Woman's Hour - 13/05/2009

With Jenni Murray. Presenting a profile of Mayawati, the woman who has set her eyes on becoming India's Prime Minister. A 'dalit' herself, from the caste once referred to as 'Untouchable', she is loved by scores of India's poorest citizens. As the world's largest exercise in democracy draws to a close this week, might she become the most significant force in Indian politics? Susan Bullock is regarded as one of the world's best dramatic sopranos and has been praised for having a 'rare musical intelligence' - but it is her recent performance as the revenge-obsessed Elektra in Strauss's opera that really has got the critics talking. Susan joins Jenni live in the studio to discuss taking on one of the most challenging roles in the repertoire. Discussing a wide-ranging report by the Fawcett Society which has found evidence of deeply embedded institutional sexism towards women in the criminal justice system. Talking about the issue of gender and language and also the diamonds of Catherine the Great.