Go Inspire Magazine - Volume 2 by Laura Pink

VOL 2

VOL. 2

FOUNDER'S NOTE Another year is starting, just like that. So many goals and ideas that didn't get on track in the last 12 months but how many new dreams and journeys were started from unexpected circumstances? Let's keep an open mind and stay alert to what our inner voice wants to tell us and what we want to become in 2023. From a greener lifestyle to taking 10 minutes daily to soothe ourselves and declutter our minds. This is the time for you. To reprioritize and remember that life is now and we are in charge of our well-being and creating a future that makes us happy. We hope you find yourself on these pages and start a new path inspired by the powerful women who are making a difference not just for themselves but for everyone.

CREDITS Produced by | GoInspire UK Cover | Artwork: Pixels by Emma Words: Radhika Sanghani Editors & Design | Laura Pink and Marina Sardanopoli

by Marina Sardanopoli

Contributors | Chelsea Abbott, Scarlett Mullender, Brooke Heneghan, Natasha Farwell, Mia Wilson, Francesca Raffa, Victoria Jeffries & Erin Parker.

CONTACT Media: goinspireuk.media@gmail.com Mgmt: goinspireuk.management@gmail.com Enquiries: info@goinspireuk.org goinspireuk.org

CONTENTS MADE FOR WOMEN, BY WOMEN

THE LETHALITY OF 11 FEATURE: MISOGYNY, MEDICAL BIAS AND SEXISM

by Mia Wilson

15 FEATURE: FAST FASHION by Erin Parker

INTERVIEW: FARAH NAZEER

Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women’s Aid, spoke to us about her drive to end domestic violence against women.

17 FEATURE: THE REALITY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY by Brooke Heneghan

FEATURE: THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE IS ENERGY by Francesca Raffa

FEATURE: "BEAUTIFUL, NOT BROKEN"_ THE HISTORICAL FIGHT TOWARDS GENDER FREEDOM

INTERVIEW: AJA BARBER

by Scarlett Mullender

09 33

After the release of her first book, Consumed, Aja Barber told Go Inspire UK about her amazing writing, public speaking and consulting career.

INTERVIEW: JARNÉIA RICHARD-NOEL SVN and SIX the Musical star Jarnéia Jaye'J Richard-Noel caught Go Inspire UK up on the latest with her busy ventures in London.

GO INSPIRE: NEWS Celebrating #WSFW and more about what we have been up to since we launched Vol. 1!

INTERVIEW: SANDY ABDELRAHMAN Artist, Founder, Filmmaker, Creator and Graduate (congrats), Sandy Abdelrahman had a chat about the incredible opportunities so far in her career.

FEATURE: DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF Victoria Jeffries is a BACP Counsellor/Psychotherapist with over 10 years' experience working in the NHS, charity and private sectors.

27 INTERVIEW: LAURA CLACEY Go Inspire UK spoke to go-getter founder, Laura Clacey, all about SXOLLIE Xider.

29 INTERVIEW: RADHIKA SANGHANI 4-time published author and well-known journalist Radhika Sanghani told us about all things high, low and inspiring in her life and career.

31 INTERVIEW: PIXELS BY EMMA Get to know our amazing cover artist.

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: Can you explain what Women’s Aid do and about your role as CEO?

FARAH

Farah Nazeer: Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. As a national federation of just under 170 local domestic abuse organisations throughout England, we provide nearly 300 local lifesaving services to women and children. Our support services help thousands of women and children every year and we provide expert training to a range of agencies and professionals working with survivors. We also work to change attitudes, hearts and minds. We campaign to achieve change in policy, practice and awareness, educating the public on healthy relationships and helping to build a future where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated. My role as CEO is to represent and campaign on behalf of these vital services, and on behalf of survivors of abuse. It is a role I take incredibly seriously, and feel privileged to do.

NAZEER BY CHELSEA ABBOTT PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK

STYLING/DIRECTION: MARINA SARDANOPOLI FASHION: TRACE COLLECTIVE

AFTER 20 YEARS OF TIRELESS WORK FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS, FARAH NAZEER BECAME CEO OF WOMEN’S AID IN MARCH 2021. SHE SPOKE TO GO INSPIRE UK ABOUT SOME OF HER MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND HER DRIVE TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

GI: Can you tell us about your early career which led you to becoming the CEO of Women’s Aid? FN: Prior to working at Women’s Aid, I served on the senior leadership team at Action Aid UK, working to end gender-based violence and ensure women’s economic rights. I have also worked at Bond, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the NOMADIC | 24 Women’s Institute...

...I was a local authority councillor for almost a decade working on local service provision, health, environment, and accountability. I’ve always been passionate about women’s rights, and working to end violence against women and children, so I was extremely proud to join Women’s Aid, a feminist and survivor-centered organisation.

GI: What drives you in this line of work? FN: First and foremost, I’m inspired every day by the survivors we work with: their incredible strength and courage give me the drive to keep going. I’m also motivated by the women I work with at Women’s Aid, including in our local member organisations up and down the country. These hard-working women deliver lifesaving services on a shoestring budget- they run on passion and determination. Their commitment and dedication inspire me to do all I can to help both survivors and the services that support them. I am a feminist, passionate about women’s rights, and am so proud of our achievements so far at Women’s Aid, but I know there is a long way to go before domestic abuse is intolerable in our society. That in itself drives me to keep going.

According to CSEW data for the year ending March 2018, only 18% of women who had experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police. womensaid.org.uk GI: You say, and have done a lot of work on women’s rights - is there specific areas you focus on in particular? Why do you think this is an important issue? FN: Every woman has a right to live a life free of violence and fear. Currently, 1.6 million women in England and Wales experience domestic abuse a year, although that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as not all women report abuse. Domestic abuse is evident in the news every single day- yet it seems to be more of an ‘acceptable’ crime in society. Things must change. We know that misogyny and gender inequality are at the root of all violence against women, which is why changing public attitudes and challenging stereotypical gender roles is so important. Everyone has a role to play in ending domestic abuse and we can all make a difference...

....I also advocate for the rights of Black and minoritised women, whose voices are so often not heard. Every survivor faces challenges to reporting abuse and getting justice, but for Black, minoritised and migrant women, the barriers can be so much greater.

Be ambitious, passionate, be yourself and believe in yourself.

GI: What could readers to do campaign and support causes like Women’s Aid, or the WI - or even raise awareness of women’s rights? FN: You can follow and support Women’s Aid’s social media channels, become a Women’s Aid campaigner or fundraise for the cause. As part of our Come Together to End Domestic Abuse campaign, we suggest five things that everyone can do to help end domestic abuse, which includes ideas like holding a fundraising event, and dispelling sexist myths in your everyday life. You can use your social media to raise awareness of women’s rights, and talk to friends, family and colleagues. Call out sexism when you can. There are so many ways we can all raise awareness.

FARAH NAZEER GI: On Twitter you say you are passionate about the environment and civic space - could you outline a bit more about what they mean to you? FN: Just as we all have a responsibility to help end domestic abuse, we all have our part to play in respecting the environment and the world we live in. When it comes to the environment and climate change, the consequences of not taking action to protect them will be devastating, and as ever will be felt most acutely by the poorest, most marginalised people, most of whom are women. Civic space ensures the right to protest and comment, and many of the rights women now have were born of struggle. If individuals and organisations find they are unable to peacefully protest, I believe that compromises our rights and our democracy. I believe in the principles of sharing of power and accountable collaboration. We all have a responsibility to each other. As a federation of 168 members, at Women’s Aid we know that working together is key to achieving the change we want to see. We regularly collaborate with organisations in our sector, to influence and bring about policy change. We are stronger together, so we must all must play our part.

