
How Sisterhood Helped Me To Heal After An Abusive Relationship
I was in an abusive relationship. It took two years of my life. It took another two for me to realise it was abusive.
I was in an abusive relationship. It took two years of my life. It took another two for me to realise it was abusive.
Being mixed race is incredibly conflicting. You don’t fit into either camp; you’re not black enough to be black, not white enough to be white, and it’s how others perceive you that really leaves a mark.
My life was turned upside down and everything I cherished I lost. Everything an 8-year-old girl should have had was taken away from me – no phones, no friends, no school, and most importantly, no freedom.
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.
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.
Making people connect makes a great film and in a world where black people are dehumanised in so many places and so many ways, presenting the humanity of black people will always be important to me.
Sheila was on a clear journey to overcome the obstacles in her life and to achieve her dream of becoming a photojournalist by going back to school at the age of 59. I felt that her story could bring hope to people facing similar challenges.
I don’t have a personal experience with period poverty but during my research on the taboo of menstruation, I found an article about period poverty. Period poverty has a double taboo, first because of menstruation and second because of poverty.