March 12, 2022
2 mins read

Int’l Women’s Day celebrated at Parliament House

The speakers underscored a diverse range of aspects, linking mental health to psychiatry, social stigma, yoga, physical movement and performing arts…reports Asian Lite News

International Women’s Day was celebrated at the House of Commons of the British Parliament recently. Aligning with this year’s theme #BreaktheBias, the program highlighted the challenges and solutions to mental health problems. 

The event was hosted by Virendra Sharma MP and organised by Sushma Bhanot, a businesswoman and co-director of Coolherbals, who has spent 20 years supporting thousands of women suffering poor mental, physical and financial health in Essex and beyond.

Host Virendra Sharma MP and organiser Sushma Bhanot MBE

The speakers underscored a diverse range of aspects, linking mental health to psychiatry, social stigma, yoga, physical movement and performing arts.

Heather Mason, Founder of The Minded Institute, spoke on Yoga and Mental Health. After Dr. Ragini Bahry, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and clinical lead at the Priory North London spoke, award-winning author, spoken word artist and writer Jaspreet Kaur spoke on the stigma attached to mental health in South Asian communities and read excerpts from her debut book Brown Girl Like Me. Dr Ravina Bhanot, an NHS Doctor specialised in Women’s Health and Founder of FemTech company Zonas spoke about how hormones can affect mental health. Simona Neata mental health struggles among new moms and how to cope.

Jaspreet Kaur speaking at the Women’s Day event

University Educator and award-winning dancer Ragasudha Vinjamuri spoke on the role of music and dance in mental health and how Dance Movement Therapy and Music Therapy are helpful in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in addressing trauma, anxiety, stress, exhaustion, aggression, and sleep disorders. She then presented a short dance. Counselor, trainer Ramesh Kumari Talwar outlined the report on the mental health needs of Asian Women in the Borough of Greenwich/Greenwich MIND. Reiki Master Bali Bhalla spoke on how colours and Reiki help mental wellbeing.

Former Senior Project Manager at the Department of Education, founder of Super Cool Friends and co-founder of the Great British Chai Party Kiran Bhanaut spoke on loneliness, mental wellbeing, and social isolation in the elderly.  The event concluded with fitness instructor and D-Style founder Angelique giving inputs on wellbeing, Founder and Chairman of volunteer organisation Go Dharmic adding a faith element and Neela Sedhani adding a poetry element. Sushma, who was awarded an MBE for her services to wellbeing in the community says “I wanted to highlight the fact that mental wellbeing is very important and wanted to offer practical solutions and answers. The day concluded with many action points to improve mental wellbeing in the community and nationally”.

ALSO READ-‘I shape my world’: Tales of fearless women

Previous Story

ICC Women’s World Cup: India thrashes WI by 155 runs

Next Story

‘Read Latur’: Effort to set up libraries across rural schools

Latest from LITE BLOGS

Andy Long Joins Mysaa

Directed by Rawindra Pulle and produced by Ajay and Anil Sayyapureddy, Mysaa is set in an emotionally charged landscape. Rashmika reportedly portrays a woman from the Gond community—a role that sees her

Kashyap Backs Bold Debut

Roy said her film seeks to amplify the stories mainstream cinema overlooks. “Despite having one of the largest film industries in the world by volume, we rarely tell stories of the marginalised—those

Suriya’s Karuppu Teaser Explodes

The explosive teaser of Karuppu, starring Suriya in a gritty dual role, was unveiled on Wednesday to mark the actor’s birthday. Directed by RJ Balaji, the much-awaited action thriller is produced by

Kantara Prequel Wraps Filming

Shetty reveals that the film was shot over three years, with over 250 days of shooting and thousands of people contributing to the production The much-anticipated prequel Kantara: Chapter 1, directed by

Books That Transform Lives

Numerology meets personal empowerment in Sunita Das’s “Magical Effect of Numbers”. A compassionate numerologist and philanthropist, Das unveils the power of numbers in shaping one’s destiny, while also supporting social causes like
Go toTop

Don't Miss

420,000 South Asians Live With Type 2 Diabetes In UK

Type 2 Diabetes is a long-term health condition that causes

British troops in Ukraine amid tensions

UK minister for armed forces, James Heappey, said that “thousands”