A BRADFORD project is aiming to “root out” misogyny through open dialogue and honest conversations as part of a joint partnership being delivered in the district.

Local consultancy Empowering Minds has joined forces with Bradford Council, holding a series of workshops exploring what misogyny is and what can be done to address it.

A key theme of the programme is allyship – Sofia Mahmood MBE, the founder of Empowering Minds, said the sessions have enabled conversations between men and women to take place, and that the two groups are not in contest with each other, but need to work side-by-side for a better future.

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“We want to raise more awareness of misogyny, understand the depths of it and the solutions to it,” said Sofia.

“These online workshops are not man-bashing sessions, nor are they men versus women. It’s more about education and making both men and women feel empowered.

“Society stereotypes young women, we have a rule that girls should be submissive and boys should be boisterous.

“We need to have more conversations from a young age and let women know they have a lot more to offer than the stereotypical roles.”

Empowering Minds has held a number of workshops on issues such as radicalisation and grooming – in all of their forms – and aims to create a more cohesive Bradford where people talk to one another before making assumptions.

“I’m very passionate about this area of work, and partnering with the Council has been very important” Sofia added.

“But the work does not stop here, we must continue to raise awareness on issues like misogyny and how they impact individuals, communities and workforces.”

The project was jointly-led by Michelle Taylor, a policy officer at Bradford Council, who said it could be vital in bringing about social change.

“We ran three sessions with many women calling for more,” she added.

“Feedback was as positive from men as it was from women, with many describing hearing about the things women experience daily as eye-opening.

“We hope these sessions can be a catalyst for change.

“We are fortunate that the voices of women are heard through the Equality Staff Networks and it was through the network that women were able to outline their experiences. 

“As a result, we developed this workshop in partnership with Empowering Minds to run as part of the wider respect and allyship programme.”