STORIES

By Vicky Pond Dunlop, MedL, teen advocate, Founder of The Future You Project Lives in Auckland, New Zealand.   I don’t know about you, but I love learning how our brains work; anything to do with social psychology (how people experience their world) and I’m all in. I find it fascinating how our emotions, thoughts and behaviour (what makes up our mind) influence and are influenced by what we see, hear and experience and I am not ashamed to admit I am a geek in this area. For e

I was reading in a news report recently where a high achieving male leader in business called out a female high achieving leader in business with deeply concerning personal remarks. I was so incredibly frustrated and saddened to read the remarks of a businessman who decided it was in his interest and those reading his comments, to use rigid gender and racist stereotypes to shame and deride a woman publicly. I don’t know Nadia Lim personally, but she has always been someone wh

I recently started to watch the Britney Spears documentary – ‘Framing Britney Spears’ – which provides an account of her early career and life as a young person navigating fame. I felt a deep sense of shock and sadness for what she endured in the early part of her career. The predatory behaviour of older adult males around her made me squirm. She was so often blamed and shamed for what she wore, whom she dated or broke up with, even her mothering had the scrutiny of the media

Photo: Janko Ferlic Photo: Ben White Photo: Caroline Hernandez At school I was never pegged to be an academic.  It was my older sister who showed me a door to freedom of thought and opportunity by attending university as an older adult. I watched her blossom, and she encouraged me to try, so I also attended university. Without getting those cues from my sister modeling the courage and tenacity to educate herself further, I would never have followed that path and reached a pla