Reclaiming Value, Healing; Financial Independence in 2025-2026
As we creatively step into the 2025–2026 financial year, let’s have a real conversation about value, healing, and the power of financial independence because I am feeling really Unabashedly Amja!
Part of reclaiming yourself, especially after domestic abuse and the insidious nature of economic abuse, is learning to stand tall in your worth. That journey isn’t just emotional. It’s practical. It’s financial. And yes, it’s deeply political.
I know this because I’ve lived it.
I’ve been through the unlearning, the rebuilding, and the brave act of choosing myself again and again. I’ve walked the road from survival to thriving, and every step has taught me something essential: healing and financial empowerment go hand in hand.
That’s why it breaks my heart—truly—when I see survivors, especially those of us who are artists, facilitators, coaches, and speakers, being asked to give their time, wisdom, and energy away… for free.
Yes, our lived experience is powerful. But let me say this clearly:
"Lived experience is not a substitute for compensation".
When we are asked to give from empty cups—emotionally, creatively, financially—it’s not “empowering.” It’s exhausting. It reinforces the same cycles of invisibility and disempowerment we’re working so hard to break.
This isn’t just about a few bad asks. It’s systemic.
A 2021 report by Rosa, the National Lottery Community Fund, and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation revealed that less than 2% of grant funding goes to women and girls' charities. And a third of that doesn't even land with organisations that solely support women and girls.
Let that sink in.
This isn’t about blaming charities—it’s about naming a system that undervalues survivors while celebrating their resilience
So what can we do differently you might ask?
One bold, beautiful solution: more collaboration with commercial businesses.
When done well, these partnerships are game changers:
For Survivors:
Economic Empowerment: Fair pay = dignity, independence, and stability.
Validation: Recognising lived experience as expertise boosts confidence and agency.
Sustainability: Funding allows survivors to show up without burnout or re-traumatisation.
For Charities, Non-Profits & Social Enterprises:
More Resources: CSR partnerships tap into bigger budgets and fresh streams.
New Energy: Cross-sector collaboration leads to innovation and impact.
Real Results: When survivors are paid fairly, programmes thrive.
Because here’s the truth:
Recovery shouldn’t mean continuing to give everything away for free.
We need systems that honour—not extract—the strength, creativity, and courage of those who have survived and those who walk beside them in their healing.
Let’s build something new. Together.
If you’re a business or organisation looking to do things differently—with integrity, intention, and heart—I’d love to chat.
Let’s explore how we can co-create something that uplifts everyone involved.
Click here to collaborate with me.
As always, please share your thoughts or suggestions on how we can improve the financial independence of survivors!
Sending you love and light infinitely with a touch of phoenix fire
Amja Unabashedly
"Let Art Be Your Becoming"
To get my free report " How Coercive Control and Emotional Abuse Shape Lives" Click here