by Arub Syed
If you’re reading this blog post, there’s no doubt that you are a woman of colour:
- who wishes to make change,
- who cares deeply about carving out opportunities for women, and
- who wants to maximise their potential.
But there’s also a chance that despite having the drive and motivation, you may be doubtful in exactly how you can implement that change.
Let us show you how.
Enter: The GirlDreamer Advisory Board.
Though we’d had our core team and board of directors to govern GirlDreamer, we always knew there was something missing. In order to truly impact our community, we realised we had to involve those of you who we wished to serve – not just as contributors, but as leaders within the board.
And so, in 2020, the GirlDreamer Advisory Board was born. We were committed to finding the next generation of pioneers. We searched high and low in the pursuit of 12 women of varying backgrounds, cultures and professions, who all shared one common value: female empowerment.
These women joined forces to become leaders in GirlDreamer, continuing our shared legacy and shaping our shared future.
After 4 successful years of implementing the board, we’re now looking for our next cohort of advisory board members for 2025.
Staying true to our mission is important to us, so we make sure to have a cycle where we change the advisory board members every 2 years. This ensures fresh perspectives that move with the times.
But how will I have an impact?
Rather than just having the same few people running the show, we believe in being hands on and involving our niche audience. We want all women to partake and let us know exactly what matters to them and what they wish to change.
Our advisory board members play a huge role in influencing our decisions as an organisation, and most importantly, they use their unique skills and expertise to truly understand the experiences of women all over the world, ensuring all GirlDreamers are represented.
But what if I don’t have the right experience?
The great thing about being an advisory board member for GirlDreamer is that there is no such thing as the ‘wrong’ experience.
We acknowledge that everyone comes from different walks of life and has something unique to offer which can benefit all of us. What you might deem insignificant may be extremely crucial to others. We’re here to bring all of our experiences, skills and ideas to the table and propel ourselves into a brighter future for women of colour. Don’t forget, the most valuable asset you can have is dedication to the cause.
But I already have so many other commitments!
Of course, we would never want you to neglect any aspect of your life – at the end of the day, being a GirlDreamer is all about nurturing growth, both professionally as well as mentally, and the last thing we want is burnout.
But the great thing about our advisory board is that we created it with all of you busy bees in mind – we know that everyone has lives of their own, and so our advisory board has been carefully catered to suit the lifestyles of all of you hustlers.
We meet in person once a month on a weekend so as not to clash with any work schedules, and for those who can’t attend, they simply hop onto a Zoom call so they don’t miss out on any important ideas and can still contribute from the comfort of their own home.
But don’t just take our word for it!
Arub, an editor, speaker and journalist with an educational background in law had this to say about her experiences as an advisory board member:
“I was part of the first cohort of advisory board members back in 2020, at the start of the pandemic. I had no experience in leadership, all I knew was I was passionate about women of colour receiving the same opportunities as our counterparts. I received consistent support from Amna and Kiran, who checked up on us regularly. I used my passion for women’s rights to open up conversations that really mattered, and as a group we came up with themes which truly affected our communities. Every week each of the members were assigned different tasks based on their specialty, so we were all able to offer something of value. I never once felt overlooked, dismissed or unheard, and it was evident to me that Amna and Kiran put our needs at the forefront of all projects. I came out of the advisory board with a newfound knowledge of charity governance, leadership abilities and heaps of confidence. I would recommend it to every GirlDreamer out there.”
We’re super excited to meet our next team of changemakers.
Love always,
GirlDreamer
