Female Wave of Change
Viola Edward is a Breathwork therapy expert and multi-awarded Mentor. Pioneer of Breathwork and mental health fitness in the workplace since 1993, she recently introduced Breathwork into addiction rehabilitation centres. Co-owner of Kayana Breathwork and GRIT Academy, Author of “Breathing the Rhythm of Success” and “Who Makes the Bed?” and co-author of eight other books. Teaching in English, Spanish and Arabic, Viola is convinced that awareness of the Breath and the practice of Conscious Breathing is at the core of every person’s wellbeing.
As an organisation that champions women in all sectors of society, this magazine regularly highlights issues that show women coming together to transform peoples’ lives.
Our magazine has a longstanding relationship with Viola Edwards and she has kindly interviewed Ingun Bol de Bock, founder of Female Wave of Change, to give us an insight into their raison d’être.
- What is the reason behind the foundation of Female Wave of Change?
The first reason to start Female Wave of Change three years ago was a growing awareness that we live in a world of change, exponential change; we noticed that female entrepreneurs especially were not really acting upon that change, which worried us. So we wanted to create awareness that women have to take responsibility and be ready to act.
The second reason was that we increasingly believe that the world we are leaving to future generations is not something of which we can be proud. We have drifted away from the things that are really important in life – and Mother Nature is suffering.
We have to reshape the future and create a legacy we can be proud of: a better world for each and every one! To do that, we wanted to make women aware that we have to take responsibility, step into our leadership role. We have to use our feminine values and energy to reshape the future into a more human world, a world where everyone lives in peace, where everyone is equal, has a roof over their head, food on the table, with access to education and healthcare.
- What is different from other women-led organisations?
Female Wave of Change is focused on women from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and from all over the world to step into their leadership role and drive change from whereever they are. This means that we are not just focused on the women in the higher levels of society (the executives, the women in the boardroom, women in politics, etc) but believe that if we really want to be the ones who are driving positive change now, we need women to step forward at all levels of society.
From the start we have been expanding globally, it just happened very organically; women from all over the world contacted us asking us if they could join.
After three years, Female Wave of Change is now represented in 40 countries and continues to grow. We have an amazing Circle of Wise Women (including men) with members from different backgrounds and from all over the world who share their knowledge, their experience and wisdom.
- What are the areas you will focus on globally in the next two years and why?
In November 2019, we presented our Strategic Plan 2020 – 2021. We mention in the introduction that this “strategic plan” is a direction, that we live in a world of change and that we as organisation have to keep our eye on the situation worldwide: Be flexible and be able to redirect our focus according to what is happening.
Noone could ever have imagines that we now need this mindset more than ever before when the Corona virus changed life on a global scale in the first quarter of 2020.
Immediately we redirected our focus from rolling out an online paid education program “Reshape the Future” and a local program “Women Leading in Change” into supporting women, men, families, communities etc. online, showing that we can live through this pandemic together but also already focusing on the future.
There will be life after this pandemic. The world will never be the same, people will never be the same again. We all have experienced the consequences of the world we had created so far: This is our time to rethink how we want this new world to look and how we can now start taking the first steps to make it happen.
- What do you feel is the role of women right now in this world of disruptive change?
We need those authentic feminine leaders now more then ever! This is our time to step into leadership, to be our authentic self, to use our feminine values and energy, to use our voice and be the voice of the voiceless, to lead and to take others on our journey.
This time of disruption offers new opportunities and chances. Use this momentum to create that better, more human, more conscious, more connected, more sustainable world for all.
Be aware that being your authentic ‘You’ right now is enough to be part of the change, to create change and reshape the future. Creating this new world is something we have to do together. Collaboration at world level is important. Women will be the connecters, the builders of bridges and of communities.
As is mentioned in the poem “Hopi Elder Speaks”: We are the ones we have been waiting for!
- Who is benefiting from Female Wave of Change’s work, and where?
Right now we are moving towards a world without borders, cultures, religions, gender, background etc. We have to embrace our diversity. We are all one and we have to make sure that everyone is going to benefit.
But we need to start somewhere. As our Global Ambassador Bonnie Fatio says “Transform the lives of those you can … they will transform the lives of others”.
We have to work at all levels of society, listen to peoples’ needs, together define that new world and take action.
Online we will continue to share our knowledge, experience and wisdom, we will continue to educate women at all levels of society so they step into their authentic feminine leadership, we will expand our collaboration with other global and local organisations so we can speed up the process to create that better world for all!
- How are women affected during this global lockdown – and have you created any campaigns to help?
While we are focused on the future, we also have to be very much aware of the situation of many women and children worldwide right now. This pandemic affects the life of many women even more because their situation was already one of poverty,a lack of education and healthcare, and even worse a situation of violence in their own home. Women and children living in war zones and in refugee camps …
We must act much more quickly on these issues specific.
It is our biggest fear that after this pandemic we will go back to the world as it was before. As far as Female Wave of Change is concerned, this is not going to happen. We are going to reshape the future into a better, more positive, more conscious, more connected, more sustainable world for all!
www.femalewaveofchange.com
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Viola Edward is a Breathwork therapy expert and multi-awarded Mentor. Pioneer of Breathwork and mental health fitness in the workplace since 1993, she recently introduced Breathwork into addiction rehabilitation centres. Co-owner of Kayana Breathwork and GRIT Academy, Author of “Breathing the Rhythm of Success” and “Who Makes the Bed?” and co-author of eight other books. Teaching in English, Spanish and Arabic, Viola is convinced that awareness of the Breath and the practice of Conscious Breathing is at the core of every person’s wellbeing.
