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Apr 2022
43m 49s

Weekend Woman's Hour: Ellie Simmonds, No...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

We explore No Fault Divorce. The biggest reform of divorce law for 50 years comes into force- changing a law that dates back to Henry VIII. We hear from listener, Helen, currently going through a divorce.

The Paralympic five time gold medallist Ellie Simmonds was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism. A new drug currently being trialled in the NHS and now approved for use in the USA aims to help children with achondroplasia grow taller. In a new BBC documentary: A World without Dwarfism, Ellie raises the question if cutting edge medicine can stop disability in its tracks, should we use it?

There are reports that women in Ukraine have been raped in front of their children, and Russian soldiers have filmed what they're doing. We discuss why rape in war happens, justice and trauma with Dr Jelke Boesten, Professor of Gender and Development at King's College London.

It’s been over two weeks since the Taliban went back on their plans to allow girls in Afghanistan to return to school. Sara Wahedi, a tech entrepreneur explains her new idea of helping Afghan girls access education - through SMS on their phones.

On Thursday, 100 individuals and their families wrote to the Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, asking him to appoint Donna Ockenden to conduct an independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. They are members of an online support group for those affected by unsafe maternity services and have shared harrowing accounts of their experiences. Sarah Hawkins talks about the death of their daughter, Harriet, on 17th April 2016 as a result of a mismanaged labour.

Presented by Andrea Catherwood Producer: Surya Elango Editor: Louise Corley

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