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Episode Description

In the second installment of the Zeitgeist series on the Women Emerging Podcast, Julia explores the anger simmering among young women across the globe, tackling issues of societal division, political unrest, and environmental crises. This episode focuses on the voices of three young women from different backgrounds and regions, each navigating the challenges of their time with frustration and resilience.

Megha Harish, from India, expresses her disillusionment with the divisive politics and the growing sense of exclusion felt by marginalised communities in her country. “It doesn’t feel like home to everyone, and it should,” Megha says, capturing the growing anger among young women in India.

Asifa Hassan, a 21-year-old who has spent most of her life in refugee camps, reflects on the frustration of wasted potential due to interrupted education and the hardships of resettling. “It’s like you’re doing something great, but it’s just wasting time,” Asifa shares, highlighting the struggles faced by young refugees.

Hila Davies, based in London, shares her anger over the environmental legacy handed to her generation. She reflects on the urgency of the climate crisis and the feeling of having been burdened with an unsolvable challenge.

These voices bring to the forefront the pressing issues that young women are angry about today, from political oppression to systemic inequalities.

This episode challenges the idea of “harnessing” talent from younger generations and instead advocates for an equal partnership between women of all ages, urging women to work together in a way that transcends generational divides. Tune in to hear the passionate voices of young women and explore how the future of leadership must evolve to meet the demands of their time.

About the Guests

Megha Harish

Megha Harish is Grants and Operations Manager at Co-Impact, a global philanthropic collaborative, managing operations for the Asia portfolio across India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Previously, Megha worked at Common Purpose Charitable Trust, where they led the development of online leadership programs, including Commonwealth100, which engaged 80,000+ young people globally

Asifa Hassan

Asifa Hassan is the Founder and CEO of She Matters project. She Matters is a project that supports all refuge women and girls around the world. She Matters is a place where women and girls can share their stories and thoughts, learn and thrive, be independent and build their businesses.
Hila Davies is Senior Community Strategist at Take Action Global. Hila manages community-facing projects, fostering Communities of Practice and organizing impactful events such as the flagship Climate Action Day. With a strong background in education and NGO sectors, Hila is passionate about climate action, community outreach, and amplifying young voices.

Hila Davies

Hila Davies is Senior Community Strategist at Take Action Global. Hila manages community-facing projects, fostering Communities of Practice and organizing impactful events such as the flagship Climate Action Day. With a strong background in education and NGO sectors, Hila is passionate about climate action, community outreach, and amplifying young voices.

About the Host

Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton is the host of the Women Emerging podcast and a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in” as well as two previous books: “Leading beyond Authority” and “Cultural Intelligence”. She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to find their own approach to leading.

In 2020, Julia launched Women Emerging and in 2022 she lead an expedition of 24 women to find ‘an approach to leading that resonates with women’. She now leads expeditions with women all over the world based on 4Es methodology, discovered in the first expedition.

Prior to that, Julia was founder and, for over thirty years, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.
Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the boards of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in the Arab World and Equality Now which operates globally, and on the Advisory Councils of Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil and Synapse in Pakistan.

Born in London and brought up in New York, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and lots of grandchildren.