Jo Swinson; Childcare and chores; Afghan girls living as boys

Jo Swinson became a minister in the coalition government two years ago when she became Women and Equalities Minister and Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs. She has worked on equal pay, flexible working and shared parental leave. Next May, when the Liberal Democrats fight in the General Election they will be doing so on the basis of what they’ve done in government, as well as their own party’s political offer to voters. Jane talks to Jo Swinson about the party’s record in the coalition and asks why she thinks the Liberal Democrats have a distinctive appeal to women voters.   

How much do men and women approach household tasks differently?  Is there a right or wrong way to do things?  Do men and women have different standards?  And who has influenced our cleaning knowledge?  Jane Garvey invited Tim Samuels, from Radio 5 Live’s Men's Hour around to her house to give it a good scrub.  He arrived with a feather duster and a pair of marigolds and they set to work. 

So what is a chore? Is childcare a chore? What about keeping in touch with family or running a social calendar? If someone enjoys doing something like cooking or gardening does that stop it being a chore?  Becky Asher, author of ‘Shattered : Modern Motherhood and the Illusion of Equality’ and Imogen Thompson from Mothers At Home Matter discuss with Jane.

The birth of a daughter in Afghanistan is often seen as a disappointment. In a society ruled and dominated by men, a baby boy is much more a cause for celebration. So when some families end up with just daughters, they go to astonishing lengths to deal with the problem. They choose one of the girls to bring up as a son: a boy’s name, boy’s clothes and all the freedoms that boys enjoy and their sisters don’t. These members of a third gender are known as Bacha Posh, meaning “dressed up like a boy”. Journalist Jenny Nordberg first wrote about the practice and has just published a book on the subject: “The Underground Girls of Kabul”. Jane speaks to Jenny about how she first came across the Bacha Posh and what they tell us about modern Afghanistan.

 

Happy Birthday to us! Woman’s Hour was first broadcast on the 8th October 1946. Here is a classic interview from our Archive Collection with Olive Shapley who presented and produced the programme in the 1950s and 60s.