
Rachel Miller: On Active Bystanding
‘There are two kinds of evil people in this world. Those who do evil stuff, and those who see evil stuff being done and don’t try to stop it.’ This is what social outcast Janis Ian tells previously home-schooled Cady Heron to convince her to participate in a revenge plot against queen bee Regina George in the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls. Whilst disagreeing with the practice of evil promoted by Janis in the film (!), this blog agrees that letting something bad happen is, itself, a form of harm, and so promotes the practice of active bystanding.

Charlotte Hooson-Sykes: Active Bystander
Over a decade ago, I signed up to become a Harassment Support Advisor. We’re there when someone uses the Report & Support system, to offer an ear and signpost useful procedures and systems, all without judgement and in a completely confidential setting. Over the years I’ve attended a myriad of courses. One of the courses I attended that I always come back to, that I’ve found one of the most useful to recommend to those I meet with, is Active Bystander Training.

Dr. Sayema Rahman Khan: Reflections on Eid-ul-Fitr: A Celebration of Gratitude, Feasting and Community Spirit
Eid-ul-Fitr (Eid in Arabic means ‘festival’ or ‘feast’, and Fitr means ‘breaking the fast’), celebrated by over 2 billion Muslims worldwide, is the culmination of the sacred month of fasting, Ramadan. Of the two Eids in Islam (the other being Eid-ul-Adha) – Eid-ul-Fitr is my personal favourite. Perhaps because the joy of celebration comes after a month of devoted fasting and prayer.

Katie Twomey: Autistic burnout
My name’s Katie, and I am in autistic burnout. I’ve been a lecturer at UoM since 2017. I’m surrounded by wonderful colleagues, enthusiastic and talented students and have extremely supportive (and frequently delightfully weird) family and friends. I have a hen’s tooth of a job – I’m permanent! So why do I feel so awful?

Katya Sloboda-Bolton: The importance of intersectionality to #AccelerateAction – International Women’s Day 2025
As International Women’s Day comes by again, it’s important that those of us in higher education take the time to reflect on women’s access to the sector. This year’s theme is ‘Accelerate Action’, inspired by the fact that, as per current estimations, it will take until 2158 to reach ‘full gender parity’ (International Women’s Day, 2025). ‘Accelerate Action’ demands that each sector of society takes action to tackle gender disparities with urgency.

Zhiteng Feng: Empowering Women in Higher Education – My Aurora Leadership Journey
In February of this year, I took a step toward leadership growth by joining the Aurora Programme, an initiative designed to address the under-representation of women in leadership roles within higher education. I was drawn to the programme for its structured development approach and the opportunity to connect with and learn from other aspiring and established women leaders in the sector. As I reflect on my journey so far, I am both inspired and hopeful for the future of women in academia.

Molly Waterfall: The Radical Roots of International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8th March every year, commemorating the political and cultural achievements of women, and the power that we yield when working as a collective. IWD also stands as a reminder that achieving true gender equality is still far from sight, and that we must fight to be truly free from the patriarchy.

Grazyna Lipowska-Bhalla: Why I Need a Women’s Leadership Programme?
In January, I joined Aurora, the Advance Higher Education leadership programme for women. But why I would need a women’s leadership programme? Wouldn’t it be seen as an unfair advantage over others who don’t have access to such programmes? Does this mean that I lack leadership skills and need extra support?

Dr Sayema Rahman Khan & Dr Lei Zeng: AURORA: A Journey to Empowering Women, Breaking Barriers and Opening Doors
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate ‘women’, and what better way than to acknowledge women’s progress as capable leaders of our society despite professional and societal barriers. Imagine the great powers women could achieve if we worked by helping each other rise – working as a sisterhood! Dr. Sayema Rahman Khan and Dr. Lei Zeng here share their journey, experiences and expectations from the Aurora program.

Dr Sean Pert: UK LGBT+ History Month 2025
From drag nuns, hilarious placards, handbag throwing (literally) and mass demonstration, Manchester’s queer community has always made its mark in a wholly unique way. This year’s theme is Activism and Social Change.
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