Recognise RED

In this episode I talk to the incredible Seyi Akiwowo who set up Glitch to tackle online abuse and promote digital citizenship after she was the recipient of racism and gender based violence online when a speech that she gave at the UN Human Rights Council went viral. We talk about holding Tech companies accountable for the abuse that occurs on their platforms, digital self care, championing our online communities, empowering women, especially BIPOC, to get involved in activism and politics and how we all have a responsibility to make our online spaces safe and inclusive. During a time of unprecedented online activism, we need to know how champion these causes and engage in debate, but not at the expense of our mental health. Seyi has recently launched a petition ‘Black Lives Matter Online Too’ ( which has already been backed by the likes of Jameela Jamil and Emma Watson) to ensure that social media platforms provide sensitivity warnings for content showing violence against black people. Seyi says that going forward that the self care of our communities’ needs to be at the centre of our activism.

In this episode I talk to Eliza Hatch, photojournalist and founder of the Cheer up Luv campaign. Eliza takes photographs of womxn in public spaces where sexual harassment occurs, but this time makes them feel empowered. The aim: to reclaim the space and make others who are not on the receiving end of sexual harassment aware of just how common it is. We also talk about her work for the UN, photographing women and talking about sexual harassment across the world. Trigger warning : discusses sexual harassment and assault.

Note: this was recorded in lockdown. Sexual harassment lawyer and political activist, Deeba Syed, talks about running Rights of Women’s workplace sexual harassment advice line. We talk about women sharing their stories and what she’s heard from female frontline workers during the pandemic. We discuss the need for intersectional feminism and what she wants young women who are beginning their careers to know. You can follow Rights of Women here @rightsofwomen1975 and details of the Sexual harassment at work advice line can be found here: https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/sexual-harassment-at-work-law/

In this episode I talk to Sunday Blake, VP postgraduate and incoming Guild President at Exeter University. We discuss how to tackle sexual harassment on campus, the publication of an article earlier this year ( https://medium.com/@ns1997/this-is-what-unpalatable-student-activism-costs-5d06f653a84f) by a student who faced racial and sexual harassment, and the online abuse that high profile female students face that ultimately discourages others from getting involved in student politics. Trigger warning this episode discusses racism and sexual assault. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this episode here are some suggested organisations to contact: Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 and Stop Hate UK 0300 123 2220. This is not exhaustive and there are many organisations where you can seek help and guidance.

We talk to Laura Coryton, who launched a successful campaign to end the Tampon Tax in the UK, sparking similar campaigns across the world. She is now working on a new project, a sex education initiative ‘Sex Ed Matters’ which is officially launching this summer. You can find Laura at @lauracoryton on Twitter and find Sex Ed Matters on Instagram @sexedmattersuk.