In this interview I chat with Susan Bissell who is the Director at the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children at UNICEF. Although this episode was recorded a few years ago (I know, I’m sorry I’m slow at editing), Susan’s insights on the work to eliminate violence against children is still highly relevant with 1 in 2 children experiencing violence every year.
Read MoreI had a really great interview with Jon Feinman, who is the Executive Director and CEO of Innercity Weightlifting, a non-profit based in Boston. They own and operate a few gyms around the city and work with young people who have been identified as a high risk for violence. Their programs focus on social inclusion and reducing youth violence by working with these guys (mainly guys) in the gym. They connect these young people with new networks and opportunities, including meaningful career tracks in and beyond personal training. According to them, they use the gym to replace segregation and isolation with economic mobility and social inclusion, disrupting the system that leads to urban street violence.
This interview was recorded while Jon was in one of the gyms so you’ll probably hear a few weights and grunts in the background, don’t mind them, it’s all part of creating the atmosphere! I absolutely love the work that Jon and Innercity Weightlifting are doing. They are completely flipping the typical non-profit model on its head with the way that they are running their programs but not only are they changing the lives of the students they are working with, they are changing the lives of the clients who choose to train at the gym with the students. Jon mentions in this episode that most of the clients that come to the gym have never met someone who has been in jail before. Making this introduction and fostering a connection promotes social inclusion not just for the students, but for the clients too. Excited for you to listen to this episode!
Read MoreWhen I first started thinking about this podcast and the topics that I’d like to cover, domestic violence was one that was top of mind for me. Domestic violence is an issue that has always stirred something in me. It’s something that is so pervasive in our societies. It crosses all cultures, races, countries, income and education levels. 1 in 3 women aged 15 and over will be abused at some point in their lives. How is this acceptable? But it happens every day. When I first started thinking about this podcast and the topics that I’d like to cover, domestic violence was one that was always top of mind for me. Domestic violence is an issue that has always stirred something in me. It’s something that is so pervasive in our societies. It crosses all cultures, races, countries, income and education levels. 1 in 3 women aged 15 and over will be abused at some point in their lives. How is this acceptable? But it happens every day
The scale of the issue is huge. In Australia alone, police deal with an estimated 657 domestic violence matters on average every day of the year. That’s one every 2 minutes. Every 2 minutes! So, by the time you’ve finished listening to one of the Doing Good Podcast episodes, around 30 women would have been affected. And these are just the women that get through to police. Because the likelihood of women calling for help is extremely low and domestic violence often goes unreported.
In this episode, I interview Marica Ristic, the Domestic & Family Violence Client Response Team Leader from the Domestic Violence Prevention Centre on the Gold Coast in Australia. We go back to basics and talk about domestic violence – what it is and why it happens; what is being done about it; and what you can do to help. Let me know what you think about this episode in the comments!
Read MoreSo, unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s hard not to miss all the events, news, and general PR buzz about International Women’s Day that was recognised this month. Countries celebrate it in different ways. This year you would have heard about the Day Without Women in the US and many other western countries around the world such as Australia. It is an official holiday in a number of places including: Afghanistan, Armenia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cuba, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Uganda, Vietnam. Zambia and in China & Nepal for women only. Many brands such as Nike and P&G launch powerful ad campaigns, while companies around the world ranging from huge multinationals host an array of events, women’s breakfasts and conferences in recognition of the day.
If we move past all the marketing spin, is International Women’s Day still even important? Why do we still celebrate it? Is there an international men’s day? And, looking in to the future, what are the 6 things that we should be focussing on when it comes to gender equality.
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