Listener Week: Women and trades, Afghanistan, Stealthing, Dumping a friend

A recent survey revealed that tradespeople are £35,000 better off than university graduates. But only 14.5% of the construction workforce as a whole is female, and that drops to just 2% when it comes to skilled manual trades, according to CITB figures. Barbara Marshfield has been a painter and decorator for 25 years, and got in touch. She joins Emma to discuss, along with Steph Leese who has her own successful business, and Fiona Sharp, Social Value Director for Procure Plus.

Reports from this morning and over the weekend reveal a desperate situation for many women and children in Afghanistan trying to flee. We've heard a lot, and seen pictures of the male British troops who have and are currently serving on the ground in Afghanistan. But what about the women? How differently do women approach these situations... Alice Bromage served in Afghanistan as a Major. She did 2 tours, and left in 2016.

In the past few months, a number of women have spoken out about stealthing -a form of sexual violence that involves non-consensual condom removal. One listener wants to know if there is a male equivalent, and if not, how the gender of a victim impacts the way society views rape. Emma is joined by the barrister Harriet Johnson and Dr Siobhan Weare, Senior Lecturer at the Lancaster University Law School who has researched criminal justice and male survivors of sexual violence.

The breakdown of romantic relationships can have a significant impact on us - but so too can the breakdown of friendships, sometimes being even more painful. Listener Melanie joins us to discuss her experience of losing a friendship, as does journalist and writer, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and relationship expert and author, Liz Pryor.

Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Frankie Tobi