Write what you know and don’t ever minimise the space you use to express yourself.
– Anna Whitehouse
Shortly after Anna Whitehouse picked up the bCreator™ Award for Changemaker of the Year she was interviewed on the red carpet and dedicated the Award to her father who left the work force in 1987 to raise his children; “he made it clear to me that men and women could look after children… he paved the way.”
Anna recognised her upbringing wasn’t the norm and was forced out of work when she had her daughter. As a result, Anna campaigned for years to close the gender pay gap and bring about equality in the workplace so men and women could both work and parent.
Anna is now a presenter on Heart radio, is a columnist for The Telegraph and hosts her own podcast…
How did the #flexappeal movement begin and what have been the challenges you’ve come up against?
It began in a moment of deep-rooted frustration… pain, perhaps at a system that was pushing 54,000 mothers out of work every year. I was one of them. And I used my platform to speak up about that. Not just for me but for my daughters, I was not broken the system was.
How did it feel when you heard The Flexible Working Bill will become law?
Deeply emotional. I have spent 8 years fighting for flexibility and it wasn’t even a word used in Government. So to see a bill with those words was huge. I have a tattoo of Emmeline Pankhurst on my arm to recognise the work of those who paved the way before us.
How would you compare radio presenting and podcast hosting? Would it be easy for a podcaster to cross over to radio?
I love both, but both are very different. To speak to time and under pressure is a skill set so opposing to podcasting it took a while to navigate. Now I’m there I can go between both, but it’s not easy.
What other campaigns and projects have you been involved with over the past year that you are particularly proud of?
I’m really proud of the recent Andrew Tate podcast I’ve launched with Global. Instead of amplifying him we’ve removed him and it’s an educational piece for parents and teachers who don’t have a blueprint of how to untangle the misogynistic knots he’s tied on our children’s generation.
You had your book adapted into a TV series, how did this opportunity arise and what tips do you have for other published writers looking to have their writing adapted to TV/film?
It came off the back of writing from the heart. I poured my heart into Underbelly – along with my ex-husband who co-wrote it with me. And I think when the human experience lands on a page or even an Instagram post there’s no limit to where it ends up.
Write what you know and don’t ever minimise the space you use to express yourself. Whether page or pixelated square it’s about getting your message out there because there will likely be others that resonate with what you are thinking. That’s when you have something.
Images by Fordtography and Zoe Griffin Photo
Are you a creator who has campaigned for change this year? Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their recent campaign work?
Nominate them for a bCreator Award when nominations open in 2024.
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