I honestly believe that when we are harsh and judgmental about other women's appearances we are usually - even if not consciously- harsh and judgmental in the way we view or think about ourselves.
I am a woman in her 50s of Indian nationality and Persian ancestry and I constantly have to battle the trifecta of ageism, sexism and racism in this industry. I can do much more than just be your mother. I can be a doctor or a lawyer or a villain - I would make a great villain by the way.
These women share their journeys through confronting homophobia, surviving domestic violence, advocating for justice reform, overcoming ex-offender stigma, and enduring disabilities from a train accident.
I know that at the juncture of my intersectionality as a black woman, as a dark-skinned black woman, if I don't acknowledge my achievements, it's likely I would be the first to be shut down, misunderstood, silenced and erased from anything I put my hands to.
During a triggered state, I deeply hated the rising feeling of rage from within. It left me worried that I was turning into my mother, which was a great fear of mine. I wanted to be the best parent I could and surround my children with love and support - two things I never felt from my own mother.
I had to fight very hard to have agency in my life, have good grades, and win my freedom at the cost of the relationship with my nuclear family - that relationship hangs by a thread today.
The term ‘disruptor’ can sometimes be used with negative connotations. But every transformative agent of positive change throughout the course of history has had to disrupt something - the status quo.
I wish I had known that having difficult conversations is crucial to a leader’s ability to lead. I hated having difficult conversations and often put them off for far longer than I should have. This led to mixed messaging, and a lack of clarity and the issues only got bigger.
I realized that my son had suffered brain damage at birth resulting in multiple medical complexities and needs. It has been a rough and challenging journey raising a child with cerebral palsy here in Nigeria through childhood and adulthood.
