Barefeet By Being Woman: Recent Episodes
Barefeet by Being Woman
Sometimes people are either in denial or oblivion to the things that are happening around them. They are insensitive and they block out the things that they do not want to hear. But when you share your story, you force them to listen. Through “Bare Feet”, we are looking to speak to the people whose voices are unheard and underrepresented. We look to explore their pain, life, and loss while walking in their shoes and listening to their story. We do not challenge ourselves when we should. We prefer ourselves consistently to take a simpler course as opposed to a hard one. When we walk bare feet, we feel each rock, each divot, each surface. Just like what reality is, we will run over things that block our direction, or interfere with our way. We can eitherstroll over it and endure a little torment that encourages us to develop or take the simple course and stroll around it. Once in a while, the path gets hard that you can't face it. That is the point at which you go slow and search for an answer to the problem you are going through. Of course, a short time later your feet hurt, however that is the point at which you ask yourself. "Do you have any regrets?"Speaking and being open about our lives and the struggles we have faced is not something to be ashamed of. When we use our voice for a purpose, it becomes its own version of perfection. Our stories are our strengths, our scars are our weapons and our pain is our power. There is something funny about these three things, they give us a separate identity but at the same time, they connect us together. In all our episodes, we can assure our listeners that there will be something you can relate to. It might be anincident or an emotion, but there is going to be something that will force you to feel that you are connected to that person through an invisible bond of humanity and empathy.Through Barefeet we plan to spread awareness about the silent battles people fight, the stories they hold behind them, the resilience with which they have stood firm through all that life had for them. These podcasts are to be hosted by Mahnoor Shakir, who will be narrating the stories of the people while maintaining complete confidentiality. For a few episodes, we plan to hold recorded interviews with some people where they are either comfortable disclosing their identities or not. The project has robust safeguarding and a risk assessment place and consent forms have been obtained from the people whowish to share their stories.
For mental health awareness week, we wanted to bring a story of a strong man, who opened up about his journey with depression and wants to let others know that there indeed is a light at the end of the tunnel.
In England, around one in eight men have a common mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Psychologists know that men are far less likely than women to seek help not only for all mental-health problems, but depression in particular.
Awareness is the only key to prevention because depression is a vicious cycle that without help is impossible to break!
Disclaimer: The names used in this podcast have been changed to protect the identities.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Autism or Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person's life. It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. It is a complicated condition that includes problems with communication and behavior. It can involve a wide range of symptoms and skills.
Living with a sibling who has autism can be very challenging. But research says that siblings of people with autism are more likely to accept differences among people, learn how to tolerate different situations better, are more mature and super proud of their sibling when they see how hard they work to overcome a challenge. Today we have with us, Millie Bage, she is 21 years old and runs the @advocate_autism page on Instagram to advocate for and support the Autism community. She has been involved with the SEND community for a long time due to her brother’s autism. She works within the SEND community and is training to be a teacher studying Primary Education at Northumbria University to teach in a Special Education Needs and Disability school.
She shares her experience, her motivation behind what she does, and her happiest moments with her brother. She also shares some great advice for carers for persons with needs along with her plans for the future. Tune in to know more!
About Millie's page: @advocate_autism
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Miscarriages are more common than we might think, anywhere between 15-25% of recognized pregnancies end in pregnancy loss: that is one in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage every single year. It is a physically and emotionally draining experience, requiring its own time for grievance and acceptance.
Ayesha shared her story with us to let the people who have gone through this know, that they are not alone.
She shares how her mental health deteriorated, how isolated she felt, even when surrounded by the ones who loved her and how she came to terms with her loss.
Disclaimer: The names used in this podcast have been changed to protect the identities.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
According to reports, it can still take us centuries to tackle gender inequality, globally. Our progress to build a fair and inclusive world might be slow but it doesn’t mean that it is nonexistent. Women throughout the world are breaking barriers and leaving behind the traditional and cultural stigmas to prove that nothing is impossible. In this International Women’s Day special podcast, we have one such guest who herself is an inspiration for many young girls out there, aspiring to be leaders and change enablers.
Fareeha Usman is a Multi-award winner, an internationally respected EDI Innovation worker and an Entrepreneur for Good. A global voice of authority on Gender equality, diversity and inclusion she is the Founder of Being Woman Charity and the mind behind the Food sharing app “Share Karo” launched to provide an integrated system to distribute food and essentials for the people in need.
