“We can do anything we put our minds to”: Celebrating the Revolving Doors Women’s Forum on International Women’s Day
On International Women’s Day, Revolving Doors want to celebrate our fantastic Women’s Forum and those who are part of it.
Forums are an essential part of our work. They bring together people who have lived experience of the cycle of crisis and crime to look for solutions to problems that exist within systems that cause people to be trapped in offending.
The Women’s Forum is a safe, creative place, where people support each other and want to learn from each other. Its members have all had different journeys but share the ambition to use their experiences for good, shaping change in justice policy and practice at a local and national level with their insights.
Policy Manager Kelly Grehan helps convene the forum, which is facilitated by the members themselves. She said:
“It’s impossible to overstate what a hopeful space the forum is, and how inspirational the women who take part are. Many of its members have moved on to education and employment or have new babies, and it’s always great to see how supportive the members are of one another.
As new members joined, I wondered if the dynamics would change, but everyone gels really quickly. One of the newer women commented that she had wondered what the group would be like and was astonished and thrilled with the diversity of the group and how easy she found it to contribute. I think the model of women working together at different stages of recovery is inspiring.”
The power of hope
Our most recent round of forums focused on two interlocking themes: stigma and hope.
Exploring these topics in our women’s forum drew out the unique forms of stigma women in the revolving door face. However, when the topic turned to hope – the things that have motivated our members, the tenacity they have displayed in the face of adversity and the healthier and happier lives they now live – participants shared stories of rebuilt lives and brighter futures, where they use their lived experience to shape change for others.
What does hope mean to our members?
Want to work with us?
At Revolving Doors, we harness the power of lived and learned experience. Our co-produced approach offers an in-depth, rigorous and evidence-led opportunity to understand more about the revolving door and those in it, exploring and tracking the impact of policy and practice across health, justice and more.
We work with the public, private and third sector to shape change.
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