This lottery cash grant will help break down barriers for Asian women in Leeds

At a recent meeting of around 40 women, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun Eileen Taylor, presented the cheque, but also spoke about challenges she has faced as a woman of colour.

A first-ever Asian Woman Festival took place earlier this year and was attended by over 1000 people. It focused on the theme of identity, with panel talks, workshops, art exhibition, live performances and much more.

Festival director and founder, Shani Dhanda, said: “I am so proud of what my team and I have created, and best of all the community we are representing and providing a much-needed safe platform for.

“I self-funded our first festival because I so strongly believed in creating a community I was craving to be part of.

“Being of Asian origin and living in the UK means not only are we a more socially conservative community due to our traditional and cultural beliefs, but we are constantly bridging two cultures. This can mean at times in our lives we feel conflicted and even guilty in our efforts to juggle our dual identities.

“Until the Asian Woman Festival, there hasn’t been an opportunity to talk about how living in contradiction becomes second nature.”

Shani was born with a rare genetic condition commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease and has a stature of 3’10”.

With her passion for creating everyday equality, she was named as one of the most influential disabled people in Britain, Shaw Trust Power List 2018 and 2019.

The 2020 Asian Woman Festival is on April 4, in Walsall, West Midlands.