Being a girl wasn’t a hindrance for Marika Somero to pursue her dreams. She saw feminism first-hand in her everyday life, and that inspired her to read law and advocate for the rights of marginalised women and girls. Now she leads the london pro-bono team at an international firm which works closely with ngos in human rights and social justice – let’s meet marika.
Tell us a bit about your background and what brought you to The Circle?
I am the Head of London Pro Bono practice at Debevoise & Plimpton, an international law firm. Throughout my under- and postgraduate degrees in human rights law, my academic studies always had a strong focus on the rights of women and girls under international law. When I moved to a law firm pro bono role, it felt like I hit the jackpot as it enabled me to collaborate with NGOs which advance the rights of marginalised communities – which is also what brought me to The Circle. I loved the idea of working with a group of talented women to support other women. The Circle also has a strong focus on causes that are important to me, including working with survivors of domestic abuse, advancing women and girl’s reproductive healthcare rights, and sexual and gender-based violence in conflict.
How have you supported The Circle’s work and how do you hope or be interested in doing so in the coming year?
I have a strong interest in responsible business practices and I am acutely aware of the impact my purchasing decision have on the lives of women and girls across the world. Over the last few years, alongside my wonderful colleagues at Debevoise, I have had the opportunity to provide pro bono support to the Circle’s campaign to secure a living wage for women garment workers, including contributing to the draft EU legislation on a living wage. Alongside making better purchasing decisions, participating in the Living Wage campaign has provided me with concrete opportunities to try improve the legal protections for women and girls who work in the garment sector. This is an ongoing collaboration with the Circle and we have recently expanded the jurisdictional reach of our work which will keep us busy over the coming year.
What do you feel are the important issues to be addressed in the coming year and what feminist change would you like to see in the world?
Whilst over the last few decades we have seen large increases in gender equality in many parts of the world, more recently there has been a worrying regressive trend in attitudes towards gender and violence against women. It is important that we continue to collectively address and challenge harmful gender stereotypes and the threats these pose to progress in the societies we live in.
What does being a Global Feminist mean to you?
To me, feminism has always represented women having equal rights and opportunities in law and in practice and having the choice to pursue the life we desire without barriers. But in today’s world, it still often feels like a distant dream for many. As a global feminist, I want to advocate for and empower other women and girls who may feel unable to advocate for themselves.
When did you first hear about feminism?
I grew up in Finland, which pioneered women’s representation in politics, and it is among the top countries in the world for women’s equality and to be a girl in. I do not recall when I first heard about feminism, but it was something I observed through everyday life. The vast majority of Finnish women work full-time and girls excel in school, I do not remember ever feeling that being a girl was a hindrance or that it stopped me from pursuing my dreams.
How do you unwind and rest?
Last year I returned to regular ashtanga yoga practice. Unsure if that counts as unwinding or resting, but I have really enjoyed the harmony and balance it brings to my busy life!
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