An open panel discussion on Wednesday, 11th September 2024, at the Manchester Museum will explore the unique challenges and recovery from substance use amongst South Asian women. 

The event, which is free and will take place between 6 and 8 p.m., will explore the role of Izzat, meaning honour, in South Asian women’s recovery during Recoverist Month. 

Recoverist Month is the UK’s only arts-based awareness event that places people in recovery from substance use centre stage. Events take place across Greater Manchester throughout September. 

The event will be enriched by the insights of esteemed speakers such as Kim Kaur from SAFIR (South Asian Females in Recovery), Dr Sarah Fox from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), and recovery advocate Aunee Bhogaita (pictured above). 

Alongside her colleagues at MMU, Dr Fox’s study “Seeking Solutions for South Asian women with alcohol use” highlights the unique barriers South Asian women face in accessing support for their substance use. 

Key findings of the study will be discussed, including how South Asian women are often left carrying great shame and secrecy regarding their substance use, which usually impacts their access to support. 

Panellist Aunee Bhogaita is a survivor of child sexual abuse and domestic violence and has experience with substance use, which spanned 12 years. Since coming into recovery, she founded “Brown Girls in a Bottle” and has used her expertise to challenge the stigmas and taboos associated with addiction and recovery within the South Asian community. 

Kim Kaur, co-founder of SAFIR, a culturally sensitive and non-judgmental space that supports South Asian women’s recovery, will share her frontline perspectives on recovery. 

After the discussion, visitors will be invited to explore the Museum’s award-winning South Asia Gallery. Co-curated by South Asian diaspora communities, the gallery presents a compelling contemporary take on South Asian and British Asian culture, sparking further conversation and reflection. 

This event, hosted by Manchester-based arts and recovery organisation Portraits of Recovery, marks the beginning of a significant 12-month community conversation about South Asian women, substances, and recovery. 

The project’s future artistic outcomes will be showcased in September 2025 as part of next year’s Recoverist Month. 

Izzat: South Asian Women and Substance Use is on Wednesday 11th September 2024, from 6-8 pm at Manchester Museum Kanaris Lecture room, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road M13 9PL, as part of Recoverist Month. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.