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Woman's Hour

Gracie Spinks' parents, Child-free women at work, Grandma Wong

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.13K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2023

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

23-year-old Gracie Spinks was killed by a man who she had reported to the police for stalking her. The inquest into her death reported several failures by Derbyshire Police in how her case was handled. Now, her parents, Richard Spinks and Alison Ward, are campaigning for Gracie’s Law, which would ensure better training for police officers around stalking, and the appointment of independent stalking advocates. They join Emma Barnett to discuss Gracie and the changes they want to be made in her memory.

‘There is an expectation that women like me – without children - will pick up the slack so the working mums can have time off with their families’. Those are the words of Sam Walsh who has worked every Boxing Day for the last 20 years. She decided to quit her retail job in October because she resented having to work over the Christmas period. Sam, who runs The Non Mum Network Facebook group and website, says working parents shouldn’t be given priority.

Today is the beginning of the Jimmy Lai trial in Hong Kong - a national security case against the media mogul and pro-democracy activist who has been accused of conspiring to collude with foreign forces. Outside the court is the familiar face of a woman affectionately known as 'Grandma Wong', real name Alexandra. Cindy Yu, Assistant Editor of The Spectator, tells us more about her.

The damage being done to girls’ education in Afghanistan has been well documented, but new research suggests the Taliban is causing ‘irreversible damage’ to boys’ education too. Research carried out by Human Rights Watch found that female teachers have been replaced by men with no qualifications, and that boys are subject to brutal punishment. Emma speaks to Sahar Fetrat, the author of the report.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult?

0:06.0

What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are?

0:10.0

I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti.

0:14.0

I saw a footprint and that really gave me goosebumps.

0:16.0

Or people who knew me.

0:18.0

Emmy, I remember every secret, every lie.

0:21.0

I'm the only one who knows the truth.

0:23.0

Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003.

0:27.0

Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:29.0

BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.

0:35.0

Hello, I'm Emma Barnet and welcome to Womanza from BBC Radio 4.

0:40.0

We are there the last full week before the Christmas break.

0:44.0

How's that looking from your perspective?

0:45.7

Will there be any break involved?

0:48.0

I ask because one of my guests has always worked Christmas Eve

0:51.2

and then Boxing Day again during her career in retail and found herself

0:54.8

falling asleep on Christmas Day early on in proceedings and it's led her to writing a newspaper article entitled

1:00.8

Why as a childless woman I've quit my job because I can't bear yet another

1:05.3

Christmas picking up the slack for working mums. It's had quite a reaction, but it's not just

1:11.3

about Christmas time. Samantha Walsh feels this unfairness the whole

1:14.7

year round, as those with children, mainly women in her field of work, leave early regularly

1:19.9

or don't come in due to repeat child's sickness and ill health

...

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