Public Toilets, Cheerleading, Women and Conscription

Public Toilets, Cheerleading, Women and Conscription

April 20, 2026 · 1h 51m

About this episode

The episode discusses the reduction of public toilets in England, the implications of military conscription for women, and the role of cheerleading in promoting sports among young women.

New analysis from the Royal Society for Public Health shows a 14% reduction in the number of public toilets across England since 2016. The report warns that the lack of facilities is contributing to an increase in public urination, creating unhygienic conditions. But is the impact felt equally - or are women disproportionately affected? Nuala McGovern is joined by Gail Ramster, Senior Research Associate at the Royal College of Art who carries out inclusive design research around public toilets and co-author of a book 'Designing Inclusive Public Toilets: Wee the People' Last week former Major General Tim Cross said UK youngsters on benefits should undertake military service. As anxiety about global conflict increases, what might military conscription look like for UK women? RAF veteran and reservist Amy Hill and Victoria Basham, Professor of International Relations at Cardiff University join Nuala to discuss. Using cheerleading to appeal to girls and young women to stay engaged with sport is one of several recommendations in a new report from MPs aimed at getting people to move more. After a more than year-long inquiry the Culture, Media and Sport Committee discovered a patchy…

People in this episode

Host: Nuala McGovern

Guests: Gail Ramster, Amy Hill, Victoria Basham, Sarah Bellew, Millie Fannin

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Designing Inclusive Public Toilets: Wee the People

Books & works: Designing Inclusive Public Toilets: Wee the People, My Undesirable Friends Part 1: Last Air in Moscow, Requiem for my Mother, Studies in Disappearing

Places: England, UK, Russia, Ukraine

More episodes of Woman's Hour

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Woman's Hour podcast page.