Happy International Women's Day! An Interview with Anna Thukral of Hear Her Stories #BreakTheBias

Happy International Women’s Day! Today’s interview is such a fitting one to mark this important occasion, because today I’m speaking with Anahita (Anna) Thukral, a social entrepreneur and the founder of Hear Her Stories.

Having lived in four different countries, Anna has experienced first-hand the systemic and structural barriers faced by women of color. These experiences led Anna to create Hear Her Stories, a platform that amplifies women's voices and celebrates their achievements as a way to support and inspire the next generation of diverse women.

Through Hear Her Stories, Anna realized the significant barriers facing women around the world have widely led to underrepresentation and inequality. To help address these gaps, Anna recently launched DiWo (which stands for Diverse Women)https://hearherstories.com/diwo/ with the goal of providing equal access and opportunities to all women in the workforce.

In my conversation with Anna today, we discuss the value of diverse stories, the impact of unconscious bias and how YOU can get involved today with the Hear Her Stories movement.

Here are my Top 10 Takeaways form my interview with Anna:

1. Every woman’s story is worth sharing, no matter where they may come from.

2. We need to take the time to look for hidden stories that might not be front and centre in our mainstream media.

3. Diversity, equality and inclusion are vital elements to include in the stories we’re telling and the stories we’re consuming.

4. Sharing stories of diverse women who have achieved amazing things allows girls and women everywhere to find inspiration and take the lead in their own lives.

5. We need to normalize celebrating everyday women with everyday stories, because when we take a closer look, we realize they’re really doing extraordinary things.

6. Our own struggle is often the motivating factor to step forward and make bold moves in the name of change.

7. When we intentionally share the stories of the struggles women face, we can help shape government policy, the economy and make a world-wide impact.

8. Seeing is believing. When we hear about the bold moves other women are making around the world, it inspires us to make bold moves ourselves.

9. The systems and structural barriers face by women on a global level have led to underrepresentation and inequality in the workplace. But it’s not too late to make a change.

10. Acknowledging our own unconscious bias can help make us all a part of the fight against inequality and intolerance around the world.

To hear the full episode now, click here!