Tune in to know about her fight with systemic/disadvantage and discrimination and institutional racism, get to know how she battled it and got to where she is today!
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Fareeha Usman on Twitter: @F_S_Usman
About Fareeha Usman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareeha-usman-44556b18a
We live in a world where despite so many conversations and movements, we still get judged for how we look. So many people are denied opportunities because they do not fit the criteria of how the world wants to see them.
Talking about the discrimination people face on the basis of how they carry their hair, today we have on our podcast, Walter who is the Boss behind the Boss Locks podcast. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/bosslocks)
Bosslocks further discusses the lessons he has learned during his journey, his insecurities while growing up, his experiences, and his advice to the younger people. Tune in to listen to what an amazing man he is!
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
About Walt: https://bosslocks.org/
Follow him on instagram: @itsthegreatwalt / @bosslocks
Contributing to the diversity and the internationalization of their classrooms, international students carry a lot more with themselves than just their inherent culture. They carry responsibility, they carry the stress, they carry countless emotions but most importantly they carry their dreams. Speaking about her journey as an international student in the United Kingdom, we have Miss Sheetal Roy from India. She shares how difficult and at the same time, lovely it is to be studying in the United Kingdom. She speaks upon what makes life difficult for international students and what can be done to revert it. She also talks about how she has coped up with mental and emotional breakdowns amidst all of that!
Tune in to know more!
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
About Sheetal Roy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheetal-roy-
Follow her on Instagram! @sheetal_roy
Hating someone, carrying an offense, or sheltering a grudge causes many negative effects. People who allow such emotions in their lives become miserable. Their health suffers, and so do their relationships. This unforgiveness causes pain within us. It locks in sorrow, anger, and conflict; it locks out joy, love, and companionship. When we refuse to release our offended feelings, they start to control us. In the fourth Episode of Barefeet, we bring you the story of Olaronke Gbadebo, the inspiration behind her book, and her advice for people going through an emotional turmoil.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Link for the book- DON'T TAKE THAT POISON: BREAKING FREE FROM THE HOLD OF OFFENCES:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838110712/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_DXwaGb6Q8REZ8 (Available in Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook)
Olaronke Gbadebo's website: https://healthylivingandu.com
Recalling her life as a child and as a married woman, facing domestic violence in both we have a story of Adia, who shares how the incidents in her life made her choose what's better.
If a parent or anybody in your life is abusive, they NEED to have a change in behaviour and most importantly a change of heart. Because otherwise, the cycle of abuse continues, and that is exactly what kept on happening at her parents’ home when she was young and later at her own home when she got married. Adia’s husband and the fights between her parents had similar features. They involved threatening behaviour where dominance was used to humiliate and hurt. Domestic violence is developed when it becomes a behaviour and it is rooted in power and control. Because she had seen these patterns of abuse with her parents, she recognised them and with a heavy heart, decided to leave.
Disclaimer: The names used in this podcast have been changed to protect the identities.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Sexual abuse is still a big taboo to be discussed in some parts of the world. And it becomes an even bigger taboo when talking about the sexual abuse on male children. At least one in 6 men have been sexually abused or assaulted. Males who have had such experiences are less likely to open up about it as compared to females. Such experiences leave an everlasting effect on a person, in the form of mental health disorders, PTSD, depression, drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, problems in relationships, and underachievement at school or work.
Whenever we speak about the vulnerability of males, it is often frowned upon. No matter what they go through, the world expects them to be strong and indestructible. It is thought that being emotional is a feminine and an only feminine trait when actually it is a HUMAN trait.
Bringing to you on our second episode we have a story of a 24-year-old boy who was sexually abused at the age of 11.
Disclaimer: The names used in this podcast have been changed to protect the identities.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman
Caged in a Curse is the story of a 40-year-old woman and the incidents that shaped the course of her life. From her childhood to her teenage and now her present life she has been waiting for a moment to let the world know her side of the story. Through our first episode, we did just that.
Follow us on Instagram @barefeetpodcast and drop us your feedback!
Visit our website www.being-woman.org.uk
About our host: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahnoor_Usman