awareness acknowledgement acceptance action
video 11 mins
‘The WOW Podcast celebrates everything that women and girls are doing, and takes a frank look at the obstacles in their way. Full of stories of inspiring women from across the globe; fun and mind expanding conversations, and insights into the lives of people you’ve heard of and many you have not intersectional feminism from around the globe
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9 episodes TV series drama
Mrs. America is based on and dramatises the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, the second wave of feminism and the unexpected backlash led by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, features all the key players.
the woman who stopped equal rights in America as referenced in Mrs America witness history
audio 9 mins
the black woman who tried to be a president in 1972
world service witness history
audio 9 mins
Betty Friedan
1963 a frustrated American housewife, published one of the key texts in feminist thought. It called for a shakeup of the job market with maternity pay and subsidised childcare as reference in Mrs America
audio 9 mins
video 23 mins
as referenced in Mrs America,
World service Newshour 2015
I’ve done the best I could with my life
audio 7 mins
audio 9 mins
video 14.59 mins
Untold stories to discover if it has always been different for the girl in a band.
video 59 mins
Chidera Eggerue ‘The Slumflower’ is a young author, style blogger and creative director She has amassed a large following of women through opening up important dialogues that women often struggle to have, including topics like body image, dealing with emotions that scare us, the journey to success, and feeling out of place in society.
audio 9 mins
Susie Orbach’s book led people to rethink body-image from a feminist perspective witness history
audio 9 mins
In 1970 feminists stormed the stage at the Miss World pageant in London. They were protesting against the objectification of women. Sally Alexander was one of the young protesters who was arrested for her part in the demonstration. Hear her story.
world service witness history
audio 9 mins
BBC IPlayer
TV 60 mins
This film tells the story of the infamous 1970 Miss World contest, when protestors dramatically disrupted the event, kickstarting a feminist revolution in front of an audience of millions. It was one of the era’s defining acts of protest and an inspiration to generations of activists. But it was also a night of other surprises. At a time of growing anti-apartheid protest, the first ever black South African contestant took part, under the dubious title Miss Africa South, along with the official, white Miss South Africa. The event also made headlines when the winner was finally announced as Miss Grenada, the first black Miss World.
Sandra Horley Book
video 52 secs
Witness history
audio 9 mins
world service witness history
audio 9 mins
a group of women challenged a ban on contraception and took a train to get them in 1971
world service witness history
audio 9 mins
Hear from the young lawyer who brought the case. Sarah Weddington, she was fresh out of law school
world service witness history
audio 9 mins
a female designer working for an American pharmaceutical company came up with the idea in the 1960s, but her bosses didn’t like it at first.
She had to develop her designs on her own after being told that women couldn’t be trusted to use a home testing kit properly world service witness history
audio 9 mins
In March 1921 Marie Stopes opened Britain’s first birth control clinic in London. The Mother’s Clinic in Holloway offered advice to married mothers on how to avoid having any more children. Hear testimonies on the early days of birth control in Britain. world service witness history
audio 9 mins
1961 the contraceptive pill became widely available for free in the UK, through the National Health Service. For married women this form of birth control meant reliable, convenient family planning – for unmarried women it meant sexual freedom. world service witness history
audio 9 mins
The pill was finally legalised in 1999. In contrast the male impotency drug Viagra was approved for use in just six months, and legalised before the contraceptive pill for women. it was sexism and male dominance in Parliament is why it took so long. world service witness history
audio 9 mins
audio 9 mins
Some have described Our Bodies, Ourselves as “obscene trash” – for others it’s a vital source of information about women’s health and sexuality. First published in 1973, this radical, and sometimes controversial, book has become a best-seller and a global phenomenon.World service witness history
audio 9 mins
What’s in a title? Right Reverend Sara Wheeler looks back at the surprising history of the Mrs -Miss distinction and concludes it has no place in contemporary Britain. BBC sounds A point of view audio 9 mins
audio 26 mins
audio 23 mins
In rural India, where the stigma of menstruation persists, women make low-cost sanitary pads on a new machine and stride toward financial independence. Documentary
video 26 mins
audio 12 mins
When a woman chooses not to have children, why is it still seen as a radical decision? Two women talk about their stories and the stigma associated with their choice to be childfree. World service the conversationaudio 27 mins
