Parental Alienation, Women Vets, Lady Evelyn Cobbold, Being Average

Parental Alienation is the unjustified rejection of a parent by a child, encouraged by the other parent. We hear from one woman who hasn't seen or spoken to her teenage daughter in six years. Dr Amy Baker, Parental Alienation Expert, and Louise Barretto, a Divorce and Family Solicitor, join Emma to discuss the impact on children, and the belief that the voice of the child should always be listened to in a court of law. Over 3million households have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, but vet practices are said to be overwhelmed. Listener Dr Myfanwy Hill writes: ‘There seem to be very few programmes about the challenges of being a vet. I’d love to hear Woman’s Hour explore why it is such a female dominated profession, why do we have such a high suicide rates, such poor retention, and are these linked?' Lady Evelyn Cobbold was a Scottish aristocrat who became the first recorded British woman to convert to Islam and undertake the hajj - the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Listener Sadia was inspired by her story, and joins Emma to talk about why Lady Evelyn's 1933 pilgrimage is so meaningful to her today. We also hear from the University of Manchester's Professor Zahia Smail Salhi on how Lady Evelyn's story fits into the bigger picture. Is there more pressure on us these days to be extraordinary? With nonstop updates on social media, airbrushed photos and the constant need to climb the career ladder, it seems that we are all expected to be exceptional. Listener Sarah suggested we talk about being average - and why it should be celebrated. Author Eleanor Ross and faculty member and former Head of Content at The School of Life, Sarah Stein Lubrano join Emma to discuss. Presented by Emma Barnett Produced by Frankie Tobi