A note from Renew’s CEO: “Embracing Equity this International Women’s Day.”
“As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, it is important to reflect on the progress that has been made in empowering women and advancing gender equality. However, it is equally important to acknowledge the work that still needs to be done, especially when it comes to mental health.
At Renew, we understand the important role that counselling can play in empowering women to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.
Women often face unique challenges in their lives, such as gender-based violence, discrimination, and the burden of care-giving responsibilities. Our counsellors are trained to provide a safe and supportive space for women to talk about these issues and work towards healing and empowerment.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme of embracing equity is in line with Renew’s aim to empower our community, ensuring people from all walks of life have access to counselling. We believe that everyone, regardless of their gender, age, race, or background, deserves to have access to mental health support when they need it.
People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. That’s why we work to ensure that our offer is tailored to each person’s individual needs: from the type of support they receive to the amount that they contribute to their counselling sessions.
However, it’s clear that the number of people struggling with their mental health is on the rise, while access to mental health services gets more difficult. Every day, we see the impact: more people of all genders and backgrounds are needing help to cope with what life throws at them. But severe cuts in the funding of mental health services like ours mean that every year, we have less resources to deal with an ever-growing list of people needing our help.
By next year’s International Women’s Day, I hope that we begin to see more support and funding for mental health services – so that we can continue to provide high-quality counselling to women that need us.”
Nikki Schuster
Chief Executive
