When we are small, our parents read us fairytales. Stories about people from faraway lands, living in kingdoms dominated by dragons, unicorns, witches, warlocks, giants and fairies, just to name a few. A common trope in a fairy story is the romance between a prince and a princess. Perhaps he’s a tall, dark, handsome stranger
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Dear Reader, I don’t care who you are. For all I know, you’re a 44-year-old man trying to figure out what’s going on in his daughter’s head. Or perhaps you’ve just finished an exam and you’re anxious about your results. As I said before, I don’t care. Because that’s not what’s important. What’s important, is
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Back in May, we ran a writing competition where we asked secondary school girls across Ireland to submit a piece on either: A lived experience they have overcome, and what they learned. A profile of a woman they admire. An opinion piece with a positive and empowering message. Here at SHONA, we believe in
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When I first started skipping meals, I thought it was what you were supposed to do to lose weight. I wasn’t the only person I knew doing it, so naturally, I didn’t see a problem. When I stopped eating completely for days at a time, excuses were given and the ‘oh I ate earlier’ line
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Steph, our wonderfully talented Psychotherapy and valued Shona team member, has something a little different for everyone this week. It’s a tough one, so mind yourself while reading it. But sometimes important messages are tough to hear. It’s not her typical Ask Steph piece. This is especially for when it all gets too much. She’s
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Inspired by a post on social media, Eiman decided to write this article for us, highlight some of the unsung heroes, paving the way for the younger generation of hijabi women in sport. For every well-known woman fighting to break barriers every day, there are about 10 quiet heroes, who don’t even know they’re
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Most of us suck at asking for help. We’re not sure if that’s a girl thing, an Irish thing, or a human thing. Asking for help with our mental health is a whole other level of nope. “I’m fine, everything’s just peachy, thanks for asking.” According to Clinical psychologist John Mayer, this is often because
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Crazy beauty standards. Something we have been bombarded with since before we could even walk. There is so much to talk about when it comes to fashion, such high expectations, and such drastic changes when it comes to how we should appear if we want to fit in. We need to reclaim fashion and beauty
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You’ve been friends since pre-school. Your parents get on. She’s like family. You have matching friendship bracelets. She’s your bestie for life. Or is she? There are unfortunately a few types of friends that you really don’t need. A quick way to check if a friend is a good one is to ask yourself one
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Consent culture is developing at a rapid pace in Ireland, but what is it like to be a consent workshop facilitator? Amy, Naomi, Caoimhe, and Saorla tell us about their experiences of recently acting as consent ambassadors at The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin. Caoimhe is the Vice President for Welfare
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Back in May, we ran a writing competition where we asked secondary school girls across Ireland to submit a piece on either: A lived experience they have overcome, and what they learned. A profile of a woman they admire. An opinion piece with a positive and empowering message. Here at SHONA, we believe in
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Ah, the brain. Our little inner best friend that’s always there for us, but is so deeply complicated that it can also be your biggest bully. Did you know that your brain processes somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts per day? That’s an average of 2,500 to 3,300 thoughts per hour! Just let that sink
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In the gladiator arena of judgment and narcissism that is social media, it is hard to enjoy platforms for what they were initially intended to be; a place to share cool pictures, quotes and to connect with friends. Over the years, Instagram has morphed into a business place; somewhere that companies pin ads to encourage you
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Back in May, we ran a writing competition where we asked secondary school girls across Ireland to submit a piece on either: A lived experience they have overcome, and what they learned. A profile of a woman they admire. An opinion piece with a positive and empowering message. Here at SHONA, we believe in
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Close your eyes and think back to when you were little. Now we mean playschool little. What was she like? Who did she want to become? What were her hopes and dreams? Well, these are the exact questions being answered by the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe movement currently flooding social media. Started by Inspiring Girls International, in honour
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I write poetry as a way for my mind to communicate with itself. Poetry to me is a gift, a voice, a drive, and a passion that is either present or absent in my life. Poetry has helped me during my battle with PTSD. Writing my struggle with PTSD down has given me the confidence
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Our SHINE Festival in March 2021 was a roaring success, smashing all of our targets with 40,000 girls attending. Over 80 incredible, authentic and badass women joined us to celebrate being a girl for 3 whole days! This got us thinking, what other incredible women are out there that we haven’t met just yet?
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We love our Shona Community! It’s full of incredible, powerful and authentic women. Every now and again, we have girls and women reach out to us with some advice about an experience they have overcome. They share their stories so you don’t feel alone. Today, Natalia wanted to share her experience with love, finding it
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