Happy International Women’s Day

Today, 8th March 2022, is International Women’s Day. Where globally, we celebrate and uplift all women everywhere, and we raise awareness of issues which affect women particularly.

Harmless and The Tomorrow Project are suicide prevention services. Our jobs, day-in-day-out, are to support to people who are vulnerable to suicide, whether that be due to self harm, a bereavement by suicide, or already being in a suicide crisis. Women are particularly vulnerable, shown by the increase rates of suicide amongst women over recent years.

Issues such as domestic violence, the gender pay-gap, sexual violence, FGM, child marriage, sex trafficking, and gender-based violence affecting women disproportionately compared to other genders, are just a few examples of why women are vulnerable to suicide.

International Women’s Day must be intersectional. To be for women, you must be for all women. In addition to the aforementioned social issues affecting all women, specific issues affecting trans women, BIPOC women, working class women, fat women, autistic women, Disabled women, LGBT+ women, and other marginalised groups, increases their likelihood to experience suicidal thoughts further. Whether that be racial, transphobic, or homophobic violence, fatphobic discrimination, ableism, poverty, financial strain, or misdiagnosed learning difficulties – as a mental health service we must be aware of all of these, how they affect women on a day-to-day basis, and how this affects their mental health and vulnerability to suicide.

As a service, Harmless and the Tomorrow Project value women whole-heartedly. Founded in 2007 by two inspiring women, we are currently led by our incredible female CEO, and our mostly female Senior Leadership Team. We are so proud of the female members of our clinical team (pictured below), who are wonderfully led by our female Clinical Operations Manager. Two of our three clinical service managers are female, and we have female project leads, and interns amongst our clinical teams too.

To all women: We understand the difficulties you unjustly experience based on your gender, and we will do everything in our power to support you. Women are resilient, women are extraordinary, and women are deserving of celebration, equality, and support. We see you, we have hope for you, and we are here for you.