GI: You've also worked in many other places in your career - could you explain some of your other roles? FN: I served on the leadership team at Action Aid, leading on advocacy influencing. My focus was on ending violence against women and girls in some of the most marginalised communities in the world, including working to end gender-based violence in the work place. At the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, I advocated for the rights of people with MND, to improve access to provision. My time as councillor in East London gave me a clear understanding of the structural causes of poverty, often compounded by discrimination and poor policy and provision decisions. My career experience has encouraged me to do all I can to achieve real change for women and children.

GI: What are some of your proudest accomplishments at Women’s Aid or any other milestones in your career? How about outside of work? FN: I was immensely proud to join Women’s Aid last year, which involved steering the charity through the unprecedented rise in demand for domestic abuse services presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a challenging time for the sector, but thanks to the hard work, passion and determination of our staff, Women’s Aid transitioned through a period of significant growth. I continue to be proud every day to be part of a feminist organisation dedicated to serving and supporting survivors of domestic abuse. Whether it’s through research, campaigning or the delivery of vital services, our federation is helping to save lives every day. That makes me immensely proud. I’m also a very proud mum. I want to do all I can to ensure the world is a safer place for all of our children to grow up in.

GI: Do you have any advice for women looking to further careers in any of the jobs you've worked in, or further their activism? FN: Be ambitious, passionate, be yourself and believe in yourself. Know what drives you and what your mission is. Be bold and humble. Reach out to women in positions you admire and look into mentoring schemes. In terms of activism, I’d say keeping survivors/victims’ voices at the heart of what you do is key: listen to their needs, what matters to them most, and use that to drive your campaigning.

womensaid.org.uk Instagram: @womens_aid Twitter: @FarahNazeer Image: @women_aid instagram

FEATURE

"Beautiful, Not Broken"_ The Historical Fight Towards Gender Freedom BY SCARLETT MULLENDER

“How the f*** did I end up being born in this day and age with clowns like these?” “You can’t deny biology, regardless what is going on in someone’s mind.” “Pick up arms and head to Ukraine…this topic is so trivial by comparison.” The following statements were all derived from the comments section of Sky News’ Instagram post documenting the protest which contested the continuation of conversion therapy for those experiencing gender dysphoria in the UK. Whilst thousands of individuals were lining Downing Street, amplifying their voices amidst a sea of prejudice, internet trolls were priming their keyboards, ready to fire off at the first inclination of understandable uproar. Devastatingly though, this wasn’t the first battle for peace that the trans community had encountered. In fact, the Government’s shunning of gender identity pre-dates the 21st century by decades.

Often regarded by many as trivial ‘attention seekers’ or worse, the devil incarnates, simply due to being adjacent to the picture of ‘normality’ painted by society, those who feel as though their given gender doesn’t align with their psyche have always been prey to the apex predator oligarchs of the world. Therefore, the latest slap in the face from the UK Government was a mere nail in the coffin of discrimination. But where there is darkness, light always shines within; turn every corner throughout human history and you will see the nobles. Valiant trans and agender activists have ensured that the gender queer voice is heard over the crowds trying to silence them. Gaining an insight into some of these voices truly rejuvenates the soul, alerting those who have never had to fight for the right to be humanised, regarding their gender identity, to a life of constant trials and tribulations, simply to survive, that they may not have known even existed.

To many, the concept of genderreassignment surgery, which enables a person’s desired gender to correlate with their birth sex, seems the epitome of modern medicine. However, we have one pioneering physician and sexologist to thank for paving the way for those who have access to such operations in today’s era. Magnus Hirschfield, despite eventually having his revolutionary work concerning transgender surgeries destroyed by the Nazis in 1933 and his German citizenship revoked, aided in some of the earliest ovarian and uterus transplants, allowing many who were screaming into the void for acceptance the chance to feel at least some comfort amidst the terrors of war. His activism regarding the LGBTQ+ community and his own gay identity cannot be understated; he worked tirelessly to help those who felt lost in a period which was plagued by Nazi homophobic and transphobic Nazi persecution, risking both his profession and his own life until his death in 1935.

Centuries of prejudice can do unimaginable things to the psyche of an individual. There comes a point where the consistent abuse, nefarious treatment and discrimination ignites a spark to make change. Though the journey may be agonising, and the road to solace winding, the eventual reward of freedom via sacrifice is worth every taunt and punch. And that is what the heroic individuals of the Greenwich Village and Stonewall Inn decided during those three days. Nowadays, LGBTQ+ pride marches are held annually across June, in honour of the Stonewall Riots, all over the world, with millions of members celebrating the noble fight of Lower Manhattan’s gay and trans community back in 1969. One key figure whose light still shines in the hearts of many is Marsha P. Johnson, a selfidentified drag queen and LGBTQ+ liberation activist. She was a figurehead of Stonewall and is fondly loved and remembered by many within the community as being outspoken about her own identity and previous struggles to find peace within a society that hated anything that juxtaposed normality. Marsha has been commonly depicted in illustrations, excerpts, and flags alike since her untimely death in 1992, of which many suspect foul- play to be involved in. Today, there are still 13 counties which specifically criminalise trans people, with it not being possible to officially change one’s gender status in at least 47 United Nations member states.

Due to these petrifying statistics, today’s trans community could be forgiven for harbouring a certain level of contempt for modern society. In speaking to, Samantha Nelson, a transgender installation manager at Penguin however, I found her theology to be the antithesis of this. She said: “Along the way I discovered that none of us ever know the internal conflicts that people around us are dealing with, and we should never insist we know better or suggest that we have all the answers. “What we can do is come together to create an environment and culture where people feel safe and supported, a place where everyone can belong.” I believe the trans activists across April’s national protests in Britain phrased it best: “Queerness doesn’t need a cure”. And though the walk toward complete trans liberation may be slow, I found solace in the fact that Samantha has finally reached a stage of comfort in her life: “I could now stand proud and say I am a woman. Always have been. Always will be.” Support and advice: https://www.stonewall.org.uk https://mermaidsuk.org.uk https://genderedintelligence.co.uk https://www.tht.org.uk

Image pg. 07: @formatoriginalphotos Image below: Courtesy of Samantha Jayne Nelson

“Along the way I discovered that none of us ever know the internal conflicts that people around us are dealing with, and we should never insist we know better or suggest that we have all the answers." Samantha Jayne Nelson

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: In a sentence, how would you describe being a theatre access?

JARNÉIA RICHARD-NOEL BY CHELSEA ABBOTT

Jaye'J: One big emotional rollercoaster! Its not easy at all, the resilience you build is like no other but its so magical and its the place I feel most at home GI: Throughout your career, you’ve been in many productions, but Six was one of your longest - what was it like playing Catherine of Aragon? And why did you stay in that specific role for so long? JJ: Playing The Queen Herself ‘Catherine of Aragon’ was a total honour and to play her for so long and originate a role so early into my career were dreams I haven’t dreamt yet as I just couldn’t believe it was all happening so soon. Aragon was a firecracker, her strength & resilience as a leader of the country along side Henry 8th and to play such a fearless women, I had a ball. Her song ‘No Way’ in the musical is a huge bop! I think I stayed doing the role as I just felt whatever I needed to learn as a women and a performer I still had time to do that in this show, when I left I felt I got everything I needed from it and more! Not only that, what a beautiful story to tell every night with 5 other amazing humans as well as the all female band. The reaction to this show is like no other and the impact it has had on so many is so special and I enjoyed living in that every night!

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK ART DIRECTION: MARINA SARDANOPOLI

ORIGINAL SIX THE MUSICAL WEST END A C T R E S S J A R N É I A J A Y E ' J R I C H A R D - N O E L H A S BEEN RUNNING ALL OVER THE THEATRE AND MUSIC SCENE IN LONDON. STARRING AS CATHERINE OF ARAGON IN SIX THE MUSICAL FOR OVER 3 YEARS, AND JOINING MUSIC GIRL GROUP SVN JUST AFTER THE COVID LOCKDOWN, GO INSPIRE UK MANAGED TO C A T C H U P W I T H J A R N É I A T O S E E W H A T E L S E SHE IS UP TO.

NOMADIC

GI: You’ve recently starred in Millenials at The Other Palace, what was that like? JJ: One of the most fun jobs I have ever done! Number 1, Elliot Clay is a sensation and these songs were absolutely beautiful and hilarious. Number 2 I performed on an avocado stage with a trampoline in the middle for 4/5 weeks, I mean how cool! Number 3, I worked with the most amazingly talented humans who’s storytelling was incredible every night. It was such a small quirky space only holding 100 audience members but it made it so intimate and really got the message across of being a ‘millennial’ and how being together is better than being alone. GI: What is your normal routine in preparation for the roles you have played? JJ: It’s hard to say because every show I’ve done has been very different. So I don’t think I have a set routine to prepare for the roles. A lot of the time everything happens so quick so during the rehearsals is where I really get to know my character. On stage is where everything settles and I can explore more organically with the adrenaline of the audience what my character would actually do. GI: How did you start out in theatre acting? JJ: Since the age of 4 my mum and nan put me into my local dance school ‘Chaplins Stage School’ in Northampton. From there I trained BTDA ballet, jazz, tap also did performing arts, singing classes, gymnastics and as I got older started training in Street/Hip-Hop/Commercial Classes. I always wanted to be a performer since I was a little girl. I always wanted to be Beyonce, I mean who doesn’t! I stopped everything from the age of 14 until I decided to do the BTEC Dance Diploma Course at Northampton College 2011-2013. I didn’t actually go into musical theatre until I was 19 where I trained at The Urdang Academy on the foundation course & then did the 3 year dance & musical theatre diploma course and graduated in 2017. From then on I had the best agent Leagh- Hicks Associates and the rest has been wonderful! At times very hard and a lot of No’s but I’m super grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had. GI: What advice would you give to newer theatre actors-especially those who may have had a long period away from education or work? JJ: The resilience you need for this industry is no joke. When you don’t book a job, that isn’t always based on your talent. There are many other factors casting directors are looking for. So don’t let it get you down, know what you bring to the table and keep focused and pushing towards what you want. Be kind to everyone you work with or have taught you in training just because, but also those people can recommend you for further jobs in the future. Your reputation matters and it doesn’t cost to be kind. It's not easy and sometimes you might want to give up but don’t! There is something out there for you.

GI: You are also part of the girl group SVN - how would you describe your music? JJ: Yes, my wonderful girls. SVN I’m so glad we started this in 2020 as I’ve always loved making my own music but doing it with these women is the most organic process and we are all on the same page with how we want our music to be etc. I would say it's a fusion of pop, meets R&B, meets reggaeton, meets dancehall. We all come from different backgrounds and I think that shows in our music. We also are heavy on making our music positive, meaningful and to include every human out there and to make them feel loved, accepted and heard. We have recently dropped a new Christmas Single ‘At Christmas’. It is available on all platforms and we have collaborated with ‘Refuge Charity’ for their Christmas Appeal. Please donate whatever you can for such an amazing charity. Twitter: @_jrichardnoel Instagram: @jrichardnoel Music: https://svnldn.com

FEATURE

The Lethality of Misogyny, Medical Bias and Sexism Women’s history of medical care has never been picturesque. While the term ‘hysteria’ is often associated with Freud, ‘hysteria’ has spoken to exist within women from as long ago as Ancient Greece. They believed that the womb was the root of the problem, any issues with its function were believed to have caused physical and psychological symptoms in women that would be diagnosed as hysteria. As a result, the progression of hysteria throughout time reveals how ancient the traditions of male hegemony are and its persistence throughout the centuries to assign women to a biologically emotional and unreasonable body.

BY MIA WILSON Misogyny pervades female ontology. All facets of womanhood are dictated by patriarchal standards (education, wage, career, sexuality etc.), but what does this mean for women who are dying, women who are in pain, and women who need medical help? Though it may not come as a surprise, the truth that misogyny exists within the medical field is particularly harrowing. It was a study published in the medical journal JAMA Surgery which inspired me to explore the effects of medical misogyny and the potential of its lethality. It found that female patients operated on by male surgeons are 32% more likely to die and 16% more likely to experience major complications (at risk of sensationalising these statistics or engaging in fear mongering, it is worth clarifying that this means if a male patient has a 1% chance of dying in surgery then a woman’s risk is 1.32%, if operated on by a man). When contextualised it may seem the difference is barely worth noting. Yet, the study also uncovered that there was no such disparity for female surgeons, no matter whether their patients were men or women. Also, male surgical patients experienced no difference in their chances of death whether they had a male or female surgeon. Essentially, more women die at the hands of men in an environment that is hypothetically controlled against the variables of social discrimination. The study highlights the extent to which society has built its practises upon a foundation of sexism. Sexism which cannot be removed from medical practise without a healthcare revolution.

While the climate of today's medical care has improved, it is evident that the foundations of medical care are intrinsic to a wider patriarchal understanding of women. Traditions of assigning hysteria seem to have contorted into a modern desire to label celebrities with pseudo-diagnoses: Amber Heard springs to mind as a recent example of this. After her infamous trial against Johnny Depp, she is speculated to have Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic personality disorder. Disorders which have a pronounced 3:1 female to male gender ratio. Though women no longer endure the label of ‘hysteria’ it appears that the media persistently find a way to quickly identify and label female behaviour that they disapprove of.

The catch-22 of medical bias is that while women are diagnosed significantly more often for disorders such as BPD and depression than men, their physical pain is often likely to be treated as a product of a mental health condition, rather than a physical condition. A 2018 study proved this and also that among patients experiencing chronic pain women are likely to be labelled “sensitive”, “hysterical” and “complaining”, while men were “brave” and “heroic”. Gender roles and stereotypes are reinforced within women’s cries for help. Imagine how frustrating it must be for women to be in copious amounts of pain and have it dismissed as an imaginary struggle. For the women who need medical help these rejections clarify any illusions of equality and it becomes clear that medical systems channel the wider male hegemony.

If a male patient has 1% chance of dying in surgery then a woman’s risk is 1.32%

Resource link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: How did your writing career begin? Was it a natural path that followed your work as a fashion consultant?

AJA

Aja Barber: I was not blessed with a straight forward path into writing. I was writing on social media for ten years (often for free) while working numerous jobs and eventually the topics I talk about (fashion, race, feminism) all took to the main stage. Sometimes you just have to wait for the moment.

BARBER BY SCARLETT MULLENDER

GI: Can you tell us about your first book, Consumed?

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK

AB: Consumed is a deep dive into understanding today's modern fashion industry and its big problems. In Consumed I explain the history and the fashion industry's link to colonialism and in the second half we talk about us and how we participate.

ART DIRECTION: MARINA SARDANOPOLI

WRITER, STYLIST, CONSULTANT AND PUBLIC SPEAKER AJA BARBER HAS BEEN RAISING HER VOICE ABOUT RACISM, SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION AND FEMINISM. THE HARD-WORKING ACTIVIST HAS ALSO RECENTLY PUBLISHED ‘CONSUMED’, HER FIRST BOOK ON MODERNDAY FASHION AND ITS PROBLEMS. FIND OUT MORE IN HER INTERVIEW WITH GO INSPIRE UK.

GI: How do you think we as individuals can take the steps to be more sustainable regarding our fashion choices? AB: The first thing I tell people is to slow down. We are all buying WAY too much clothing. And not wearing that which we already own and love. The second thing I tell people to do is figure out your personal style and what it is that you truly love. Notice neither of these tips involve buying new clothing. There's this misconception that participating in the sustainable fashion movement is all about buying the most expensive clothes....

....I want to fight that because ultimately it looks like buying less and wearing what you have.

GI: What has been your favourite project that you have been a part of and why?

GI: Can you tell us about your Patreon? AB: I'm very proud of my book but also my capsule collection with Lora Gene. AB: My Patreon is a space where people who are interested in this topic GI: We’d love to know more about your can learn more daily. I discuss ethical capsule collection with Lora Gene. fashion news, climate crisis (I try and host Zooms for Patreons with climate AB: Listen, you don't need new clothes. experts, in addition to giving out Many of us need to wear what we own. ethical fashion news). But when you DO need new clothes why not buy something ethical from a GI: How do you think individuals could brand that champions size inclusion recognise their own privileges and help and treats it's worker's well? Starting others moving forwards? this collaboration with Lora was about offering size inclusive ethical clothing AB: Look at where you fall on the scale because many weren't doing that at of things. Are you the citizen who buys the time. I wanted to create pieces that 68 items of clothing a year? Maybe it's we also flexible for changing bodies. time to unpick that and find different My pieces are probably the items I ways to interact with the system of wear most in my wardrobe to be fashion. Start with reading Consumed! honest...

....I love them to bits. And maybe you will too, but first let's always wear what we have! GI: What steps do you think bosses/companies can take to promote equality within the workplace? AB: Investigate whether or not your business has an ethnicity pay gap. Are you championing diversity in all the ways you wish to? GI: Why is it still important to promote intersectional feminism in modern society? AB: Oppression doesn't exist in a silo! Sometimes looking at multiple oppressions together can help to paint a better picture of what needs to be addressed and how we address it. www.ajabarber.com Instagram: @ajabarber

FEATURE

FAST FASHION: 10,000 items of clothing are sent to landfill every five minutes – what can we do to reduce the impact? BY ERIN PARKER Fast fashion is cheap, ‘on brand’ clothing that is made quickly to meet demand. Fast fashion is on the rise as social media becomes more popular as fashion trends are created more often. Fast fashion contributes 8-10% of the world's global emissions according to the UN. As well as that brands use toxic dyes that pollute water and harm marine life. To keep the costs of the clothes down they are made abroad where there are less health and safety regulations. This causes dangerous environments for the workers. They are also paid very little as this helps to make the clothes cheaper. Fast fashion not only affects the environment, it's also causing a decline in local high streets. With the help of Covid more people started online shopping more. In January 2020 the proportion of sales online in the UK was 20%, compared to January 2021 when it was about 40% (Office for National Statistics). In January 2022 the proportions began to fall to just below 30% again. Due to this increase in online shopping and fast fashion many high street stores went into administration, such as; Debenhams and Topshop. Both of these retailers were purchased by online brands. Boohoo bought Debenhams and ASOS bought Topshop. However, because these are both strictly online brands they rarely ever keep any stores open of the high street retailers they buy.

To prevent purchasing fast fashion you can buy second hand, this reduces the amount of clothing waste going to landfill. You can also go into sustainable stores or local businesses to keep the high streets thriving. Another way you can help is by selling or donating any unwanted clothes instead of throwing them away. This way once you’ve had enough of a style someone else is able to love it.

There are many ways you can spot a fast fashion brand; They sell thousands of styles. They have a short turnaround time between a trend starting and it hitting the shelves. They have a limited quantity of specific clothes to make shoppers buy them before it’s too late. The clothes are made using cheap materials e.g., polyester.

Finally, if everyone buys a little less clothing, we can help the environment so much. Research by Leeds University and Arup shows that buying a maximum of 8 items of clothing a year could reduce fashion emissions by 37% in the world’s major cities. Illustration: @sketchify Photo: Sunsprite Studio

FEATURE

The Reality of Sexual Assault in the Twenty-First Century BY BROOKE HENEGHAN In an anonymous online survey I conducted on over 1,300 16-20 year old girls across the U.K, over 80% of them had been a victim of some form of sexual assault. Over 61% of these young girls had experienced some form of assault during their school years. These shocking, yet relatively unsurprising set of statistics, formulate two key questions:

Arguably however, despite it raising awareness of the issue, many of the stories are published to increase readership, as well as ensuring that the news organisation is kept relevant. Due to the media being a constant mass source of information for most people, the lack of stories across the year that investigate the truth behind sexual assault almost diminishes the severity of it. It almost presents sexual assault to only be relevant during the month of April. By alerting people to both the penalties (which need to be made stricter also) as well as how sexual assault experiences genuinely does damage people, the media could play a massive role in helping to also decrease these numbers.

WHY ARE THE STATISTICS SO HIGH IN SCHOOLS? WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREVENT THESE INCIDENTS FROM HAPPENING?

Damaging societal norms has caused so many individuals to not speak out about their experiences, as well as creating a perceived passivity amongst women and young girls. In 2021, Rape Crisis England and Wales recorded that

Sexual assault is defined as “unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent”, according to the American Psychological Association. Whilst this is the standard definition, the survey brought to light people’s personal definitions. Majority of the answers given were of an extremely similar nature, including ‘anything that is sexual and unwanted’ as well as ‘anything that happens after someone says no’ and ‘the continuation of unwanted vulgar comments’. Despite both the personal and standard definitions being of a similar nature, the one thing that strikes up in every one of them is the idea of lack of consent. Arguably, the lack of education from a young age regarding the subject matter could be what is fuelling the increasing number of sexual attacks against individuals. Whilst primary school is the place for initial development, high school often sees students settle into their innate selves, with their knowledge of right and wrong having already been solidified. The lack of attention given to this issue during a pupil’s older years again shows that the fault in the education system could be a major contributing factor to the increasing number of sexual attacks. They are not being taught that pressurising someone into conducting a sexual act or receiving something unwanted in a sexual nature is sexual assault. They are also not being taught the damaging implications of the reality of sexual assault. For society to be able to progress positively, the school curriculum needs to reform to help lower the frightening statistics. Another solution that could help raise awareness to the issue is increased media attention. With sexual assault awareness month being in April, you mainly see and read stories of that nature during this single month.

FIVE OUT OF SIX WOMEN WHO ARE RAPED DO NOT REPORT THE EVENT. Over 40% of them found the incident to be embarrassing, with a further 38% saying that it would be humiliating to report it. Society has arguably taught women to become passive and suffer in silence, with the infamous “boys will be boys” statement being too easily used as an excuse. One girl in the survey said “many women I know including myself actively try to stop it progressing, but when you’re the weaker individual you end up giving up the fight”. Whilst many women “discuss sexual assault with anger and disgust”, it is often only to close friends or loved ones, as many “accept it as life” and “don’t want to cause a scene out of fear”. Whilst “boys will be boys”, girls should not have to walk out in fear of getting attacked and assaulted in some way. Women are not objects and should not be treated as such, and so society must learn to teach the reality of sexual assault, whilst also ensuring that there is adequate support for girls who may have experienced any form of assault. www.rapecrisis.org.uk www.solacewomensaid.org www.thehavens.org.uk

FEATURE

The future of medicine is energy BY FRANCESCA RAFFA

To understand energy medicine, we must first understand the basic principles of energy itself; “Everything is energy, and therefore, everything is because of energy.” (Serge Benhayon, 1999). Science and quantum physicists show that energy is in the building block of all matter, so this means your physical body, your house, the trees, and the device in which you are reading this are all entangled through invisible forms of energy that interconnect you and everything to the universe itself.

When we come to this understanding that everything starts on an energetic level before it reaches tangible form, we can begin to embody the concept of so within, so without. Everything in our internal world influences our outer physical reality, what you think, you create, what you feel, you attract and what you imagine you become. Through this lens we can realise the power we possess as energetic beings, and it is through energy medicine or vibrational energy healing that activates the body’s energies toward equilibrium and balance.

Long before scientific influential characters such as Sir Isaac Newton who stated “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another” and Albert Einstein who produced the formula E=mc² that expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same entity and can be changed into each other; there were advanced Ancient Cultures around the world who understood and worked with the cosmic universal laws with energy healing being the oldest form of medicine.

Energy medicine also referred to as complementary medicine or alternative medicine is becoming increasingly popular and will continue to rapidly increase further. Why? Well because we are beginning to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and conventional medicine. It is documented that Ancient cultures around the world had what were known as medicine men/women (witch-doctors or shamans) who maintained the health of their tribe by gathering and distributing herbs, performing healing and spiritual ceremonies and working individually with the transmutation and manipulation of energy for overall wellbeing and restoration of health. These Ancient known medicines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Shamanic traditions have revolved around a radically different model of the human body and healing based on the body as an entire energy field treating it as one whole, mind-body-spirit. Whereas conventional and western medicine has embraced the anatomical and biochemical model, material body of flesh and blood and focus on curing symptoms rather than eliminating the root cause. Now you can understand that the root cause of all found tangible disease within the body always begins in energetic form.

One of these laws in relation to energy medicine is the law of vibration. Your body is composed of energyproducing particles, each of which is in constant motion, constant vibration. These vibrations generate electromagnetic waves of which transfer energy as radiation from the source of the waves to an absorber. So, how does all of this relate to our health and wellbeing? The vibrations and the electromagnetic energy associated with them can cause changes in your cells, which can then affect how your body functions. Illness, dis-ease, troubling emotions and disempowering thoughts and beliefs are usually associated with a low or unbalanced vibration or energy flow, meaning energy can appear to be uneven or blocked in the body. Energetic stagnation in the body is what leads to physical and spiritual ailments.

The core principle in energy medicine is that prevention is better than cure, so through understanding that low vibrational frequency can cause dis-ease within the body it is important to maintain our energy to maintain that of a higher vibration. 19

There are many energy medicine modalities that you can benefit from frequently to maintain energetic homeostasis. Some that you may have come across or heard of are Reiki, acupuncture, reflexology, ayurveda, breathwork and sound healing to name but a few, in fact, the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health identifies more than 200 approaches of which can consist of a combination of 2 or more different traditional modalities. What is important to note is there is no right or wrong form of energy healing, it truly is a felt resonance as to which you feel more comfortable in exploring. The same principle applies to any form of energy medicine with the aim being to restore, rebalance and reharmonise energy flow within the body. There are many reasons as to why energy can become blocked in the body such as toxins, muscular or other constrictions, prolonged stress, undealt past trauma, suppressed emotion and expression or even interference from other energies (people, environments, situations etc).

“EVERYTHING IS ENERGY, AND THEREFORE, EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF ENERGY.” SERGE BENHAYON

5 THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENERGY MEDICINE: 1. EASE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

2. HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS AND INTENTIONS

All traumas we carry within the body whether emotionally, physically, or psychologically impact the overall functionality of our energy systems creating blockages which for good health and wellbeing require a constant state of flow and balance.

Maintaining a higher vibrational state creates a more positive outlook on your way of thinking and being to motivate you in achieving your life goals.

3. IMPROVES THE BODY’S SELF-HEALING ABILITY Energy healing modalities activate your body’s subtle energy system and rebalance your energy centres. By doing this you stimulate your physical body’s own inherent ability to heal.

4. NO SIDE EFFECTS OR CONTRAINDICATIONS Clients experience a rebalancing process that may evoke some emotional or physical sensations that usually occurs when a deeply embedded trauma or attachment is finally released. Energy medicine also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

5. IT IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE Everyone who is interested and willing to receive energy medicine can do so, you do not need to be spiritual or hypersensitive to energies to benefit from it. Some energy medicine modalities such as reiki treatments transcend time and space and therefore you do not even need to be in the same room.

Photography: Sté Marques courtesy of Francesca Raffa

Whilst you can explore your own energy medicine practice at home through widely available online videos that guide deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to boost your vibrational energy you may also want to experience working with an Energy Healer for more in depth transformational shifts. Need help deciding on what energy medicine modality is suitable for you? Do some of your own research and then book in a consultation with an energy healing practitioner who can best thoroughly advise. www.francescaraffa.com

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: Tell us about your career (Reprieve and Amnesty International) and education? (congratulations on your masters!)

SANDY ABDELRAHMAN BY CHELSEA ABBOTT PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK

PASSIONATE ACTIVIST SANDY ABDELRAHMAN IS CO-FOUNDER OF SKAPED, AN ARTIVIST CHARITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN EAST LONDON. TAKING ACTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AT SKAPED, SANDY ALSO IS AN ARTIST, FILMMAKER, CREATOR, GRADUATE AND ALSO REPRESENTED THE UK AS A YOUTH DELEGATE AT THE UN HEADQUARTERS 2017. GO INSPIRE SPOKE TO SANDY ABOUT HER ACTIVISM, AND THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES SHE’S EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

Sandy Abdelrahman: Thank you, it’s been tough doing it in lockdown, but I’m glad I did it. Well, where do I start? My career has actually been in the creative art sector. I graduated with a BA in media; afterwards, I worked as a trained filmmaker for a while, and now I’m a multidisciplinary artist. However, most of my work was inspired by people and politics, and this is where I found my passion lies; within art as a tool to create change in society; and being an activist at a young age, I was seeking another potential way to create change. I have been involved with charities such as Reprieve and Amnesty International, fighting for fundamental human rights issues and enabling voices to be heard, especially in the middle east. At this time, I became increasingly interested in utilising art to educate young people about their human rights. I’m currently the CEO of Skaped; I deliver workshops/talks that explore inequality, social change and community issues through art. I also work with another amazing organisation called Social Ark which empowers young people in East London communities to use their lived experience and start their own social businesses. NOMADIC

GI: What about Skaped and The Other Checkbox - could you give us more information on them in particular? SA: Skaped is an Artivist charity that was co-founded in 2017; we encourage young people to engage with community building and social change through the creative arts. We run educational programmes, workshops and art projects that explore identities/intersectionality, community building, and social change issues that matter to them (such as gender inequality, discrimination, gentrification etc.). Skaped was co-founded by two young migrant women who use their lived experiences to inspire and empower under-represented youth to grow in confidence and be more able to create the change they want to see. We wanted to create something that didn't exist for us and be by and for young people for real. We have so far been doing amazing work with our young people and the community. The Other Checkbox, on the other hand, is a very personal project, it's rooted in myself and JC's (co-creator) own lived experience as immigrants and members of the '‘Other'’ ethnic groups within the equality and diversity forms. The project explores this specific community, our sense of belonging, our identities and our commons rather than difference. We kicked the project off with a survey asking 100 individuals about their experience with the forms; we used the analysed data from the survey to create a monthly podcast where we interview individuals to explore representation in national statistics. Listen on Spotify now! And then, we introduced our collective community workshops, where together with participants who also feel '‘othered'’ explored identities, sense of belonging and representation through various creative activities and doll-making. We are creating a new community of ''otherness''. These artworks will be exhibited in a collective exhibition in the Bermondsey project space gallery in January. GI: What was it like representing the UK in the UN Youth Summit in 2017? SA: To be honest, I was very shocked to be selected as a youth delegate; I didn’t expect it at all, however, it was a very proud moment to be standing there representing young people from the UK....

....and speaking about the work we need to do to support the future of young people. It was absolutely extraordinary. GI: Why do you choose art as a form to educate and document important topics? SA: Arts has always been there to document human rights violations, injustice, and inequality all over the world. I believe art is the best method to encourage conversation about human rights and promote the need to protect our rights. Creativity and arts are open to all regardless of background and class, imagination doesn’t need a guard, and can be accessed anywhere. I use arts as a method to express myself, when I first moved to the UK and was struggling to fit in, I found myself through the arts, in particular I used drama to help me get out of my shell and express my emotions. By allowing people to express their pain and battle through creative arts you’re giving them a tool to speak and share their voice and that’s how we can endorse human rights. Arts can help you think about possibilities and that’s why I believe it’s the best way to promote our human rights. GI: What made you want to start empowering young voices on topics such as racism and inequality? SA: This came from my own lived experience as a migrant kid and has really shaped who I am today and the work I want to do in empowering young voices. Moving to the UK in my early teen years was a massive step. I didn’t just struggle with the language but with fitting in, especially being the only Arab in the school. I came from a completely different culture, so trying to create a new home was a daily battle. However, this made me more determined to aim for the best for myself and my family. It made me realize the everyday struggles of migrants, people of colour, working class and what young people go through, and they don’t have a space to voice their feeling or worries. Seeing this made me want to create a space for that, allowing young people to talk, listen and learn from one another. To be able to create that community for them.

GI: How do you think younger people could raise their voices - in big and small ways? SA: Young people are already doing it and raising their voices especially on social media, it is the adult who needs to stop for a second and hear it. However, it’s important for the young people to do it through a way which they feel comfortable and not pushed. Some young people might find themselves joining protests or maybe through signing petitions others might be through the art and creativity enabling a way that they can still share their voice but still feel safe and comfortable. And that’s what is important understanding that everyone has their own journey and experience. GI: What advice would you give to our readers who are furthering their education, activism or wanting to get involved in campaigns and workshops? SA: This is some advice I always say to young people, be yourself and standup for what you believe in. Surround yourself with people who will inspire you, support you, and give you positive energy. It’s ok to make mistakes and feel lost at times you’ll find your way if you stick to your values. Set yourself goals and tasks monthly to achieve these goals whether to read a book by your favourite activist or learn a new skill, whatever it is you set, you need to commit to it. skaped.org Instagram: @Skaped

FEATURE

DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF BY VICTORIA JEFFRIES

What is Disenfranchised Grief and could I be experiencing it?

This may occur when someone is deemed ‘too young’ by others to comprehend the enormity of the loss, or an ex-partner or spouse of the deceased.

Any kind of loss can be extremely painful; however some losses are (unfortunately) made to feel less significant than others by society in general. These lesser acknowledged losses which do not get the same scale of attention or sympathy as other forms of loss are known as disenfranchised grief. This form of grief was coined by grief researcher Ken Doka in 1989, however this term is still relatively unknown. Disenfranchised grief does not always occur when a death is involved; an end of a relationship that you weren’t expecting or those struggling with fertility often experience this type of grief.

When it comes to disenfranchised grief, people are refused the catharsis that shared or socially understood grief brings. This shared catharsis may come in the form of actions of love and kindness, such as friends and family calling to check in with you, sympathising with your loss and making themselves available to help you in your time of need. When society does not recognise your loss as significant, quite often you don’t receive the same attention or sympathy as others.

Doka introduced 3 different forms of disenfranchised grief:

If you have experienced a loss that you feel has not been fully recognised or understood by others, you may be experiencing a disenfranchised grief.

THE RELATIONSHIP ISN’T ACKNOWLEDGED, FOR EXAMPLE, AN UNBORN BABY THAT HAS BEEN MISCARRIED OR TERMINATED.

Implications of disenfranchised grief: Loneliness and isolation

THE LOSS ITSELF ISN’T RECOGNISED, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE GRIEVING THE LOSS OF A RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN, SUCH AS THE END OF A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP OR A FRIENDSHIP. IT IS OFTEN THE CASE THAT LOSING A JOB ISN’T RECOGNISED AS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS.

When you are not met with the warmth and compassion you need and may have expected, and others do not show an understanding of what you are going through, immense feelings of loneliness and isolation can be evoked which in turn is likely to results in a considerable impact on your mental health.

THE GRIEVER IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. 24

FEATURE Questioning your own feelings It Is possible that, when those around you show no consideration or acknowledgement to the significance or enormity of your grief, you may start to question the legitimacy of your feelings and the right you have to grieve your loss. This is a similar feeling to that which occurs when someone feels ‘gaslighted’; you are left questioning yourself and may feel you are being unreasonable or overreacting, when, you are not. Depression It isn’t uncommon for those experiencing disenfranchised grief to begin to experience a profound low mood and fall into a ‘dark place’. These feelings can be frightening, especially when it seems they are not justified in the eyes of others.

HOW TO DEAL WITH DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF Acknowledge and validate your loss (even though others may not) Your loss is valid. Remind yourself you are entitled to feel what you feel, no matter how those around you may be reacting. Give yourself space You are entitled to grieve, so give yourself space and time to feel these difficult feelings. Educate friends and family It may be that those around you simply don’t understand the impact of your loss. It may help to educate people about disenfranchised grief (however don’t feel the need to ‘explain yourself’!). Speak to a professional Speaking to a qualified Counsellor or Psychotherapist can support you in processing the difficult feelings that are coming up for you within a safe a containing space. It may be a good idea to look for a therapist who has knowledge and understanding of this form of grief, enabling you to gain further insight into yourself and the reasons behind what you are experiencing. www.victoriajeffriestherapy.com Images: Tatiana Syrikova

TRACE COLLECTIVE Regenerative. Organic.

Circular. Local.

Transparent. Slow.

Comfortable. Plastic-free.

Empowering. Impactful.

www.thetracecollective.com ig: trace.collective Regenerative Fashion Brand Reimagining What It Means To Be Sustainable

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: What was the motivation around curating SXOLLIE Cider?

LAURA

Laura Clacey: I often found myself staring at the bar not knowing what to order. Wine and G&T would be my first choice but are way more alcoholic than beer or cider. This can be dangerous as the rounds progress, and I just didn’t like the taste of cider. So, I thought, why not reinvent cider. I knew that South Africa has incredible fresh produce, and wanted to see if I could create a positive social and environmental impact by making a natural cider using no added crap, while creating employment and opportunities for people in rural South Africa.

CLACEY BY NATASHA FARWELL PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK STYLING/DIRECTION: MARINA SARDANOPOLI FASHION: ILBOU

GI: What makes SXOLLIE cider stand out from other cider companies?

SXOLLIE XIDER CO-FOUNDER LAURA CLACEY IS A STRONG CREATOR, MAKING CIDER FUELED BY TRYING NEW ADVENTURES. THE BRAND REPRESENTS THE IDEAL OF HUSTLER, DISRUPTER, AND GO-GETTER. GO INSPIRE UK SPOKE TO LAURA ABOUT HER MOTIVATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS.

LC: We are the only cider in the UK made from eating apples you know and love We are one of only a handful of ciders without bucket loads of added sugar We are the only UK cider company with B corp certification. We look and taste very different to other ciders in the UK (in that it actually tastes NOMADIC | 24 like the apple it’s made from!)

GI: How has your business has grown since the start? LC: Gosh, so much this time last year we had 4 employees, we now have 13!!!! GI: Who do you want to inspire with your work? LC: I don’t feel like an inspiration - I’m just doing what I love and hoping to make a great tasting cider that people love. But if along the way young females decide to follow and set up alcohol brands, the world would be a better place!!! Also, if my team feels inspired to wake up every morning and be happy to come to work, all the better! GI: What would you say to any entrepreneurs especially female entrepreneurs out there who want to start their business idea? LC: Hmm, a few things actually; To succeed you need to either have an idea that is totally unique, OR have an idea that exists already, but do it better. If you can’t do that you will get lost. What makes YOU the right person to make this happen? It’s much more work to run your own business than work for someone else, so if you are considering it because you want an easier life - then it’s not for you. If you’ve thought about these three questions, and taken a hard (and objective) look at your idea, yourself, your motivation and skill set then just go for it and HUSTLE.HUSTLE.HUSTLE! GI: You talk about your life in South Africa a lot on social media - how has starting your business in South Africa affected your work life and the growth of your company? LC: Running an international business is never easy, there are additional supply chain challenges and sometimes not being able to speak to people face to face can be a challenge, but I am proud of our brand (and my) South African heritage. I don’t think it’s held us back, but rather made us unique. No British cider company can copy what we’ve done as the apples we use need sunshine to get that delicious sweet taste. That’s why we don’t need to add any sugar. So that’s our unique positioning which has enabled us to get listings that a small company our size should never have access to! GI: SXOLLIE cider focused on sustainability - what is that process like and how do you ensure your product is as sustainable as possible? LC: For us, sustainability is about much more than just carbon emissions. It’s about people, and the overall health of our planet. Cider as a beverage is the most sustainable beverage on the planet with regards to production, soil health etc. So from the start, I’ve only worked with sustainable suppliers who share our passion for sustainable produce. This extends to our apple farmers, our bottling plant, shipping solutions etc. Having a decade of experience in sustainability reporting and strategy implementation I was uniquely placed to assess our suppliers before using them. GI: Can you tell us about the different flavours of SXOLLIE cider and why you decided to use these? LC: We use only single varietal eating apples. We have a naturally sweet Golden Delicious, which is stocked at Nando’s as well as Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons. Our Granny Smith is more tart and stocked at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons as we as on draught at over 60 pubs in London. Then our Cripps Pink is an in-betweener. It won best cider in the world a few years ago… that’s at Waitrose and Morrisons. sxollie.com Instagram: @sxolliexider Image (left): Courtesy of Sxollie

INTERVIEW: INSPIRING WOMEN

Go Inspire: What made you want to go into writing and journalism – was it something you always wanted to do?

RADHIKA

Radhika Sanghani: Yes and no! I loved writing, but I'd never really thought about it as a career. I ended up getting into journalism because I was finishing university and needed a career. I decided to go for journalism and see where it led me - but I wasn't fully wedded to it! I feel that over the years my career constantly evolves and I love that.

SANGHANI BY CHELSEA ABBOTT

GI: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA PINK

RS: I think now my biggest inspiration is Elizabeth Gilbert, not just because I really admire her writing career, but because of who she is as a person. Her message is all about not being afraid to try and get things wrong, and to live a life of curiosity and surrender, rather than always trying to plan or follow specific goals.

'NOT THAT EASY', 'VIRGIN' AND 'I WISH WE WEREN’T RELATED' ARE 3 OF MANY THINGS RADHIKA SANGHANI HAS WRITTEN IN HER TIME (SO FAR)! BOTH A FULL-TIME WRITER AND JOURNALIST, SHE HAS ALSO JUST PUBLISHED HER NEW BOOK 'THIRTY THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MYSELF'. GO INSPIRE UK HAD THE PLEASURE TO CHAT ABOUT ALL THINGS HIGH, LOW AND INSPIRING IN RADHIKA’S LIFE.

GI: Your stories are very female centered, why is that?

RS: I've always loved reading female-centred stories, and it makes sense to me that now I love writing them too. There are so many books about male-centred experiences that I don't feel bad just focusing on what I find more interesting - which is women. I think life is more complex for women, in terms of how we've lived in a patriarchy for centuries, but also N O Mthat A D Iwe're C | 24 subjected to so many pressures and expectations, and that our biology can make life. It's a lot - and it's something I'll never get tired of exploring in my writing.

GI: Why do you write about body positivity – why is it important to be vocal in national magazines and newspapers about body confidence?

GI: What would you say is one of your favourite pieces you have written in your journalism career? RS: I loved interviewing Richard Ratcliffe over the years about the unfair imprisonment of his wife Nazanin in Iran. She's finally back in England free to live her life with her husband and daughter, but it's a story I worked on for six years and felt really strongly about.

RS: I write about body positivity because I think it's important to show different narratives. Societal beauty standards are so narrow, and so damaging, that I want to show we can make our own. We can define ourselves as beautiful without looking for external validation. It's a journey I've gone on personally, and am still on, and I think it's important to share it with people. I don't always get it right, but I'm learning to love myself just the way I am.

GI: Why, alongside your journalism career, were you also drawn to writing books? RS: I love novels and always have. I never let myself dream that it could be a real career option for me because I didn't think I was good enough. But when I had a near-death experience in my early 20s, I realised it was important to me to write a book - whether it was published or not. That's what led me to write my first published novel Virgin.

GI: What was your inspiration and writing processes behind Virgin and Not That Easy?

GI: Why, alongside your journalism career, were you also drawn to writing books?

RS: I really wanted to write books about female sexuality, and female desire. My book is about a young woman going on a sexual journey to find herself, and ultimately learning to move away from societal pressures and expectations, and instead living for herself. They're comedies because I think this journey can be a humorous one, and they're very raw and honest.

RS: I love novels and always have. I never let myself dream that it could be a real career option for me because I didn't think I was good enough. But when I had a near-death experience in my early 20s, I realised it was important to me to write a book - whether it was published or not. That's what led me to write my first published novel Virgin.

GI: Could you also talk to us about your most recent book Thirty Things I Love About Myself? RS: So this book is all about Nina Mistry - a woman whose life falls apart when she turns 30. With the help of a tatty selfhelp book, she ends up going on a journey to try and write a list of 30 things she loves about herself. It's all about our relationship with ourselves, disconnected family, mental health, loneliness and creating community. It's a really positive novel and I hope it helps anyone feeling alone. GI: How do you think your work connects to all different types of women today? RS: I hope my work does connect to many different types of women - and if it does so, I would say it's because of the central themes of identity, loneliness, vulnerability and selflove. These are things all of us deal with on a daily basis, and I love writing about them. GI: What advice would you give to readers of Go Inspire facing various highs and lows in everyday life? RS: I would say ride those waves! All too often, we think that life should only be highs and not lows. But that's not a real life - that's fantasy. Real life is the highs and lows, so just try to be present for them as much as you can. Let yourself feel it all, and take it seriously - but also not take it seriously at all. To me, life is about getting that balance between caring deeply and not caring too much. That enables me to enjoy life without falling into stress and anxiety.

Instagram: @radhika sanghani

INTERVIEW: COVER ARTIST

PIXELS BY EMMA BY LAURA PINK

EMMA IS A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATOR. EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING THROUGH POSITIVE ARTWORKS, GO INSPIRE UK CATCH UP WITH OUR INCREDIBLY TALENTED COVER ARTIST.

Go Inspire: We would love to know more about Pixels by Emma and what motivated you to start your journey?

The things we have been taught to hate about ourselves are completely normal things that we shouldn’t be ashamed of… Who someone is or what they look like should never hold them back. That is my biggest drive in everything I create.

Pixels by Emma: Behind the account is me, Emma (she/her), a 27 year old woman originally from Hertfordshire. By day I work in CRM for a high street fashion retailer, by night I’m an illustrator talking about all things body positivity and women's issues. I’m a left wing, liberal, feminist, my personality type is INTJ (IYKYK) plus I’m an Aries… which I think says everything you need to know about me.

GI: Your artwork promotes body positivity and empowering women, can you tell us about what these subjects mean to you as an Artist? Emma: In an ideal world I believe that body positivity shouldn’t exist… purely on the basis that a lot of the things we have been taught about our bodies by diet culture are wrong and have been created (usually by a man) to drive profit. Our bodies aren’t trends. You can make money without making people feel bad about themselves. I say usually by a man as when you look into who owns the biggest beauty and fashion companies - they’re almost always owned by men. We live in a patriarchal world and whilst we have made big strides, there is still a long way to go.

I started Pixels by Emma during the pandemic, and like a lot of other people I was trying to be somewhat productive during a really really strange time… 2020 was a particularly difficult year for me (excluding Covid). I was made redundant from a job I loved, moved to a new area of the UK, had a few issues in my personal life and also made the difficult decision to be estranged from all of my maternal family. With all of the madness that was going on around me, I craved a creative outlet, so I started to teach myself illustration using Procreate. I had studied graphic design at University but never illustrating, so this was a completely new outlet for me.

By using my voice to speak out about what I believe is wrong I am hoping to educate others. I always try to remain authentic and speak from my own experiences whilst being inclusive of different people. Just knowing how I used to feel about my body and hoping I can change that for even just one other person. I have spoken about it in my stories before, but I lost a lot of weight back in 2018 which made me miserable, less confident and so unhappy… when everything in mainstream media and diet culture has led us to believe the opposite. I had disordered eating habits, plus my whole life revolved around food and my appearance. I did not see the issue until my best friend expressed her concerns. That was my turning point. Almost 5 years later and I can safely say that the best and happiest memories in my life had nothing to do with my appearance, weight or size. I’m a true believer that self acceptance starts with your mindset, not your appearance but I also know that it’s hard to separate the two....

However, my journey with body positivity started before the pandemic. It actually started with the job I was made redundant from, I was employed to do social media and email marketing for a lingerie brand. Our main focus was lingerie for EVERY body. Body positivity was lived and breathed through everything we did, from internal meetings to our marketing campaigns. Not just an additional shot ticked off the list to make sure we look diverse. I even modelled in one of our Valentines campaigns (see image). As a size UK18 woman with tattoos this was honestly an amazing feeling, I had never felt more empowered. So through my artwork I want to recreate that feeling for others, because there is no right or wrong body type and I think it’s bizarre we would ever think that way.

....As for my art, I love drawing the female body with all the lumps, bumps, acne, hair, stretch marks, dip hips, small boobs, big boobs, slim, fat, and more aka *ALL* body types because I believe there is beauty in what we have been taught to hate. My best friend (who I mentioned earlier) has always had the opposite body type to myself, but we both went through similar mental struggles driven by the people around us and the media. Even at school when we were 14 years old, we had the comments that we were ‘supersize and superskinny’ after that particular 00s TV show… I was a size UK8 at the time and I was being called supersized? It’s no wonder we struggled on into our early 20s as well. GI: You continue to authentically bring to life statements that challenge the status quo, who inspired you to have a strong female voice? Emma: I have always been an unreserved individual when it comes to the things I believe in… But I’m also a huge introvert, meaning I hate sharing photos of myself (my personal account is a ghost town) so I love that I can use my voice through art. My biggest inspiration has always been body positive influencers, it takes a lot of guts to put who you truly are out there and I’m in awe of so many of them. One of my favourite influencers when I started was Jess Megan (who unfortunately no longer posts). She had a no bullsh*t approach to body positivity and I loved that. To change the narrative you cannot sit back and do nothing. However, my biggest pet peeve are influencers who try gatekeeping body positivity for larger bodies only. I say this as a larger woman, the disrespect that slim people receive is equally as damaging. Big, small and everything in between, whatever your body type - we all deserve to feel empowered in our bodies. “Be the change you want to see in the world” is one of my favourite quotes, it resonates with me in all areas of my life - even beyond pixels. A few family members have had some opposing opinions on the topics I speak about, instead of getting angry and reacting emotionally - it’s important to educate. Not everyone will listen but even if we just educate ourselves, slowly others will follow. GI: What does self-love mean to you? Emma: My personal definition of self-love is unconditional understanding. Knowing that even on your bad days that you are worthy of all the things in life. I still have bad body image days. I think it’s unrealistic to say you love yourself and your body 24/7 no matter who you are. However, the difference between 27 year old Emma and 21 year old Emma is how I react to the days I feel like this. Instead of falling back into disordered eating, I speak to myself with kindness and remember that my appearance has nothing to do with who I am as a person or what I deserve in life. But sometimes you just have to ride out the feeling, and to me that is what my art is all about. Learning how to speak to yourself with love and understanding even on the days you may not feel like loving yourself or even know how.

GI: We’d love to hear more about the cover artwork and the words by Radhika Sanghani. Emma: I mentioned earlier that I believe that self acceptance starts with your mindset, not your appearance..or mirror in this case. The power of our own thoughts is much greater than words spoken by anyone else. Which is why I love this quote from Radhika, teamed up with this illustration works perfectly. Radhika’s words to me are such a powerful manifestation which can mean something different depending on who the reader is. It could mean that you don’t need anyone to validate your decisions on clothing, career, hobbies, etc… you do them for yourself with your own blessing. Or it could be giving yourself the love you deserve and not expecting it, or even needing it from anyone else. I believe this strengthens relationships with others around us, because you’re not expecting anything from them relationships aren’t meant to be transactional.

Images: Courtesy of Artist Instagram: @pixelsbyemma Shop: etsy.com/shop/pixelsbyemma

#2022 WIMBLEDON SUSTAINABLE FASHION WEEK

BY MARINA SARDANOPOLI

SUSTAINABLE FASHION IS AT THE HEART OF OUR CORE VALUES AT GO INSPIRE. WE KNOW WOMEN GET BOMBARDED WITH TOXIC IDEALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT BRING THEM DOWN AND MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO CONSUME MORE, CHANGE, AND ACHIEVE SOMETHING THEY ACTUALLY DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE. WE WANT TO PROMOTE A NEW JOURNEY OF SELF-EXPRESSION AND INCLUSIVITY. WHERE FEMALE FASHION CREATORS LEAD THE SHOW AND INSPIRE WOMEN TO BE THEMSELVES.

For our first edition of WSFW, we created a 4-day calendar On Day 3, it was show time! our first-ever Catwalk Show with of exciting activities and workshops for the community in Showrooms and a Sustainable Fashion Market packed with the partnership with Centre Court Shopping, Sustainable Fashion best local brands created by women. We were lucky to see the Week, Models of Diversity, and Merton Art Spaces. collections of Phoenix Store, a luxury preloved brand. The On Day 1, we started with an Eco Fashion Exchange, a beautiful fabrics and prints of slow fashion label IN OUR NAME. fabulous clothes swap fuelled by complimentary bubbly that The empowering looks of Dani Dawks: Master Upcycler, and provided an opportunity to clear your closet and get some the best closing show we could ask for, the powerhouse textile preloved pieces in return, Circular Fashion is the best! artist Diane Goldie. All were modelled by the incredible ladies On Day 2 we hosted a Talk in partnership with This Girl Can, from Model of Diversity that brought life to these gorgeous Period! to educate the community on Period Poverty and how pieces. It was a feast for the eyes and soul. it's affecting millions of women to this day, followed by a For the final Day 4 we offered inspiring upcycling workshops Make your own Reusable Organic Pad Workshop at that left the locals asking for more! We can't wait to bring you Wimbledon Library. more events in the future!!! Stay tuned....

A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE CATWALK PRODUCED BY MODELS OF DIVERSITY.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CECILIA BURNETT,

KOLA GRAFIX, MC ARCHIVES, CATHERINESVIBE

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