International Women's Day

This weekend, as we mark International Women's Day, I find myself reflecting on the journey many women (& men) take, often quietly, often invisibly, through adversity, survival, and eventually strength.

I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. For many years, the impact of trauma shaped how I saw myself, the world, and what I believed was possible. Trauma does not simply disappear with time, it leaves echoes in our lives, our relationships, and our sense of safety. However I am 63 years old, and I stand here today knowing something deeply important. Healing is possible, and life beyond survival can be rich, meaningful, and strong.

The path has not been easy. There have been years of confusion, pain, and trying to make sense of experiences than no child should ever have to endure. Yet along that path I also discovered something powerful, resilience. The human spirit has an extraordinary capacity to heal, to grow, and to reclaim a life.

That belief is part of what led me to found Take Cover, a peer to peer support group for survivors of child sexual abuse. The aim is simple but vital, to create a safe space where survivors can be heard, believed, and supported by people who understand.

Peer support matters. When survivors speak to others who have walked similar paths, something profound happens. Shame begins to loosen its grip. Silence begins to break, and hope begins to grow. Through Take Cover we also work to raise awareness and encourage organisations to become more trauma informed. When services understand trauma, when they listen with compassion, avoid judgement, and recognise the long term impact of abuse, they create environments where survivors can truly begin to heal.

This International Women's Day, I want to acknowledge the courage of survivors everywhere. Whether you have spoken out or still finding your voice, your strength matters. Surviving itself is an act of courage.

Thriving however, is something more. Thriving means reclaiming your story, it means recognising that what happened to you does not define your worth, your future, or your potential. It means allowing yourself to grow beyond the harm that was done.

If my life at 63 tells me anything, it is this. Adversity does not have to be the end of the story. With support, understanding, and courage, it can become the beginning of a new chapter.

To every survivor reading this, you are not alone. Your voice matters. Your healing matters, and your life can hold far more hope and possibility than you may feel today.

Together by speaking out, supporting one another, and building trauma informed communities, we can create a world where survivors are not just surviving, but thriving.

Today I not only stand as a survivor but as a woman who has reclaimed her strength and I honour the courage of every survivor who continues to do the same.

On International Women's Day, may we continue to break the silence, lift each other up, and remind the world that healing and hope are possible.

Together we Conquer Together we Heal