female inner power podcast

leadership inspiration for women

Feeling safe to shine as women, while loving our dark parts [S1 E1]

by Noomi Natan | 27 Mar, 2023

“Belonging is something that needs to be cultivated.”

Mialy Dermish is Executive Director at SIRIUS Policy Network for Migrant Education, an NGO that works towards helping pupils from migrant and refugee backgrounds achieve the same educational standards as their native peers. She has a Masters in International Education Policy from Harvard and over 15 years’ experience in research, policy, and programme implementation.

Mialy sees herself as a citizen of the world, and she believes that “belonging is something that needs to be cultivated.” She developed an interest in advocacy and activism from childhood, and set up a youth nonprofit in Madagascar aged just 26.

The joy and passion she finds in her work and mission is infectious and she shares how the personal development work she has done has strengthened her to believe she can do almost anything. She talks about the importance of not being afraid of our inner darkness and what she has learned from doing that kind of deeper work.

In this conversation Mialy also shares her thoughts and experience about:

Honouring our needs and desires, knowing what’s truly important and what isn’t
The importance of giving people an environment where they can fail and learn, and meet others’ needs
Mental health, stress management and dealing with burnout, and what good self care really looks like
Not being afraid of working through painful feelings
Learning how to pivot when things aren’t working

… and the importance of female sisterhood and mentorship, and how women can support and empower each other to rise and shine together.