To mark Trustees’ Week, we’re shining a spotlight on the people who help guide and shape Woman’s Trust.
Our trustees generously give their time, knowledge and experience to support our work and help us make a difference to the lives of women affected by domestic abuse.
Throughout the week, we’ll be introducing some of our trustees and finding out what inspires them, why they support Woman’s Trust and what being a trustee means to them.
Shivangi Medhi:
Tell us about your background
I was born and raised in Walthamstow, East London, and my family is originally from Assam, India. My mum has been a huge influence on me; her compassion and commitment to helping others are values she instilled in me from a young age.
As a student counsellor, she often referred students to Ashiana Network, a specialist charity providing refuge accommodation, counselling and advocacy for Black and minoritised women and girls affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage and honour-based abuse. She later became a trustee herself, and seeing her dedication inspired me to follow in her footsteps.
I went on to serve as a trustee of Ashiana Network for around 20 years, including a couple of years as Chair. That experience deepened my commitment to women’s rights and ensuring that women facing violence and abuse receive the support they deserve.
Professionally, I’m a public health specialist with over 20 years’ experience across the NHS and local government. I’m passionate about tackling inequalities and ensuring that people whose voices are too often overlooked receive the support they deserve. My work has spanned sexual and reproductive health, suicide prevention and tackling violence against women and girls. Most recently, I led NHS health improvement programmes, including a wonderful team supporting patients to become smokefree. I’m now moving into a role leading transformation projects to improve mental health services.
What drew you to the connection between domestic abuse and mental health?
I firmly believe no woman should have her future defined by the abuse she has experienced. Through my public health and voluntary work, I’ve seen how trauma can affect confidence, relationships, mental health and self-worth long after the abuse itself has ended.
For me, safety is the beginning, not the end, of recovery. Women deserve the chance to heal, regain their independence and look towards the future with hope. That’s why Woman’s Trust matters so much to me. Being listened to, believed and offered specialist mental health support can help someone find the confidence to take the next step on her own terms.
What change would you most like to see in how society supports survivors of violence?
I’d like us to think beyond immediate safety and commit to long-term recovery. Survivors shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of housing, health and voluntary services on their own, especially during such a difficult time.
We need services that work seamlessly together, are easy to access and recognise that recovery isn’t linear. Just as importantly, women with lived experience must have a real voice in designing that support. I want a society that sees survivors not just through the lens of what happened to them, but through their strengths, their ambitions and the futures they want to build.
What part of your trustee role do you find most rewarding – or the most challenging?
The most rewarding part is knowing that the strategic decisions we make as trustees help women access life-changing support. I’m constantly inspired by the commitment of the Woman’s Trust team and the strength of the women they support.
The challenge is striking the right balance between maintaining strategic oversight and wanting to roll up your sleeves and get more directly involved! It’s especially hard when demand outstrips available resources and we have to make difficult choices.
I see trusteeship as a responsibility to ask thoughtful questions, make sound decisions and protect the charity’s future without ever losing sight of the women at the heart of our work.
What is your vision for the future of the charity?
Thirty years of Woman’s Trust is a remarkable milestone. It represents three decades of women being heard, supported and given the space to heal. I’m incredibly proud to play a part in that story.
But this anniversary is also a chance to look forward. As we look towards the next 30 years, I want Woman’s Trust to build on its incredible legacy, reaching more women who need our support and becoming a nationally recognised leader in specialist mental health support for women affected by domestic abuse.
I want us to use our experience and expertise to influence policy, funding and how services are delivered, while strengthening our partnerships and ensuring that trauma-informed mental health support is recognised as essential, not optional.
Above all, I want a future where no woman faces the lasting effects of abuse alone, and where every woman has the opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive.
