the Den.

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

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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The Letters of Edith Thompson, Women in Westminister, Donor-conceived Children, Lucy Rout on Dragons' Den

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