Changing the Narrative:
Empowering Women
Living Without Children
What began as personal grief over involuntary childlessness evolved into a driving force for change.
Today, I am an author, activist, and facilitator who champions the stories and identities of women who longed for motherhood but whose paths unfolded differently — raising awareness and understanding of their experiences, transforming deep loss into solidarity, and silence into spaces of connection, healing and belonging.
A little about me…
The question “Do you have children?” once filled me with dread. For years I laughed it off, hiding the pain that followed my diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Processing that grief changed everything — it led me to Gateway Women, a community for women who are childless by circumstance, and helped me find my voice.
From that healing came my first book, Dreaming of a Life Unlived: Stories and Portraits of Women Without Children — a collection born from love, truth, and the determination to make our experiences visible.
A Little About Me…
Today, I am an author, activist, speaker, and facilitator creating spaces where women who longed for motherhood — especially Black women and women of colour — can speak openly about loss, belonging, and identity. I’ve shared my story on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and numerous platforms, helping to change the narrative around the untold experiences of women living without children.
As a trained facilitator, psychodynamic therapist, and graduate of Gateway Women’s Plan B Mentorship Programme, I facilitate workshops, retreats, healing circles and conversations that transform silence into connection and grief into collective healing.
Recent Talks
Join me on YouTube for more talks, reflections, and honest conversations
Blog
Who will speak for me?
On Friday I attended my friends' mothers' funeral. Her mother had a great life, raised 5 daughters and was an active member of her church that included setting up a charity sending clothes, food and donations back to her home country in Sierra Leone. Sitting in the...
Mourning involuntary childlessness
A friend of mine emailed me this article which I found very insightful so I thought that I'd share it with you all too. I'd love to hear what you think about the article. ssvpbrad_20-05-2016_13-35-57 Hugs Yvonne x
Ageing without children
Jody Day introduced me to Kirsty Woodard from AWOC (Ageing without Children) where I was invited to photography the AWOC and The Beth Johnson Foundation 'Our Voices' talk on the 16th May. There were a number of speakers from different backgrounds (childless and...