Many women are feminists, but not every feminist, standing alone, has a chance to change the world.
Natasha Mudhar is an international campaigner and advocate for women in ethnic minorities, but no matter where her job or her heart takes her, her roots will always lie at home in Battersea.
“Battersea is imbedded in my DNA, having grown up and lived there for my entire life and surrounded by extremely influential and powerful people,” she said.
“I think growing up in such a diverse city has allowed me to broaden my knowledge of how different cultures operate – giving me that added advantage when it comes to spearheading campaigns.”
And Natasha certainly doesn’t shy away from such campaigns, having been involved in the UN’s Global Goals, the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and the Global Open Data on Agriculture & Nutrition which aims to end world hunger by 2030, just to name a few.
As the CEO and MD of Sterling Group, an international business and communications consultancy established by her mother, one of London’s first Asian female businesswomen, in 1995, Natasha understands that ethnicity and gender deemed her as unlikely to succeed.
Perhaps because of her understanding of both ends of the spectrum, Natasha took part in the remake of the Spice Girls Wannabe video in 2016 to empower women and girls across the world to tackle inequality, equal pay and end violence.
She said: “When I was younger, it was rare to see such a plethora of Asian females taking lead positions in the communications industry. Being female and of an ethnic background, there has been certain challenges when it comes to battling against the double discrimination of race and gender.
“My background and history is something that I thrive upon, not shy away from. I would never view this as a hindrance in any shape or form, and I would never allow this to limit my potential.”
Female power is just one aspect of the job for Natasha, who is currently working on the world’s first feature film on menstrual hygiene, Pad Man.
The film is based on the life of activist Arunachalam Muruganantham, who revolutionized sanitary hygiene in rural India 20 years ago.
She continued: “The world is starting to listen, particularly with the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaign, and I am thrilled to see so many female empowerment champions with large platforms uniting together for the greater good.”
With Natasha’s power and understanding comes great responsibility, as she juggles her life-changing work to break the glass ceiling with representing one of London’s most luxury brands, Harrods.
“I could be listing a corporate client on the stock exchange, launching Aston Martin in India or devising a campaign in a bid to end world poverty and hunger such as the award winning #WhatIReallyReallyWant campaign all in a day,” she said.
Campaigning is much more than a full time job, since even with the great changes that have been made since the Spice Girls YouTube sensation, there is still much work to be done in the eyes of Natasha, who’s work to change lives never stops.
When asked what more could be done, she added: “Awareness is the foundation and key to all changes globally. The more women and men know about the issues we have faced and are currently tackling as a united force, the more we can stand together and take control.
“Teaching our children the core values of equality and acceptance will allow the next generation to be conditioned in a way that exuberates compassion and happiness.”
When she’s not globetrotting and changing lives abroad, Natasha has a clear message for starting change at home.
She concluded: “I would say you should embrace what makes you different by breaking free of the realms of conformity. Nobody ever made it to the top of the game by following the crowd.
“If there are people out there that want you to fail purely because of your race, gender, sexuality, or upbringing, it makes winning that little bit sweeter.”
