Artemis II, Meg Jones, 'Battlefield techniques abuse'

The Woman's Hour podcast episode explores the triumphs and challenges of three extraordinary women, beginning with the historic launch of NASA's Artemis II mission—the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. Sian Cleaver, a spacecraft engineer from Airbus, shares her journey from a childhood fascination with space to playing a vital role in building the European Service Module for the Orion spacecraft. She reflects on the underrepresentation of women in engineering and the emotional weight of seeing her dream come true, especially with her parents present at the launch. The conversation then shifts to Meg Jones, the new captain of England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses. Meg discusses her leadership style, the importance of team culture, and how she overcame personal tragedy—losing both parents in a single year—while maintaining her elite performance. She also reveals her resilience during lockdown, when she worked as an Amazon delivery driver, and her advocacy for mental health and addiction awareness through her patronage of The Living Room. The episode concludes with a powerful and distressing segment on domestic abuse within the UK military, exposing how serving and ex-military personnel have allegedly used battlefield techniques to abuse partners and children. Natalie Page of the Survivor Family Network reveals a dossier of 52 cases, highlighting systemic failures in the Ministry of Defence’s support systems, where victims are left unprotected and perpetrators are shielded by rank and institutional loyalty. The episode closes with Ella King, author of the novel 'Dear Darling', discussing her bold retelling of 'Lolita' from the survivor’s perspective, her own journey from lawyer to writer, and her commitment to representing marginalized voices through fiction.