Southeast and East Asian Women's Association

Who we are

We are a new and inclusive organisation empowering East and Southeast Asian women and their families. ESEA women share a common culture and experience similar issues, eg. immigration, racism, trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence and exploitation in the UK. We campaign to completely eradicate financial hardship and end violence among women and our dependents within the ESEA UK community. We provide a safe space, advocacy, health, housing, education, co-learning and other holistic support and services. 

Our culture and values

Our vision is a world where ESEA women rise, thrive, and flourish—free from oppression, empowered to embrace their potential, and inspired to shape a future of limitless possibilities. Our mission is to champion justice and empower ESEA women through dedicated support, transformative education, and powerful advocacy. We are a non-hierarchical organisation with our trustees as key facilitators, working with our staff and volunteers to implement and deliver our projects.

We are committed to fostering an environment rooted in openness, honesty, and transparency, where every voice is heard and every individual is respected.

We are an inclusive organisation and strive to:

• Be Inclusive and Anti-Racist: Challenging discrimination, colourism, and cultural harm while celebrating diversity and promoting equality.

• Collaborate and Empower: Embracing a non hierarchical organisational structure to ensure shared leadership, equal participation, and collective wisdom.

• Break Harmful Norms: Questioning cultural expectations, patriarchy and breaking cycles of ancestral trauma to pave the way for healing and growth.
  
  Our principles emphasise:

• Active Listening: Cultivating self-awareness and understanding our impact on others.

• Teachable Attitudes: Staying open-minded and reflective, committed to lifelong learning.

• Data-Led Decisions: Balancing lived experiences with evidence-based approaches.

• Challenging the Status Quo: Passionately resisting oppression and striving for meaningful change.

We value:

• Empathy and Compassion: Approaching others with kindness, understanding, and care, ensuring our actions are supportive and never punitive.

• Non-Judgement: Recognising that everyone has room to learn and grow, fostering a space free from judgment.

• Respect and Privacy: Honoring the dignity and confidentiality of every person, with an awareness of individual vulnerabilities and traumas.
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We believe in creating a world where justice, empowerment, and equity are more than ideals—they are lived realities.