Women and boundaries; Anneliese Dodds; Delia Owens - a podcast by BBC Radio 4

It’s been seven weeks since the UK went into lockdown, and for many women, the lines between work and home life have become blurred on a day-to-day basis. What’s the best way to create boundaries in order to protect your own mental well-being and a sense of routine? Dr Yasin Rofcanin, of the University of Bath’s School of Management, has worked on new research exploring how COVID-19 is impacting our understanding of boundaries. Chloë Davies is the head of PR and Partnerships at myGwork – a business community for LGBT+ professionals. She’s currently working from home with a four and two year old. Melanie Eusebe is a business professor and a Director at Accenture, a management consulting firm.

Where The Crawdads Sing, the first novel by Delia Owens, has sold more than 6 million copies. Woman’s Hour listeners have suggested it as a perfect lockdown read. Delia talks to Jane from her home in North Carolina – what does the book have to say about loneliness, resilience and the power of nature?

The debate continues about whether or when people who don’t need PPE should wear face masks, and we’ve been talking to women round the world who have dragged out their sewing machines. Khedi is from Chechnya and she now lives in Gdansk. Maria Margaronis spoke to her with the help of a translator and to fellow mask-makers including a Polish psychologist.

On Sunday evening the Prime Minister spoke to the country about the way out of lockdown and yesterday his government published its Covid 19 recovery strategy. Many have complained that the message is unclear, that supporting guidance is not yet ready and that too much is left to appeals to common sense – including the discretion of employers. But many are also anxious to get back to work, to support their families and to get their children back into education and childcare safely. But what account has been made of the economic position of women and including them in plans to rebuild the economy? Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Chancellor and MP for Oxford East discusses her concerns about the government’s plans.

The teenage years are the ones where young people seek independence. So how is it working out now that they’re cooped up at home with their parents 24/7? In today’s Woman’s Hour Corona Diaries, Kate in Cirencester talks about the changing landscape of her relationship with her twin teenage girls, and how they’re trying to establish new boundaries to suit life in lockdown.


Presented by Jane Garvey
Produced by Sarah Crawley
Interviewed guest: Dr Yasin Rofcanin
Interviewed guest: Chloë Davies
Interviewed guest: Melanie Eusebe
Interviewed guest: Delia Owens
Interviewed guest: Khedi
Interviewed guest: Anneliese Dodds
Interviewed guest: Kate Treadaway
Reporter: Maria Margaronis

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