Trust Cannot Survive What We Refuse to Confront
"Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance" W. Clement Stone There is a point at which we have to stop pretending that the events we are seeing unfold around the world are isolated incidents. What is unfolding is not accidental, [...]
When We Laugh at Harm, We Train Ourselves Not to See It
When We Laugh at Harm, We Train Ourselves Not to See It When Harm Becomes Background Noise There is something deeply disturbing about the way sexual violation is sometimes spoken about as if it is “just life”, a texture of growing up, background noise, or [...]
Humans Are More Than Grammar, And We’re Losing Sight of What Really Matters in Women’s Health
Humans Are More Than Grammar, And We’re Losing Sight of What Really Matters in Women’s Health The Growing Distraction from Women’s Health We are at a tipping point where the culture wars have begun draining our collective focus and our money, from the urgent, tangible [...]
When “No” Means Nothing at Home
If “No” Means Nothing at Home, It Will Mean Nothing in the World The First Boundary We Fail to Teach There is a word children need to understand early in life to grow into responsible adults. That word is “No.” Not “maybe later.” Not “if [...]
When Survivors Spiral, Communities Look Away
When Survivors Spiral, Communities Look Away Breaking Silence in Parliament The other day in the House of Commons, Charlotte Nichols MP did something extraordinarily difficult. She waived her anonymity and spoke publicly about being raped after an event she attended in her role as an [...]
Solidarity Without Spectacle: What We Must Give to Gain
Solidarity Without Spectacle: What We Must Give to Gain Each year, International Women’s Day arrives with a familiar rhythm of celebration, statistics, and statements of support. This year’s theme, “Give to Gain”, invites us to consider something deeper: the idea that progress for women does not emerge from [...]
When “Inclusion” Becomes Conditional and Silencing Disagreement Deepens Division
When “Inclusion” Becomes Conditional and Silencing Disagreement Deepens Division Recently, I was removed from a webinar on Discriminatory Abuse: Using Stories and Narratives to Explore Professional Responses. My “offence” was asking a question central to the event's purpose: how do we protect individuals whose values, [...]
Why Authors Need an Academy, Not Another Online Community
Non-fiction writing isn’t content. It’s cultural criticism. The Illusion of Writing Community Online I’ve been sitting with something for a while now, and it keeps coming back in different forms. Every time I speak to a writer. Every time I’m invited into a new online [...]
How Britain Is Wasting Talent, Experience, and Human Potential
How Britain Is Wasting Talent, Experience, and Human Potential Britain’s Skills Shortage Paradox There is a contradiction at the heart of Britain’s employment crisis. We are told the UK faces widespread skills shortages. Yet tens of thousands of highly skilled people remain unemployed or under‑employed. [...]