Woman's Hour - 01/06/2009

With Jane Garvey. Millions watched the final of Britain's Got Talent with Susan Boyle. But is the way in which women are portrayed on such TV shows always fair? Is there too much emphasis on appearance and does the media demand more of female participants? Jane is joined by TV critic Andrew Billen and psychologist Professor David Wilson to discuss these questions. Jane is also joined by the all-girl, electric string quartet Escala, who first appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2008. They tell Jane about their mission to break down the barriers to classical music and perform live in the studio. Honey bees play a crucial role in biodiversity with their vital task of pollinating plants. But the UK is losing its bee population at an increasing rate. At their AGM, members of the Women's Institute will debate a resolution - SOS For Honey Bees - calling for increased funding for research into bee health. Jane finds out about the mysterious disappearance of our bees, and what can be done about it. We hear about Hanan Al-Shaykh's new book The Locust and the Bird: My Mother's Story. And Jayne Zito, whose husband, Jonathan was stabbed to death nearly 17 years ago by a schizophrenic, talks about why the Trust set up in his name is closing. Including drama: Writing the Century.