Woman's Hour

The debate over sex and gender filters through to many areas of our lives today whether its about women only spaces, trans athletes competing in sporting events or our use of language to define what a woman is. It’s now being put centre stage of the local elections next month by a new campaign called "Respect my Sex if you want my X”. The campaign run by Women Uniting UK is urging voters – both men and women - to quiz prospective candidates canvassing on the doorstep with questions like “What is a woman?” or “What is more important, sex or gender?” The Labour MP Rosie Duffield talks about her support for the group and why she believes the issue could have an impact next month as well as on the wider political landscape. Anya Taylor-Joy's decision to leave school at 16 to pursue a career in acting has certainly paid off. In 2020, in the first month of its release – a staggering sixty-two million households watched her play chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the Netflix mini-series 'The Queen’s Gambit'. More recently, you may have seen her play Gina Gray in the final series of 'Peaky Blinders'. She discusses her latest film – The Northman - a brutal and bloody viking revenge epic. The artist Celia Paul currently has an exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery in London, called Memory and Desire, and her latest book is called “Letters to Gwen John”. Gwen John was a Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her career. Her brother Augustus John was more famous during her lifetime, but her beautiful paintings, mainly of female sitters, often reading in domestic settings, have gained wider attention since her death. Celia Paul shares much in common with Gwen John: both studied at the Slade, and both were models and lovers of older artists - Gwen had a relationship with Auguste Rodin and Celia with Lucian Freud. Celia joins Emma. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Rosie Duffield Interviewed Guest: Anya Taylor-Joy Interviewed Guest: Celia Paul