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23 July 2007: Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto talks to Miriam O'Reilly about her plans to return to Pakistan and stand in the forthcoming elections.

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When the schools break up for the summer, just how easy is it to find good quality childcare, without breaking the bank? The charity Daycare Trust says it’s getting harder – costs are rising and, in some areas, the number of places is falling. So, is enough being done to make good quality childcare, affordable and widely available? Jenni talks to Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families and to Alison Garnham from the Daycare Trust about the availability of childcare in the long summer holiday.

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25 Jul 2007: Nicola Brewer

After thirty years of fighting gender inequality, the Equal Opportunities Commission is on its way out. On October 1st it will cease to exist, and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights will be launched in its place. In her first broadcast interview, the new commission's Chief Executive, Nicola Brewer, talks to Jenni about her new job. What does she regard as the main obstacles to equality for men and women? And how does she respond to concerns that women’s issues will not be given sufficient attention when this “super-watchdog” has to deal with so much more besides?

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26 July 2007: Foetal Screening

Advances in foetal screening are presenting doctors and parents with ethical and emotional dilemmas. Thirty years ago an expectant mother might get a scan or maybe an amniocentesis if she was at risk of carrying a child with Down’s Syndrome. Now there are a barrage of tests and screenings that can take place. In the UK more than 35,000 women will be told there is a risk that their unborn baby may have a serious abnormality, leaving parents with the agonising decision of what to do next. Professor Charles Rodeck is one of the country’s leading experts in foetal medicine. He talks about technological advances and the enormous emotional stresses they put on parents.

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27th July 2007: Women Volunteers

Women volunteering: how is their experience changing?

Last month, when Gordon Brown chose the new team helping his government, one of the more surprising announcements was that of Baroness Julia Neuberger, the Liberal Democrat peer who has become the new Champion for Volunteering. She’ll be joining Miriam, along with Geraldine Peacock, the former chair of the Charities Commission, to talk about the changing nature of volunteering, traditionally an area that’s drawn on women’s talents and time.