Reflect and invest in mental health this International Women’s Day

Candice Andrews is an Alumna of the Presidential Precinct’s Global Leadership Forum and a 2019 Community Solutions Fellow from Trinidad and Tobago. Now over a year after her time in Charlottesville, it remains impossible to forget her unrelenting optimism and genuine passion for understanding and learning from the stories of her fellow young leaders.

Today, Candice is the host of a podcast called “Heal the Human” which focuses on mental and emotional health as primary keys to success. This topic was inspired by her return home after being in the United States, when Candice felt a pressing need to reflect and process her experience rather than dive directly into applying lessons learned in her work.

Candice’s podcast also builds on her leadership in hosting a six-month program that worked similarly to improve self-esteem among young girls and end domestic violence against women. This program, adapted to a virtual format in 2020, served as a platform for 40 girls to share experiences and participate in facilitated conversation with mentors.

Studies have shown for years that women all around the world face disproportionate rates of mental health challenges, those rates increasing even more for women who are part of minority communities. Women make up around 70% of the workers in the health and social sector, today serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, where they also face a significant gender pay gap. Last year, in some effort to explain doubled rates of depression among women, the World Economic Forum noted that “In no country in the world is the amount of time spent by men on unpaid work (mainly domestic and volunteer work) equal to that of women”.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #ChooseToChallenge, draws us to confront systemic and longstanding barriers that women and girls face in our global journey towards gender parity. This journey is undoubtedly overwhelming, particularly as we hear stories of abounding challenges faced by young leaders in every region of the world. With that in mind, Candice’s story and her practical inspiration to start a podcast is the type of tangible action that we need to ensure progress.

Candice recently shared a few pieces of advice for those beginning their journey as allies and advocates for women. “Just start. No one starts off being an expert,” she said. Everyone has the ability to impart knowledge and share experiences – whether through a podcast series, Zoom webinars, or even your own social media presence.

For those thinking about following in Candice’s footsteps with their own podcast, Candice suggests the following steps to get started:

• Find a topic that you are passionate about,
• Think carefully about structuring your conversation through episodes or sessions,
• Keep your audience engaged and be innovative,
• Be transparent and available so that people can connect with your stories,
• Avoid jargon, and if you have to use it, then find a way to make that language easier to understand