International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Groups come together worldwide on March 8th each year to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. This year’s IWD theme is #BreakTheBias where we imagine a world free of stereotypes, bias and discrimination, and where difference is valued. (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/)
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ve spoken to some of the incredible women who work with Made By Mortals:
Elaine Smithies our Fundraising & Impact Officer at Made By Mortals:
“Working for Made By Mortals is a joy – they share my passion for telling people’s stories with a view to making the world a better place. The organisation is really inclusive too from an employee’s perspective. Women often find themselves as ‘Sandwich Carers’ – trying to care for a young family and ageing parents, whilst trying to keep moving forward in their career and Made By Mortals have made this achievable. They offer flexible working arrangements, and really value the many transferrable skills that people can bring from previous jobs into their organisation. Another massive benefit is that the whole team loves to laugh – and who doesn’t need some humour in their life?!””
Catherine Lawler, Training Consultant, Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership:
Catherine Lawler is a childhood survivor of domestic abuse, being in a club of living through this terror is a club she never wanted to belong to. Catherine has written three books on domestic abuse, including two books for children. She has also produced the Carole Check, a tool developed in memory of her mother which focuses on domestic abuse and older people. Catherine says,
“I’m delighted to be working with MBM and other survivors in developing tools that reflect the reality of lived experience and importantly good practice responses to victim/survivors.” Catherine hopes that her knowledge around this issue can add value to such an innovative project.
Carolyn Hughes, PR & comms consultant:
Carolyn has been a self-employed freelance PR consultant for 13 years now and has worked alongside Made by Mortals since 2020. Through the media, social media and digital channels, Carolyn works alongside the extended team to share stories and news about all the projects that Made by Mortals are working on.
“I enjoy working with such diverse groups of people in our community, coming together to share their lived experience for the benefit of others. Working with such a unique and diverse group of people and projects is truly inspirational.”
Dr Saqba Batool, Reasearcher, Social Care and Society at the University of Manchester:
Saqba specialises in social care, mental health, and abuse research, particularly in marginalised communities. Saqba was awarded a Career Development Award by the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research that enabled her to develop research supporting south Asian women who experience domestic abuse as well as build connections with organisations such as ours. At Made By Mortals, Saqba works alongside artists, women with lived experience of abuse and professionals in developing resources to empower and support women. Saqba says,
“I value being part of a group of like-minded individuals who have a common goal of supporting and protecting women from harm.”
Francesca Waite, writer with Made by Mortals:
“What interests me most about writing is creating new stories from shared ideas and discussions with women. The honesty, support and confidence that the women from the MBM Hidden project brought was particularly impactful. It is so inspiring to collaborate with women who are similarly invested in bringing light to important stories.”
Abi Smith our Project Coordinator:
“One of the most beautiful things about working with Made by Mortals is the sense of pride you get every day when you witness the positive change we’re making. It’s a great feeling when you see the impact of everyone’s hard work. But most of all, I’m proud of how passionate and kind our team is! Regarding being a woman in the workplace, I recently found out I am pregnant with my first child! Of course, there are a lot of anxieties that come with this that do not need to be listed. But the Made by Mortals team have been flexible, reassuring and accommodating, and I am so relieved I chose to become a part of such a great team.”
