Episode details

Radio 4,19 Feb 2015,45 mins
DSK, what do French women think? Why do parents keep quiet about their children's mental ill-health?Jean Harrod
Woman's HourAvailable for over a year
The ongoing trial of the former head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn for pimping prostitutes has been headline news inside and outside France. Since 5 out of 6 plaintiffs dropped their cases against him earlier this week, it looks increasingly likely that he will be acquitted, as the prosecutor has advised the judge to do. Guilty or innocent - do French women care about the outcome? Jenni is joined by French journalist Agnes Poirier to discuss. A study carried out by a children's charity has found that almost a third of parents of children aged 5 - 18 years old admit they would feel embarrassed if their child wanted counselling in school. Jenni is joined by Dr. Fiona Pienaar Clinical Director at Place2be and from Allie who suffered mental health problems as a child. Former diplomat Jean Harrod spent her working life travelling the world. She has now published her first novel, "Deadly Diplomacy," which tells the story of a British consul caught up in a murder investigation in Australia. So, how much did her real life experience influence her fiction? And how did Jean's local coffee shop in Yorkshire help her get into print? Modern day slavery in the UK, Jenni hears from a domestic worker who escaped from an abusive employer and from Marissa Begonia who helps rescue women from forms of modern day slavery. A feminist, satirical drama The Last of the De Mullins set in 1908 which dealt with working, single mothers who refused to be tied to the institution of marriage, is being revived in London. How did such a controversial play slip through the censors then and why it is still relevant today? Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Caroline Donne.
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