麻豆社

The latest annual reveals female participation rates have risen to 20.7 per cent of board positions in the FTSE100 鈥� up from 17.3 per cent since nearly a year ago. The report鈥檚 author, former Trade Minister, Lord Davies, originally set a target of achieving 25 per cent for 2015 which they鈥檙e on course to achieve if the current improvements continue. The report states there鈥檚 still聽a noticeable discrepancy between executive directorships held by women in comparison with women holding non-executive Directorships and聽48 all-male boards remain.聽 So does the lack of increased female visibility on executive boards indicate women鈥檚 successes aren鈥檛 wide-reaching enough and what should the government do to make it happen? Could women do more to put themselves in line for leadership? Business Secretary Vince Cable 鈥� who鈥檚 responsible for the report鈥檚 launch - and founder of The Women's Business Forum, Heather Jackson, join Jenni to discuss.

Dame Muriel Spark was one of the most distinctive writers of the twentieth century - . The Times newspaper named her in its list of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945". She wrote 21 novels including the 鈥淭he Ballad of Peckham Rye鈥�, 鈥淢emento Mori鈥� and 鈥淎 Far Cry from Kensington鈥� but it was her 1961 novel 鈥淭he Prime of Miss Jean Brodie鈥� that was considered her masterpiece. It was made into a stage play, a TV series and a film, making her an international success. Before her death in 2006, Muriel Spark asked her long-time friend and companion Penelope Jardine to gather her previously uncollected writings and make a selection for publication. 鈥淭he Golden Fleece鈥� is the result of that work. Penelope Jardine joins Jenni to discuss why she thinks the collection 鈥渢ells many things鈥� about Muriel Spark鈥檚 life.

A stage version of the iconic 1980鈥檚 film Fatal Attraction opened this week in London鈥檚 West End. Its creator, James Dearden, says the central character Alex Forrest - portrayed as a 鈥榖unny-boiler鈥� in the original movie - will be seen in a far more sympathetic light in the stage version. What issues does it raise for a modern audience鈥�?

Twenty-nine year old university student Elsa Hammond聽is hoping to break 2 world records by聽becoming both聽the fastest and youngest woman to row from California to Hawaii.聽As she makes the attempt, she will聽celebrate 2,400 inspirational women - one for each mile of her journey - which she .