the host

Aanu is a writer, clinical psychologist, and founder of UsTherapy, a resource platform dedicated to helping young professionals navigate their mental health and making mental health support accessible through psychotherapy, policy, research, and education. Through her work, she merges intersectionality with client care to enable access for everyone and create safe spaces for healing, openness, and vulnerability in healthy ways.

the project

Beyond financial empowerment, a career offers a sense of identity, intellectual growth, a chance to create and expand your community, and the opportunity to contribute to solving small-scale and large-scale problems. However, our sexual and gender identities impact how we engage with the world of work. While job applications state zero discrimination based on gender and sexual identity, queerness at work in West Africa is still delicately navigated.

This podcast and video series explores fashion, gender expression at work, what belonging looks like and what organizations have succeeded in creating this in West Africa, what roles are available to queer people, beyond the creative industry. At QAW, we normalise the specific challenges the LGBTQIA+ community experiences at work to reduce the isolation that accompanies these challenges. We also explore different resources that can be helpful to the listener and finally, contribute to building resilience and preparedness for the world of work.

This project will be done in partnership with UsTherapy, a resource platform that helps young professionals navigate their mental health at work.