International Women's Day

This week at Abianda we’ve been sharing reflections under the theme Hidden, But Not Silent, voices from across our organisation exploring what it means for young women’s experiences to be misunderstood, overlooked or misread by the systems around them.

For International Women’s Day, our founder Abi Billinghurst offers a reflection on hope, participation and the steady work of shifting systems so girls and young women affected by exploitation and violence can be seen, heard and supported differently.

It’s also an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the women who make this work possible, women who lead change in their own right, and those who continue to champion, partner with and strengthen Abianda’s work.

From colleagues and leaders across the sector, including Dez Holmes, whose words in Abi's piece remind us that even when the challenges remain, so do we, alongside partners working with Social Finance, Agenda Alliance and Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC), and the leadership of Nicky Hill.

And the people who help sustain Abianda behind the scenes Vanessa Johnson-Burgess FCIPD (she/her), Priya Cinar, Lynda Bridger, Tríona Larkin and Leah Selinger, alongside our brilliant trustees past and present: Janice Altenor, Naomi King, Assoc CIPD, Pippa Goodfellow, Clare Walkeden MCIPR Dip. Coach, Krystle M., Carla M., Rula Tripolitaki, Jude, and Ayoni W.

International Women's Day feels like the right moment to acknowledge the collective power, care and leadership of women across this community.

Here is Abi’s International Women’s Day reflection:

The context we are working in right now is not an easy one. Violence against women and girls is at epidemic levels in the UK. Girls and young women affected by criminal exploitation and violence are still too often hidden within systems and structures that are not designed with them in mind. Across the charity sector, organisations are closing, and funding for specialist work with women and girls remains disproportionately low when compared to the scale of harm they experience.

All of this is true. But the work of addressing systemic inequality cannot exist without hope. If we lose sight of the possibility of change, the work itself becomes impossible to sustain.

At Abianda we have spent the last decade building a relational and participatory infrastructure. This means that every day we work shoulder to shoulder with girls and young women. Our organisation is designed so that young women’s voices are constantly feeding into how we think and evolve.

We see hope in the day-to-day conversations, reflections and breakthroughs that happen in our work. We see it in the way young women rebuild identities that have too often been shaped by exploitation, harmful discourse and the systems that have misunderstood them.

Charlie Cross has spoken powerfully about the role Abianda has played in her own recovery journey. The trauma of exploitation does not simply disappear. But the right environments — ones rooted in validation, opportunity, relationship and belief in capability — can support young women to rebuild a sense of self that is grounded in skills, agency and possibility.

At Abianda we hold firmly to the belief that girls and young women are not passive recipients of support. They are capable, insightful and resourceful individuals navigating incredibly complex environments. Our role is not to rescue them, but to create the conditions in which their independence, critical thinking and agency can grow.

Hidden but not silent

Over the past week, members of the Abianda team have been sharing reflections under the theme Hidden but not silent.

Across the reflections, colleagues, trustees and members of our Young Women’s Advisory Group have explored what this idea means from their own perspectives.

Some have written about how girls and young women’s experiences are often misunderstood by systems. Others have reflected on the quieter ways young women resist, navigate risk and protect themselves.

Others still have spoken about the importance of relationships, trust and participation in building spaces where young women can genuinely influence decisions that affect them.

If you haven’t already read them, I really encourage you to take the time to do so. They offer a beautifully diverse set of perspectives from across the Abianda community.

What they collectively show is the depth of thought, care and commitment that runs from governance to delivery in our organisation.

Signs of change

Sometimes when you work in this field it can feel as though we are still fighting the same battles we were fighting ten or fifteen years ago.

I remember sharing this frustration online some time ago and Dez Holmes dropped in a nugget of wisdom. She reminded me that yes, the issues are still here, “but so are we.”

And change is happening all the time. In quiet ways, and in the steady shifting of systems.

I am very proud that Abianda is working in partnership with Social Finance, Agenda Alliance and MOPAC to deliver the Girls and Young Women Fund. Conceptualised by Nicky Hill and the team at MOPAC, this is a significant development growing a community of practice across London — organisations, practitioners and funders coming together to deepen understanding and expand the reach of specialist work with girls affected by exploitation and violence.

These shifts take time. They often take years of advocacy, learning and persistence. But change does happen.

While this work is our day-to-day, International Women’s Day is an important moment to acknowledge the people who are doing the work. At Abianda I have the privilege of working alongside an extraordinary team of women, non-binary colleagues and young women who bring enormous integrity, commitment and humour into this work every single day.

Over the past year we have also been incredibly fortunate to have the support of people who have strengthened the organisation behind the scenes: Vanessa Johnson-Burgess, Priya Cinar, Lynda Bridger, Triona Larkin and Leah Selinger. And our wonderful trustees past and present — most recently Janice Altenor, Naomi King, Pippa Goodfellow, Claire, Krystle, Carla, Rula, Jude and Ayoni.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Abi Billinghurst, Founder & CEO