rise of the feminine
Why are we calling for the Rise of the Feminine? – How to connect with the female power within you.
As the planet faces climate and human crises of various forms hundreds of years of male-dominated leadership have caused a breakdown in society. A bold statement and maybe you disagree but looking at the stats of the world’s health and planetary situation this potentially isn’t so controversial.
Gender equality in 2025, does not seem to be advancing, despite half the world’s population being female only 10% of the world’s leaders are, and only 23% of ministerial positions in the world held by women, these stats were similar 10-15 years ago.
Countries with female leaders are often seen to have more policies aimed at social welfare, education and healthcare. Consummately there is greater gender equality in countries like Iceland with a female president. Jacinda Ardern the New Zealand president is a country known for its diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian aid. Other countries with successful female leaders include Norway, Denmark and formerly Germany.
This trend in government flows into leadership, business and most sectors in society. Less than 1.7% of VC funding goes to female-founded or owned companies in the UK. The number of global CEOs dropped from 28% to 19% in 2024.
What if there was a more equal balance of masculine and female leadership? Why isn’t there?
The binary view of what masculine and feminine is – is complex to unpack as where we are now with the definitions are largely a result of generations after generations of layering of social conditioning. But if we can accept we are speaking of traits of the essence of being human that exist in all of us. We believe the feminine qualities of creativity, collaboration, nurturing, community building etc are potent, but they appear to have been imbalanced by the toxic masculine qualities of competition, conquering, and separation. There is masculine and feminine in us all, and both aspects can be ‘toxic’ or ‘divine’ but what we are advocating is a rebalancing in the world. Beginning with ourselves – are you someone who is struggling with imposter syndrome, keeping quiet because you doubt yourself, not stepping forward in your work, community or relationship because you feel overpowered? Or are you someone that feels unable to connect with others, in an environment driven by financial output and not feeling able to connect with your emotions or creativity?
One is not worse better than the other.
I am recognising in myself a disconnection as I write this, I was raised by a powerful African mother with a balanced feminine and masculine and steely determination. This gave me the confidence to take over a family business – but it has been a constant struggle of frequently second guessing myself, struggling to tend to mothering/family duties whilst showing up consistently as a manager, and leader, whilst tending to my heartfelt desires and creative passions. Growing up in eighties Britain with Maggie Thatcher in power the main role model, had shoulder pads and balls bigger than the boys. I didn’t resonate and when I went into running a business, it made me sick for a long time as I felt a round peg ill-fitting into a square hole. I often still do – our metrics are often purely financial, as we are financed by a male bank – we do not measure (and this is my fault ) the ‘softer metrics’ the joy we bring, the community impact we have etc, we do to an extent now – but it is still always an afterthought compared to how much money we are making.
So how to awaken our feminine power, so that we can share this in our communities and the world?
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our voices – so many people I have worked with in energy healing sessions, on retreats or in class complain of a blocked throat chakra. From an early age, we are conditioned that some things can or cannot be said, we begin editing ourselves and our expression is stifled in relationships, in teams, and in the world. A way to clear this block is to sing, and deeply connect to our voice. The practice of singing especially for me now chanting daily literally allows me to hear my inner voice but also to connect with a divine feminine aspect, whether it’s singing along to a big ballad or chanting the names, of powerful goddesses like Kali and Durga. The act of singing every day helps me hear my voice helps me hear myself and connect with that feminine power that is an essential part of me.
Using our bodies – many modern women, are in a battle with their bodies, as the media portray unnatural, unrealistic images – what is considered beautiful has become almost impossible to attain. The switch to appreciating skinniness as opposed to a more curvaceous physique began post-slavery where the African form was seen as inferior. There are different theories on this but this one relates to me as I am half African and half English, and spent much of my life fighting my body always wanting to be thinner because of social norms I always had a tummy, apple shaped and remember as young as seven trying to pull my tummy in denying that femininity and wanting to have an androgynous body. I’ve gone through disordered eating and years of an eating disorder as a result when I’m fully embracing my body as it is, lumps, bumps, curves - that is when I feel that I am connecting with my female power. It feels particularly empowering to go naked when I can in a sauna on a holiday in the sea. Going naked in public is such a powerful way of connecting with who we are, as clothing covers up more than just our physical bodies but the essence of who we are. If you're squirming at reading, I get you – I only discovered this bravery in my midlife when I finally had the confidence to do so. But It has been so liberating, unifying the essence of who I am.
Dancing, bum wiggling shaking, again it used to be something I was desperately self-conscious of I needed drugs or alcohol to be able to be free. But now I can dance when nobody else is dancing. Can be the first on the dance floor, start dancing in public places where no one else would and of course, in an ecstatic dance or conscious movement workshop I could let go and explore shapes and movements. I didn’t even know I had.
Creativity and understanding my rhythm and cycles there are certain times of the month when I am so in flow and that’s literally because I am in flow when I am ovulating, my creativity is through the roof. I can’t stop thinking of new ideas and I know that’s when I need to harness the energy then just before my period my brain is like mush I find it hard to remember things nothing flows and I am in a creative block so for me being in my feminine power is honouring the cycles and being in harmony with them not fighting against myself not resisting what is but embracing the Shakti the creative flow and also when it is done when it is not flowing.
When I am feeling less than, that is when I know that someone or something is stifling my feminine power. I may have felt put down, misunderstood, or compared to a different way of doing things or line of thinking I used to think this was because I was not good enough. It may be in a business meeting or the end of some negotiations with a landlord or new potential partner and when I look back, they have invariably always been men, male-owned or male-dominated organisations and I’m wondering now if it was actually that I was being disempowered or I was allowing myself to be disempowered. The way of communication was masculine was compatible, combative was competitive and not collaborative and not thinking of the best for all which is what I have always tried to think of what is the best solution and the best outcome for everyone not for me trying to get a better deal out of somebody or rip somebody off but for us all winning so now if I am feeling less than I am choosing to go quiet and reflect inward at what is at play here. Is there a masculine dominance at force and what does the feminine power wish to say? How can I bring collaboration and nurturing to the forefront of my communication rather than enter into battle or be submissive?
So ultimately it's about divine connection -whatever gender we identify as – for the divine is a blend of yin and yang, Shakti and Shiva or whatever tradition we are in – of equal value and both needed in balance and harmony ultimately for our soul’s expression and humanity’s survival.
Sama, bhuti founder
