Use Your Voice: How to Unlock Your Courage and Amplify Your Message

Sunday Assembly’s International Women’s Day 2025 Special was an inspirational, emotional hour. Read on to find out how…

Our guest speaker: Anna Herber

Previously a guest poet at Sunday Assembly, we were delighted to welcome back writer, poet and entrepreneur Anna Herber as our speaker.

[Photo credit: Anna Herber, LinkedIn]

Anna helps people move through resistance and fear so they can share powerful messages that question the status quo and grow their impact.

For this special IWD talk, Anna celebrated women who have used their voices to create change, as well as some of the most common ways that women are silenced, and how to overcome them.

Drawing from her own experience, she showed us how to liberate our outspoken inner activist, truth speaker and wisdom keeper – overcoming procrastination and perfectionism, unlocking our courage and amplifying our authentic voice.

Watch a clip from Anna’s previous Sunday Assembly visit on Instagram

Our guest poet: Kay Scorah

With Amy Anam Cara sadly unable to join us due to illness, community member Kay Scorah kindly stepped in.

We loved her Gender Stereowiped Nursery Rhymes, which included Jill giving Jack essential first aid and Mary profiting off organic wool sweaters!

Our songs

Our Sunday Assembly band had us singing along to four empowering songs from female artists: 

• Hold On – Wilson Phillips
• Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
• You Gotta Be – Des’Ree
• Brave – Sara Bareilles

Notices

Topics of our notices included:

• Our Book Swap table (where swapping is not compulsory)
• Our first ever comedy fundraiser, bringing four fantastic comedians to you on 10th April – details here
• Our next Sunday Assembly Article Club on Thursday 3 April – details here
• Sunday Assembly’s annual conference, which this year is in Glasgow from 25th-28th September. Details about Sunday Assembly Glasgow Gathering here
• An invitation from Ann to help steward the Mile End Parkrun on Sunday 18 May – details here
• An invitation from Tanya to come to the Enrich Festival in Watford on the weekend of 26th-27th April. Enrich Festival is an inclusive arts festival showcasing the immense talent of disabled and neurodivergent artists and performers. The Sunday Assembly are performing on the Sunday.

A bonus guest poet

Inspired by Anna’s talk, community member Steph read out a poem by her friend, whose experiences in Afghanistan had moved him to urge his fellow men to support women.

As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, then lunch, drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.

Thanks to our host Emily, co-host Matt, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!

Thanks also to everyone who wore purple in support of International Women’s day.

International Women’s Day 2024 at Sunday Assembly

As part of last year’s Sunday Assembly IWD Special, we wrote personal pledges to Inspire Inclusion, that year’s theme. Here’s a selection of our pledges. Click or tap to enlarge:

→ Our next assembly: The Mindful Photo Lab, 6 April
← Our previous assembly: Everyday Jews, 2 March