We want ourselves alive

"We are the grand daughters of the witches you couldn't burn. We want ourselves alive." comes from the Feminist Library's online exhibition of feminist poster campaigns from around the world.

This quote features in a poster from Mexico where 11 women are killed every day making it one of the countries with the highest femicide rates globally.

We want ourselves alive. It seems the very least women should be able to ask for.

We are midway through the UN's annual 16 days of activism against Gender-based violence and as part of this the Queen Consort held a reception at Buckingham Palace. So embarrassing that a member of the royal household was going round the event challenging people of colour who were there about where they come from. Yes, people. Not only Ngozi Fulani, but also Nazir Afzal. I think the most surprising thing about the whole affair is how quickly it was dealt with by the Palace.

If you want to show solidarity with Ngozi and her great work at Sistah Space, you can support them here.

In last week's newsletter I had a little moan about what a waste of time meetings are. I had a lot of people write in to say they agree.

Thank you Rachel Beer for sharing this research into needing breaks between meetings

Shall we make 2023 the year of more breaks between meetings and fewer meetings?

Interesting and useful links 🖇️

How to write an image description

I've almost certainly shared this before but it popped up in my timeline again and I think it's fascinating: Evolution of a meme

This article about what hampers progress on DEI in the workplace is well worth reading

Diversity policies alone aren’t enough to bring about meaningful change in the workplace.

Learning points 🎓

How to write a hashtag #SusanAlbumParty

This is at the same time more accessible and readable and also less open to misinterpretation.

What am I watching? 👀

Hearing our Stories - LGBTQ+ lives and the BBC

Matthew Linfoot asks LGBTQ+ people about how the BBC has made an impact on their lives.

Canvas

What am I listening to? 👂

I was reading about Merry Clayton, the female vocalist on the Stones' Gimme Shelter this week. What an incredible story!

And what an incredible voice - listen to the end for her isolated vocal

It's just a shot away.

Joy-giving things 😍

There's a sad story behind this photo but in the midst of dark times, here's some hope

Have a good weekend

Lucy

I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing progressive ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world.

Share it with your friends so they can read it too 📣

Thank you!

ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.

If it’s your first time reading this newsletter, find out more here.