Woman's Hour

Why are the world’s best female footballers signing for English clubs? In the past few weeks some of the world’s best female footballers have signed for clubs in the Women’s Super League, highlighting a power shift in women’s football globally and setting up an enticing season, which will be watched, at least remotely, by more fans than ever before. The new arrivals include five of the US World Cup-winning team, most notably Alex Morgan at Tottenham Hotspur, who scored one of the goals that knocked England out of the 2019 World Cup. To discuss the women’s game and the draw to English clubs, Jenni is joined by BBC Women’s Sport Reporter, Jo Currie, and Kristine Leine, Defender for Reading FC Women. New data from a parliamentary committee suggests the problem of poor body image has increased during lockdown. The social media survey by the Women and Equalities committee is being published today as they start hearing evidence from experts about body image on areas such as who’s at risk, the impact on mental health and issues such digital editing and image filtering online. Negative body image can have a serious effect on self esteem and lead to depression, eating disorders and the use of medication such as diet pills, laxatives and steroids. The committee’s chair Caroline Nokes talks about what the inquiry hopes to achieve. This year at least 266 women of colour - 175 Democrat and 91 Republican - are major-party candidates for the U.S. Congress, setting new records for the 2020 elections. We hear from Candace Valenzuela standing for office in Dallas, Texas and Desiree Tims in Dayton, Ohio. Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation supporting Black women into elected office, joins them. Sue Miller’s new novel Monogamy explores a long relationship and complicated grief. Annie and Graham have a loving relationship that has lasted for decades but when the unthinkable happens Annie has to re-evaluate everything.