Women for Women International Ambassador chef Mick Élysée on International Men's Day
Men have an important role to play in furthering women's rights and shifting the unwritten rules that discriminate against women. We spoke with Mick Élysée to find out what makes him passionate about our work supporting women survivors of war.
Today Mick Élysée is a coveted Michelin Star-trained chef who has taken his culinary talents to 5-star restaurants across London and launched his own successful chef consulting company. But he also knows what it means to experience war and conflict, having been forced to flee the Republic of the Congo as a child due to the civil war, "having to experience such atrocities at a very young age has marked me for life." Through this experience, Mick has witnessed the power and resilience of women survivors of war:
They, as well as children, are the first victims of war, yet they are the people who showed the most strength and courage. I can only be inspired by their ability to smile and find positivity in almost any situation.
Mick has been drawn to Women for Women International's work in light of recent events which have put women survivors of war in even more vulnerable positions. "With the current social and economic climate, organisations like Women for Women International are vital to give a voice to this part of the population who are very often the first touched by catastrophes."
The war in Ukraine has not only plunged thousands more people into the uncertainty of conflict, but it has sent a ripple effect of increased cost of living around the globe due to its impact on supply chains. Around the world, food and fuel prices have skyrocketed, causing more families in conflict-affected countries to fall into debt and poverty.
But, as the second male Ambassador for Women for Women International (joining Tom Burke), Mick is motivated to bring greater attention to these humanitarian crises in his new role, "We can raise awareness and have a stronger impact on issues like world hunger, children's malnutrition and food sustainability."
Mick's message to men on International Men's Day
"It's okay to be vulnerable and sensitive and it's okay not to fit into a certain box. But regardless of all the challenges that men may experience, to me, communication is the best way to overcome all difficulties. My connection with nature and my ancestors helps me to balance my professional and personal life at its best ... My wife in particular is my biggest support system."
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