Vishakha Mehta is the founder of SouthEast Asian Social in London. She is the pioneer of a space which has provided a sanctuary for sisterhood amongst SouthEast Asian women and the community as a whole.
As an Asian Indian who had just gone through a divorce, she saw a gap in third spaces for women in her community experiencing loneliness.
She decided to build this platform to bridge connections between SouthEast Asian women who were either separated, divorced, widowed or single.
“I think what this platform has provided people with is a form of identity; it’s given people a sense of belonging. It’s built people’s confidence, and the number of friendships that have materialised through this platform has been countless,” says Vishakha.
Vishakha saw this as a safe space for sisterhood and to combat the scrutiny that can be rife within the community.
What inspired Vishakha to start it was becoming a single mum a few years ago and wanting to support other SouthEast Asian women who were also going through hardships.
“It was a very difficult, challenging period, especially as it came around the heights of covid, where we were living very much in a world of isolation and loneliness, and it’s very difficult when you’ve got a 1-year-old.
“I think that has been the turning point in my life, I must say.
“What I consequently did three years ago was I set up the platform called SEAS, SouthEast Asian Socials, and with this platform, it’s very much about bringing together individuals.
“I think it’s still a very difficult place to be as a woman. As much as we’ve all sort of moved on with time, there is a lot of judgement, there is a lot of scrutiny, you do quite often get labelled, and people often have quite strong views,” says Vishakha.
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“Being brought up in a very cultured family-orientated environment, you know we were very well known in the community.
“Being the eldest, there’s a lot more pressure to get things right; your actions, your decisions sort of map out the pathway for your siblings,” says Vishakha.
This experience is common for several women, but part of the aim of the SouthEast Asian Social is to give these women a space to breathe.
Despite Vishakha’s demanding role as an NHS operational manager alongside being a mother, she found the time to organise numerous exciting events for her community of women.
“Simple things like going for a meal or going to a show or trip can be quite tormenting and can be quite challenging because people lack confidence.
“I arrange the events from dinners, drinks, comedy nights, dances, walks around London to trips.
“We did climb Snowdonia last year, which was 92 of us. We’ve also done trips from Norway to Italy to, Turkey, to Iceland and Albania. We also do karaoke, Bollywood days and stuff like that.
Vishaka’s work goes above and beyond creating a hub for socialising. Still, it is also a melting pot for women who have experienced similar pressures or judgments to relate to one another.
“The platform has grown considerably with hundreds of members, and it’s a free platform; it’s not advertised anywhere; it’s purely grown on word of mouth,” says Vishakha.
The expansive organic growth of Vishakha’s platform speaks to how much women in the SouthEast Asian community truly needed this space.
“People have found their tribe, and the events tend to pull anything from about 70 to 100 members at each event because it’s very magnetic.
“Nobody will ask you about your past; it’s about who you are. People will respect you for who you are, and there’s no judgement.
“The point of the platform is breaking down barriers of loneliness and judgment and bringing people together to build a community,” says Vishakha.
More innovative and inspiring women like Vishakha are needed in our communities to encourage a connection between women and self-empowerment.
