Women's Prize winners, Weight, T20 World Cup, Mental healthcare
The 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction winners, Virginia Evans and Lise Doucette, join Woman's Hour to discuss their groundbreaking books—The Correspondent and The Finest Hotel in Kabul—while confronting the deep cultural obsession with women’s weight and the systemic neglect of women’s mental health. Evans, a debut novelist, reveals how her story of a reclusive lawyer unfolds through letters, while Doucette, a BBC correspondent, uses the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul as a lens to tell a people’s history of Afghanistan, spotlighting the resilience of women like chef Abida, who was fired before the Taliban’s return. The conversation pivots sharply to the crushing scrutiny women face over their bodies, with Hannah Murray’s revelation that the only socially acceptable way to gain weight is pregnancy echoing across years of public shaming. Experts Alex Light and Dr. Dolly Van Tuleken dissect how ultra-processed food, GLP-1 drugs, and a culture that equates thinness with virtue perpetuate self-loathing. The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ new women’s mental health strategy, led by outgoing president Dr. Larday Smith, exposes how trauma, gender-based violence, and institutional sexism are ignored in healthcare. Yet amid the pain, stories of resilience emerge—like Kayleigh Stead, who turned a jilted wedding into a defiant celebration of self, now engaged and planning a joyful, nacho-bar-filled second wedding.
Women's mental health is disproportionately affected by trauma, gender-based violence, and systemic neglect—yet remains an afterthought in national health policy.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched its first-ever women's mental health strategy, calling for trauma-informed care and community-based support across all services.
GLP-1 drugs are accelerating a new era of body policing, where thinness is no longer just a social ideal but a medicalized expectation.
The body positivity movement has been replaced by an obsession with ultra-thinness, especially among public figures, despite its earlier promise of inclusivity.
Women are often praised for weight loss without regard to how it was achieved—whether through abuse, illness, or restriction—reinforcing the myth that thinness equals moral virtue.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction: A New Era for Women's Writing
“The Women's Prize is very special. And there are people who say, why should there be a Women's Prize? And you listed in your introduction some of the reasons why. Virginia and I are not here because we're women. We're here because we're writers.”
The Weight of Public Scrutiny: Hannah Murray’s Wake-Up Call
“I was doing a press tour for the final series of Game of Thrones. There were a lot of stories speculating that I was pregnant. And I remember thinking, oh, that's the only acceptable way you can gain weight as a woman in the public eye is to be pregnant.”
The Body Positivity Movement’s Collapse and the Rise of GLP-1s
“We've seen the demise of the body positivity movement and it's been really really gutting because I think it meant a lot to a lot of women.”
The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Women’s Mental Health Strategy
“We're not just admiring the problem anymore. We're saying, look, we actually know what works. We know what the solutions are. What we need you to do is to act on it.”
Kayleigh Stead’s Solo Wedding and Second Chance at Love
“I wanted to enjoy that and I didn't want him leaving me to also take away that. The nacho bar! Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. You are my hero, I have to say it.”
“I was doing a press tour for the final series of Game of Thrones. There were a lot of stories speculating that I was pregnant. And I remember thinking, oh, that's the only acceptable way you can gain weight as a woman in the public eye is to be pregnant.”
“The Women's Prize is very special. And there are people who say, why should there be a Women's Prize? And you listed in your introduction some of the reasons why. Virginia and I are not here because we're women. We're here because we're writers and first published writers, and that's how we first want to be known.”
“step forward because we're not just admiring the problem anymore. We're saying, look, we actually know what works. We know what the solutions are. What we need you to do is to act on it.”
Host
Guests
Dr. Larday Smith
person
Royal College of Psychiatrists
organization
Lise Doucette
person
Women's Prize for Fiction
other
T20 Women's World Cup
other
Virginia Evans
person
Kayleigh Stead
person
Hannah Murray
person
Dr. Dolly Van Tuleken
person
Alex Light
person
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