meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Woman's Hour

Employment Rights Bill, SEND, Neath RFC tweet, Spitfire Girls

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The government has said it supports bereavement leave for couples who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks gestation. Business Minister Justin Madders told MPs he "fully accepts" the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and promised to look at adding the right to the Employment Rights Bill. Nuala discusses the issues with national baby loss campaigner and founder of George’s Law Keeley Lengthorn and the BBC's Employment Correspondent Zoe Conway.

A couple of days ago the owner of a Welsh Rugby club put up a social media post to promote an upcoming match against a local rival. He hoped a few thousand people would maybe ‘like’ it and ‘share’ it and some would come along to watch the match. What he didn’t expect was that the post would get more than a quarter of a million views, generate outrage and condemnation and become national news. Accompanying the text was an image of rugby players, with the words, ‘Not For Girls’ stamped across the top. Nuala discusses the idea behind the tweet and the reaction with Matthew Young from Neath Rugby Football Club and the sports broadcaster, Stella Mills, one of the first people to see the post and comment.

Yesterday the Education Committee heard evidence from professional membership organisations, charities and young people with lived experience of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, as part of its inquiry into solving the SEND crisis. One teenager invited to address the committee was 17-year-old Katie. Katie is autistic and was a member of the panel for Woman’s Hour’s SEND: Mums Bridging the Gap programme that was broadcast in September 2024. Katie, her mother Ruth Nellist and Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the SEND Education Committee all join Nuala to discuss the committee’s work so far and the importance of the cross-party MPs who make up the committee hearing the experiences of children and young people with SEND.

Have you heard of the ‘Attagirls’? They were pioneering women pilots who flew RAF planes throughout the country during World War Two, and achieved equal pay in 1943, but their work as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary has often been overlooked. A new play ‘Spitfire Girls’ is inspired by the true stories of these women. Nuala speaks to cast members Katherine Senior and Laura Matthews to find out more about what it was like for women pilots and why it’s important to celebrate their stories.

Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's caught, she's going to be shot.

0:09.3

I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on extraordinary stories from World War II.

0:17.6

What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz.

0:22.0

Tales of deception and incredible acts of resistance and courage.

0:26.3

She was a born soldier.

0:27.4

She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense.

0:29.9

The brand new series of history's secret heroes.

0:32.8

Listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:36.4

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:40.7

Hello, this is Newellamoghren, and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast.

0:45.9

Hello, and welcome to the programme.

0:48.1

Now, you might have seen the outrage over publicity for a men's rugby match in Neath, Wales,

0:53.6

with the banner, Not for for girls slapped on the front.

0:57.2

Well, reaction was swift and fierce. The man at the centre of the storm is Neith Rugby Club owner,

1:02.7

that's Matty Young, who created the ad. Now, he has apologised profusely. He says the idea was to shine

1:09.0

a light on the casual misogyny that exists in part of rugby.

1:12.9

But it backfired spectacularly.

1:16.2

Matty hasn't spoken to anyone yet about the fiasco despite repeated requests for interviews,

1:20.6

but he has agreed to come on Women's Hour, so he'll be with me in about 10 minutes' time.

1:25.0

Stay with me for that.

1:26.3

Also today, we'll hear from 17-year-old Katie,

1:28.8

who gave evidence yesterday to an inquiry working to solve the send crisis. Also with her is her

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -16 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.