Saima Ashraf is Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement. Her journey spans countries, cultures and personal adversity. Moving from France to the UK unable to speak English, raising three children alone and rebuilding her life after domestic violence, Saima transformed hardship into a commitment to public service. 

In this conversation with Jo, Saima reflects on identity, faith and belonging. She shares how surviving homelessness and isolation shaped her leadership, why listening is at the heart of everything she does, and what it was like becoming the first Muslim woman elected to the council during a period of rising political extremism. 

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. Saima's story will inspire you to swim against the tide of limitation and build a life defined not by what happens to you, but by what you choose to do next. 

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