UP CLOSE … with ‘The Ladies of the Islands’ |05 May 2020
‘We wish to eliminate the negativity that surrounds “being a woman” which we see a lot of in our little paradise’
This week we had a chat with Sylvie Françoise, founder of the social media platform ‘The Ladies of the Islands’. Created on March 31, the group has garnered the attention of more than 3000 ladies of the islands.
Seychelles NATION: Who is Sylvie?
Sylvie Françoise: My name is Sylvie Françoise and I am doing my bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Asia Pacific University in Malaysia. I am also a volunteer with a charity called The Giving Bank here in Malaysia, where we visit orphanages, old people’s homes and refugee camps. I have two beautiful children, Ky-Mani and Kimora. I want to show women how powerful they can be by tapping into their femininity. However, the group is not focused solely on that. We talk about different topics such as women’s health, fitness, beauty and others which relates to women because the main goal is to empower each other in all aspects that affect our daily lives. We wish to eliminate the negativity that surrounds ‘being a woman’ which we see a lot of in our little paradise.
Seychelles NATION: ‘The Ladies of the Islands’ has become a platform for women to share their concerns, skills and problems. Did you expect that?
Sylvie Françoise: Actually we were expecting that because this was one of the aims of the group. However, we did not only want the ladies to share their issues but also find lasting solutions for them as well. We are very appreciative of the fact that the ladies are very open to talk about their problems and we guarantee that the group will be a safe space where they will not be judged for doing so.
Seychelles NATION: Why was this group created?
Sylvie Françoise: Having created the group, I knew from the get-go that the vision that I have could not be executed alone. This is why I teamed up with four amazing ladies – Gina Servina, Hanifa Françoise, Rachel Lionnet and Zanah Volcy. We are here to create a movement where women are for women. We are tired of seeing women having a go against each other. There is plenty of space for all of us to grow and build, and we will be doing that together. So this is where the elements of empowerment and self love come into play. Gone are the days where women are seen as the mules in society. We are worth more than that and we will be more than that.
Seychelles NATION: You have some 3000 members, were you expecting this kind of response?
Sylvie Françoise: To a certain degree, we were. We are aware that women in Seychelles need a non-toxic zone so that they can be themselves and seek for advice without being judged or laughed at. We are providing that space. Women need to understand that we are taking the group very seriously. We see all of their comments and posts, and we are brainstorming some ideas in the background.
Seychelles NATION: Tell our readers how this group is managed
Sylvie Françoise: At the moment, we have five administrators and we oversee all the posts being published in the group. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to vulgarity, nudity, sexual, political or religious contents. We also take the time to read the comments and we delete those that go against our community rules; i.e. profanity, bullying, etc.. The members have to understand that the group is for ladies and therefore we have to behave as such. In the future we will be adding on a few moderators because as the group grows, we will need more help.
Seychelles NATION: What do you want people to post and share?
Sylvie Françoise: The members can post anything related to women, i.e. health, inspiring quotes, about relationship and dating, DIYs, parenting, etc... We also have a segment where the ladies can inbox us with their issues and we post it on their behalf. Their identity remains totally anonymous, to the point that even the other administrators do not know who they are. We are all about privacy and confidentiality. We do not want the ladies to lose trust in us because it takes a lot for the ladies to message a total stranger with her issues.
Seychelles NATION: What have been your greatest achievements so far?
Sylvie Françoise: We have a few success stories where we have helped the ladies. So far, we have directed three ladies to seek therapy sessions. We had ladies who were hesitant to exercise but now they are inspired to do so. We even have one who has lost quite a few pounds. As you can see from these success stories, we are about self-love and motivation.
Also, without the help of our dear members, the group wouldn't be as relevant as it is now. The ladies are really invested and we see the likes of Gylian Mein, who has been a midwife for the past 35 years, organising pap smear testing for the ladies. So Ms Mein and her team will be conducting a women's reproductive health clinic on Saturday May 16 at the Yellow Roof from 9am to 3pm. This will be an opportunity to do your screenings such as breast examinations, pap smear, and other investigations should the need arise. They will have one female doctor assisting them. Ladies, even if you have not decided to do any tests, you can still attend the clinic for counselling and guidance. There is no need to make any appointments, and any woman can just walk in and get tested. We would like to thank Ms Mein for initiating this programme.
Seychelles NATION: Anything to add
Sylvie Françoise: I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ladies who have joined us. We have so many things planned for the future and we will let you all know about it this coming month. Just a disclaimer: We are not experts or professionals. We are everyday-women supporting everyday-women. We believe we should be the change we want to see. This can be achieved on a unified front. Together anything is possible.
Compiled by Vidya Gappy