Media diversity; Bullying; Female spies
The need for a greater diversity of women in the media, how bullying can affect academic success, and the role of women in spying with an archive interview from Stella Rimington.
Samantha Asumadu on why she wants to change what she calls the "ubiquity of whiteness" she sees in the medias and promote more women of different ethnic backgrounds - with different skin colours, body types, views, experiences, and opinions. She's joined by writer Sunny Singh to discuss.
We talk about how bullying can affect academic success with Liam Hackett from charity, Ditch the Label and Lesley Rose. Our archive interview this week is Stella Rimington, the first female DG of MI5. Professor Christopher Andrew, the Official Historian to MI5 tells us about the role of women in spying.
Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature on Arthur Wing Pinero's play The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith. And the curator at Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve, tells us about her job.
Presented by Jenni Murray
Studio Producer: Nicola Swords.
Last on
Woman's Hour Collection: Dame Stella Rimington (from 1999)
Dame Stella Rimington talks about her transition from spy to Director General of MI5.
Chapters
-
Bullying Survey
Lesley Rose on her experience of being bullied, & Ditch The Label founder Liam Hackett
Duration: 08:18
Female Spies
Dame Stella Rimington in 1999, & Professor Christopher Andrew, Official Historian to MI5
Duration: 13:13
Women And Ethnic Diversity In The Media
Samantha Asumadu, Founder and Editor of Media Diversity, and writer Sunny Singh
Duration: 07:43
Arthur Wing Pinero
Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature
Duration: 08:03
Leeds Castle Curator
Louise Adamson meets up with the curator of Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve
Duration: 04:15
Bullying Survey
Students who are bullied are less likely to achieve higher grades than those who have never been bullied, according to anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label in a report released this morning. The charity surveyed 3600 young people aged 13 to 18 years old in schools and colleges across the UK. Jenni talks to Lesley Rose about her experience of being bullied at school, and to founder and CEO of Ditch The Label, Liam Hackett.
Female Spies
Dame Stella Rimington became the first female Director General of MI5 and held the position between1992 to 1996. In an interview with Martha Kearney in 1999, Dame Stella reveals how she was recruited into MI5 and how she became a spy. As recent reports that a recruitment campaign to the intelligence services is underway, Professor Christopher Andrew, the Official Historian to MI5, joins Jenni to discuss if women were long thought of as good spies and how the recruitment process to the intelligence service has changed since its early inception.
Women And Ethnic Diversity In The Media
Samantha Asumadu wants to change the βubiquity of whitenessβ she sees in the media and promote more women of different ethnic backgrounds β with different skin colours, body types, views, experiences, and opinions. Sheβs set up a group called Media Diversity to promote writers, journalists and experts, and this week they have also published a new book on the subject, called Complicit No More. So has the media brought the world a very narrow, very white, idea of what it is to be female? Jenni is joined by Samantha - Founder and Editor of , and by writer Sunny Singh - who has written about the very narrow and white representation of beauty she sees in the media β to explain the extent of the problem and the changes they would like to see.
Arthur Wing Pinero
Arthur Wing Pineroβs play, The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith, is being revived on stage in London for the first time since its original run in 1895. It follows the life of Agnes Ebbsmith - a politically radical woman who wishes to live with her partner Lucas without marrying him. The play examines contemporary debates in Victorian society surrounding the institution of marriage and womenβs rights as being both separate from, and equal to, those of their husbands. It also looks at the idea of the βNew Womanβ β a contemporary term used to describe the emerging class of educated, politically active women who wished to be judged on more than just their sexual history. Jenni is joined by Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature.
Leeds Castle Curator
Today we're meeting the curator of Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve.Β And if you think you've got a lot of bits and pieces stashed away in a loft or that cupboard under the stairs, just imagine what you might find in a castle with a history going back 900 years.Β Tori's job is to look after all the thousands of objects at Leeds Castle β researching them, making sure they're kept in good condition, and putting them on display. Louise Adamson met up with her to find out more about this massive task.
Credits
Role Contributor Presenter Jenni Murray Interviewed Guest Liam Hackett Interviewed Guest Lesley Rose Interviewed Guest Stella Rimington Interviewed Guest Christopher Andrew Interviewed Guest Samantha Asumadu Interviewed Guest Sunny Singh Interviewed Guest Sos Eltis Interviewed Guest Tori Reeve Producer Nicola Swords Broadcast
- Wed 16 Apr 2014 10:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Follow us on Instagram
Get all the pictures, videos, behind the scenes and more from Womanβs Hour
Podcast
-
Woman's Hour
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.