The Women’s Environmental Network seeks to enable equality through the intersection of gender and the environment. In conversation with Natasha Piette-Basheer and Shaheda Aziz, I ask: firstly, how do we achieve environmental justice? And secondly, how do we make it intersectional?
Natasha tells me how WEN amplifies the conversation around reusables and plastic free period products. Their “Environmenstrual Week” campaign runs from 19 - 25 October. “It’s about making people feel empowered to make informed choices about menstruation products” she says. Large companies currently dominate the market share in period products. During my recent trip to the supermarket, the sanitary products aisle was dominated by popular brand names, whereas I don’t think I even spotted reusables, for example, moon cups, unless I looked at the bottom. I ask if there are any cross-organisational initiatives that WEN partners with to raise the visibility of toxicity-free reusables. In response, WEN is lobbying big manufacturers to include reusables in their business model and has developed a helpful toolkit and template letter for consumers to ask for greater transparency from retailers and manufacturers.
Shaheda speaks passionately about the ‘Soil Sisters’ project, which brings together domestic violence sufferers across women’s refuges in East London through weekly therapeutic gardening sessions. She visits their homes and facilitates sessions comprising horticulture, as well as cooking, arts and crafts. A wholesome example of ecofeminism in action, Shaheda explains how she entered this space with the utmost respect for these women, offering healing through garden therapy, but with realistic expectations from the outset. In doing so, she was able to form organic friendships with the women, which reinforced a sense of collectivism and sisterhood, and created an environment where women could be happy just being themselves.
Season 6: Ep 45 - Neelam Heera Shergill on advocating for better reproductive health outcomes in marginalised communities
Season 6: Ep 44 - In conversation with Mitali Dargani on outward success, inner flaws, and straddling stability with taking risks
Season 6: Ep 43 - The motherhood juggle: redefining the narrative and finding ways to enjoy the present
Season 6: Ep 42 - Seetal Kaur on motherhood: learning and unlearning from traditions, defying complete selflessness and setting good examples
Season 6: Ep 41 - In conversation with Sairish Hussain on finding inspiration, original storytelling and navigating the publishing industry
TRAILER: Season 6
Season 5: Ep 40 - March Muses founders Alison Burton and Natalie Duvall on Dragons’ Den, and balancing entrepreneurialism, motherhood and creativity
Season 5: Ep 39 - Navigating “mum-guilt”, anxiety and life as a stay-at-home mum
Season 5: EP 38 - In conversation with Jane Chelliah: Feminist mothering, identity loss and empty nest syndrome
Season 5: Ep 37 - Pregnant Then Screwed Founder Joeli Brearley on pregnancy discrimination, fixing childcare and creating a fairer workplace for mothers
TRAILER - Season 5
Season 4: Ep 36 - Dina Begum on the symbolism of food, Bangladeshi hospitality and our favourite dishes
Season 4: Ep 35 - Urban planning, spatial inequalities and feminist cities
Season 4: Ep 34 - Dr Lisa Mckenzie on being a Working Class Academic, the myth of Social Mobility, and defining “Cultural Capital”
Season 4: Ep 33 - In conversation with Nijjor Manush: the Gentrification of Brick Lane, British-Bangladeshi Identity and the media's invalidation of Muslim women.
Season 4: Ep 32 - Modern Dating, long-term relationships, and the importance of slowing down post-pandemic
Season 4: Ep 31 - How do we build a more diverse, representative and fairer teaching curriculum?
TRAILER - Season 4
Season 3: Ep 30 - Raising the visibility of disability through advocacy, accessibility and destigmatisation
Season 3: Ep 29 - Why Queer South Asian storytelling matters
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