With increasing numbers of Westerners opting to have smaller families, some go one step further and decide to have no children at all. As a result they often face suspicion, abuse even, for being selfish or materialistic. Women, in particular, who decide to go childless, experience the full force of this near-universal stigma.The Why factor R4
audio 23 mins
video 9.30 mins
Psychoanalyst and paediatrician Donald Winnicott helped shape childcare in Britain through a series of BBC radio broadcasts in the 1940s and 50s. He suggested mothers did best when they followed their instincts, got to know their babies and ignored prescribed rules. world service witness history
audio 9 mins
In the wake of the first World War, millions of British women were left single after the men they would have married had died during the conflict. They were forced to find different ways to live their lives – and they became a force for huge social change. World service witness history
audio 9 mins
Over 175 years ago, a society hostess called Caroline Norton began campaigning for the rights of married women. Her husband had stopped her from seeing her children and had accused her of having an affair with the Prime Minister of the day.World service witness history
audio 9 mins
5 episodes audio
Maya Angelou Autobiographies Gather Together in my name dramatised 5 episodes audio
Maya Angelou Autobiographies Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting Merry Like Christmas dramatised
5 episodes audio
5 episodes audio
5 episodes audio
5 episodes
founder of the me too movement video 41 secs
Rose McGowan talks about her personal story and what drove her to speak out and ‘fight the system.’ They also discuss what more needs to be done to prevent sexual abuse – of girls and women, and of boys and men.
World service when Katty met Carlos
audio 36.38 mins
podcast 8 episodes 15 mins audio
We are living in the era of the self in an era of malleable truth and widespread personal and political delusion From the rise of the internet to her own appearance on an early reality TV show; from her experiences of ecstasy – both religious and chemical – to her uneasy engagement with our culture’s endless drive towards ‘self-optimisation’; from the phenomenon of the successful American scammer to her generation’s obsession with extravagant weddings, Jia Tolentino reads from her book Trick Mirror nine interlinked essays
Some cultures have no or low levels of rape and abuse. What are the characteristics of these societies? Really good evidence shows gender equality and where there are extremely low levels of militarism and military spending, rates of sexual violence are very low.
Joanna Bourke WOW festival 2021
video 14 mins
In 1991 Katie Koestner went public with her experience of date rape and divided America. At the time, many regarded rape as a crime committed by strangers. Most victims of rape never revealed their names but Katie appeared on the front cover of Time magazine as well as countless talk shows as America debated when ‘No’ means ‘No’. world service witness history
audio 9 mins
It’s time to talk about sexual assault. Every hour, the equivalent of one man and over ten women are raped in England and Wales. One in five girls and one in twelve boys will be sexually abused. With so many people affected by this issue. Clear Lines was born out of the need to create an open, honest, and inclusive conversation, using the arts and discussion to replace the shame and silence with insight, understanding and community.
video 4 mins
Winnie M Li tells Catriona about how writing a novel helped her cope with her trauma. Called Dark Chapter, Winnie’s novel retells what happened when she was raped in 2008. It also takes the unique perspective of both the survivor and the perpetrator and explores how the assault affects the lives of both.
Podcast episode 2 12.18 mins
After Podcast Catriona Morton talks to fellow survivors of sexual assault and abuse about what happened to them and how they cope now.
After experiencing sexual abuse and assault herself, Catriona felt like she was abandoned by society, “stranded in an ocean,” she says, “with only a life raft and no rescue in sight.” So she created her own life raft with a blog called Life Continues After, where anyone affected by sexual trauma can share their stories and advice in the hope that others will find something useful. Or even just some comfort in knowing they’re not alone.
This podcast continues Catriona’s mission. Each person’s story will be split into two parts – and two separate episodes in the podcast feed.In the first part – called ‘Then’ – survivors will tell Catriona as much or as a little as they want about what happened to them. If listeners feel this part of their story might be too triggering and distressing, they can skip to the second part – called ‘Now’ – where survivors will share the practical steps, resources and methods they follow.
audio 27 mins
Finn Mackay is one of the UK’s most influential feminist activists. She founded the London Feminist Network in 2004, the same year that she revived the Reclaim the Night marches, after seeing shocking statistics on violence against women. The marches are women-only, something Finn believes is important, but she says men are welcome to make the tea and take a back-room role.
