Woman's Hour

Losing a baby in the early stages of pregnancy can be an extremely painful experience. Having to explain to your employer why you can’t come to work only adds to the difficulty. In the UK, there’s currently no entitlement to time off for miscarriage within the first six months of pregnancy. The Women and Equalities Select Committee is hearing evidence on extending the right to bereavement leave to cover losses up to 24 weeks. Sarah Owen MP, Chair of the Committee and someone who has experienced baby loss, joined Nuala McGovern to discuss. When the Stammer Came to Stay is award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell’s third children’s book. Based on her experience of living with a stammer, it celebrates differences and explores children’s resilience in facing new challenges. She talks to Anita Rani about the book and how her stammer has shaped her life. Why are more young women dying from alcohol-related liver disease than ever before? BBC journalist Hazel Martin, diagnosed with the condition in her early 30s, has been investigating how her social drinking habits put her life at risk. Hazel joined Nuala along with Professor Debbie Shawcross, Consultant Hepatologist at King’s College Hospital, to explore the growing crisis and its causes. After writing her Spinal Column for The Times since 2010 —beginning just two weeks after breaking her neck and back in a riding accident—Melanie Reid has decided it’s time to stop. She joined Nuala to discuss why she’s stepping away, her reflections on the journey, and her plans for the future. Song-writing partnership Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are making history by becoming the youngest and first female songwriting duo to compose for a Disney feature film in Moana 2. The Grammy Award-winning pair joined Nula to discuss their musical partnership. Kim Cypher, a saxophonist, composer, and vocalist, is a regular on the London and UK jazz circuit. She recently launched her third album, Catching Moments, and joined Anita in the Woman’s Hour studio and performed live.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

When the Stammer Came to Stay is award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell’s third book for children. Based on her own experience of living with a stammer, it's a story that celebrates differences and explores the resilience of children as they learn to navigate new and seemingly frightful challenges. She talks to Anita Rani about the book and the impact of her stammer on her life.Gregg Wallace is to step away from presenting MasterChef while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated. Wallace's lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature and MasterChef's production company Banijay UK has launched an investigation. To discuss the story, Anita is joined by Katie Razzall, the BBC's Media Editor. Anita also speaks to Emma Bartlett, employment lawyer and partner at CM Murray, to look at some of the issues cases like this raise in terms of reporting allegations of inapproprate behavior in the workplace.In Nigeria scammers posing as doctors are convincing women that they have a “miracle fertility treatment” guaranteed to get them pregnant. BBC Africa Eye Reporter Yemisi Adegoke explains how these scammers target infertile women and fuel an underground trade in black market babies. Nigeria’s Miracle Baby Scammers is on BBC iPlayer.The Italian-American soprano Marina Costa-Jackson's acclaimed portrayals include Floria Tosca at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Mimi in La Bohème at Los Angeles Opera, and Carmen with Nashville Opera. She has now made her Royal Opera House debut where she is currently singing the role of Giulietta in a new production of The Tales of Hoffmann. She joins Anita, live in the studio, to discuss the role, how she handles performance anxiety, and to sing the aria L'amour lui dit la belle, accompanied by Christopher Willis on piano.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley

Academy schools were one of the issues that listeners raised during, and since, Woman’s Hour’s special programme investigating the SEND system for children with special education needs and disabilities. We hear the voices of two mums who say their children were let down by their Academy schools for allegedly failing to support their children's SEND needs and Anita Rani discusses SEND support in Academies with Leora Cruddas, CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts which represents more than ¾ of all Academies.Choreographer and intimacy director Lucy Hind has worked on major productions including Girl From the North Country, Oliver, My Fair Lady, Secret Life of Bees and more recently Groundhog Day. Her latest project Spend Spend Spend has just opened at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and is the story of the infamous Viv Nicholson who in the 1960’s won today’s equivalent of a few million pounds and went on to spend it all on very public lavish spending-sprees. Lucy explains to Anita why being an intimacy director is an integral part of being a choreographer.Kim Cypher is a saxophonist, composer, vocalist and a regular performer on the London and UK jazz circuit including sold our performances on the main stage at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. She’s just launched her third album Catching Moments and Kim and her band join Anita in the Woman's Hour studio.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Laura Northedge

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Joan Armatrading joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her 23rd studio album, How Did This Happen and What Does it Now Mean?Losing a baby in the early stages of pregnancy can be an extremely painful experience. Having to think about what you're going to tell your employer about why you're not able to come to work can compound the difficulty. In the UK you are not entitled to any time off work if you experience miscarriage in the first six months of pregnancy. But today, the Women and Equalities Select Committee is hearing evidence for the case of extending your right to bereavement leave to the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Sarah Owen MP, Chair of that Committee is in the Woman's Hour studio.Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey has spent the last 20 years as an independent crossbench peer in the House of Lords, championing social justice causes such as the fight against modern slavery and promoting ethical fashion. She was also one of the first black women to enter the Lords. In her memoir Eight Weeks, she reflects on her childhood in the care system during the 1950s and 60s and the challenges she faced moving between foster care and children’s homes, and what she learnt from accessing her care records some fifty years later. After writing her Spinal Column for the Times newspaper since 2010 – the first just two weeks after breaking her neck and back in a riding accident - columnist and author Melanie Reid has decided it’s time to stop and has published the final one. She joins Nuala to discuss why she has made that decision and what her plans are now.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey