Biographies
Bushra Tahir, Founder of Awaaz, A Voice of Women
Bushra moved to England from Pakistan when she was twenty. Her personal experiences led her to recognise that loneliness is a huge problem in the Asian community in East London so she set up Awaaz, A Voice of Women. This service breaks down the barriers that Asian women face to provide social events, fitness classes and courses for women across Redbridge. Bushra's commitment to the Asian female community has not gone unnoticed, with her winning an Honorary SHE Award in 2018.
Bushra discussing her values and that her success has inspired other women in the Asian community
Ghazala Navaid, Project Manager at Awaaz, A Voice of Women
Ghazala grew up in Pakistan and migrated to England with her husband. She was appointed as Project Manager after using the organisation's services and assists Bushra in the day-to-day running of events and weekly lunches. Ghazala also volunteers for the Muslim Women's Advisory Council, also based in Redbridge.
Ghazala talking about wanting to make a difference in the community and how Awaaz helps women empower each other
Saffina Masood, Redbridge Children and Young People's Network
Saffina grew up in Pakistan and moved to England with her family when she was 6. She has lived in Waltham Forest and worked in Redbridge for much of her life. Her career has been based in the charity and voluntary sectors, with jobs at the Asian Family Resource Centre and Redbridge Children and Young People's Network. She believes that differences should be embraced within communities and that women have the power to achieve anything, they just need to have the confidence!
Saffina discussing a childhood experience and her work with the Asian Family Resource Centre
Seyi Akiwowo, Activist and founder of Glitch
Born and raised in East London, Seyi became frustrated with the lack of services and youth provisions as a teenager. This led her to get involved with youth politics at a local, national and international level. At the age of 23 she became the youngest black female Councillor in East London after months of campaigning.
After a speech she made at the European Youth Parliament in Strasbourg went viral, she received racist and sexist abuse online via Facebook and Twitter. In the aftermath of this she set up Glitch, an organisation campaigning for an end to online abuse, particularly of young women and girls in the public eye.
Seyi talking about the decline in youth services she saw as a teenager and why she became involved in politics
Zeb Achonu, Film & TV Editor and Board Member of Women in Film & TV
Zeb was born and grew up in Waltham Forest and is of Nigerian and English heritage. After studying Creative Arts at university in Crewe, Zeb travelled around the world; spending time in India, Japan and Australia and living in Paris for 2 years.
She has worked for the BBC and Channel 5. She now sits on the Board of Women in Film & TV and advocates for women in the creative industries, especially normalising the need for women to work flexibly and with their children.
Zeb talking about the ways in which she subverts stereotypes in her workplace and her experience at Glastonbury
Hyacinth Myers, Artist, Photographer, Motivational Speaker and Creator of EMPOWER 7
Hyacinth has lived in Hackney her whole life and is of British and Jamaican heritage. She has been creative from a young age, writing poetry at home and school as an escape. She has worked in the community from the age of 15 in youth services and children's centres. She is a true believer in the power of women in overcoming adversity and set up a personal development programme, EMPOWER 7.
Hyacinth talking about her experiences of being a black woman and using her story to help other women
Sanaz Amidi, CEO of Rosetta Arts
Born in Plymouth, Sanaz moved to East London at the age of 2. Her parents moved to England from Iran to study. Her main interests at school were art and maths, which she uses in her current role. Her experiences as an artist has led her to prioritise opening up access to the arts for those who don't consider the art world as something for them. Sanaz also sits on Boards of various organisations such as Emergency Exit Arts and Africa Women Executives in Energy.
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Sanaz talking about her work at Rosetta Arts to make the arts more accessible
Jocelyn Davies, Project Co-ordinator at Redbridge Food Bank
Jocelyn Davies is a Project Co-ordinator at Redbridge Food Bank in Ilford. Jocelyn spent most of her working life at Performing Rights Society. Towards the end of her time there, she started attending church after work and became increasingly involved in the church community. Through her local Jubilee Church, she got involved with the Redbridge Food Bank, which provides crucial support and emergency supplies of nutritionally balanced food to local people in crisis.
Jocelyn talking about moving to Hackney as a child and a story from the food bank
Sba Shaikh, Artist and Creator of Mehraj Textile Art & Design
Sba was brought up in Hackney and is of Indian heritage. She is a textile artist and holds a degree in Textiles from Middlesex University. She has exhibited her work around the UK and India and regularly delivers workshops at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. She was also a visiting lecturer at the University of East London and has been involved with Waltham Forest Borough of Culture celebrations in 2019.
Sba talking about herself as a child and her experiences being a female Asian artist
Joy Francis, Executive Director of Words of Colour
Joy Francis is the Executive Director of Words of Colour. Born and raised in Tottenham, Joy frequented secondhand and black bookshops as a teenager and after finishing school worked at a black supplementary school. After university, she started working as a journalist, which then led her to co-found Creative Collective Media aimed at creating a truly inclusive media. She now runs Words of Colour, a creative communications agency that promotes, facilitates and develops writers of colour of all genres.
Joy on the barriers women of colour face and the black bookshops she visited
Linette Baker, Retired HR Manager and Counsellor
Linette was born and grew up in Manchester, Jamaica. Her father moved to England and she joined him 5 years later, although she didn't like the cold weather and unfriendly people. Linette trained as a nurse but decided to work in personnel management after the birth of her son. Linette fought for the training she deserved and became a HR Manager. She is now retired and volunteers as a counsellor in east London.
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Linette discussing tokenism in the work place and how she managed to survive as one of the only black girls at school in the 1960s