Angie Ng is a Chinese-Canadian feminist activist who founded SlutWalk Hong Kong to protest against sexual violence and victim blaming. She recognises that many view the term ‘slut’ as degrading, but she wants to problematise the word, rather than reclaim it. Angie says that in Hong Kong there was a pervasive view that sexual violence and street harassment was largely a western, ‘foreign’ problem, but she wanted to show that it happened in their culture too.
This urgent event was held to hear strategies and actions being taken around the world to end violence against women and girls. The marathon was held in response to the murder of Sarah Everard; the murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry; the dismissal of legal challenges to how rape policy is prosecuted in the UK; the unheard voices of girls, trans, disabled, indigenous women and gender nonconforming people; domestic abuse statistics, and protests across India and Australia. This conversation cannot end. Please watch and share with friends, family and male allies.BSL interpreted and captioned.Women of the World Global
video 2hrs 36 mins can watch in smaller segments
How women in the North of England took to the streets in the late 1970s to protest against a serial killer dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper. Police advised them to stay indoors to avoid being attacked but the feminist protestors wanted greater protection for women and girls. Hear Al Garthwaite one of the organisers of Britain’s first Reclaim the Nigh march World service witness history
audio 9 mins
Most people who bravely report rape are failed and left suffering from the compounding trauma of being assaulted and then not being given a fair shot at justice.Only 1 in 71 (1.4%) reported cases are prosecuted an all time low and even fewer are convicted, so perpetrators walk free most of the time.
Introduce free and Independent lawyers for victims of rape
We are not willing to accept this reality any longer.
So far in 2021, we’ve held online workshops with 400 women and girls and surveyed thousands more. We’re doing this because we want to be able to show the Government public space owners and funding bodies that a different future is possible and this is what it looks like.
video 1.51 mins
Please add your name to our open letter and help us demand change
the ascent of woman
a four part documentary series of women a 10,000 year history
video 1hr
video 1 hr
video 1 hr
video 1 hr
a Japanese investment analyst, Kathy Matsui, came up with a visionary idea to help her country, and she even invented a new word for it: Womenomics. The answer, according to her, was to tap into the talent of half the population.
audio 9 mins
video 4.06 mins
video 12.11 mins
video 2.50 mins
audio 9 mins
audio 9 mins
The first Barbie doll was sold in 1959. The woman at Mattel who created it describes how it took years to convince her male colleagues that it would sell.
witness history audio 9 mins
Does how we treat our subservient robots impact how we treat one another? The Digital Human
audio 28 mins
by Tabitha Goldstaub
read a sample
Why do data science and visualization need feminism? Because bodies are missing from the data we collect, from the decisions made about their analysis and display, and from the field of data science as a whole. Bringing back the bodies is how we can right this power imbalance.
by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren Klein
activity video 1.17 mins
The Urgent need for data
Why does it matter?
Data informs decisions about who matters
Data feminism Catherine D’Ignazio & Lauren F. Klein Book
video 1.35 mins
‘We need to debunk all the various layers of power all the vectors of oppression that dominate society. It is not simply enough to address one layer of oppression, let’s say misogyny, to make a real difference. We need to address a whole range of things,
sexism, racism, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, economic inequality, all of these things are tied up and linked to each other.’
Eve Ansler – playwright authour activist
Rethinking masculinty. Working with men and boys towards gender equality, inclusive communities, and healthier relationships. We disrupt expectations, stereotypes and pressures to fit in. We open up the possibility for connection, support and personal growth. We equip you with new perspectives, kick starting a process of community change and empowering us all to be better.
Men and boys are being taught how to tackle some of the uncomfortable truths about everyday sexism. Many don’t realise the extent of the problem – cat-calling, unwelcome comments and dominating behaviour are all things that women across the world put up with on a daily basis. This week’s solution looks at a project called the Good Lad Initiative in the UK, (now named beyond equality), which is trying to help men understand why it happens and how they can help change things. It also helps them to improve their relationships with other men and challenge traditional values. We meet a group as they train and find out how positive masculinity workshops are creating communities of men who want to help in the fight for equality.
World service People fixing the world
audio 23 mins
video 10.09 mins
Why is feminism still regarded by many as a word to avoid? Despite an ongoing gender pay gap and a lack of female business leaders
why does the word continue to raise an eyebrow? Why is empowerment proving to be a great marketing tool but feminism is not?
world service 100 women
audio 27 mins
A documentary film by Molly E. Smith. An exploration into the inner workings of feminism in Generation Z and how other generations perceive them
video 23 mins
video 18 mins
