Talk: Bodily Autonomy – A right not an ideology

Join us for a panel discussion as we explore the significance of bodily autonomy and why for women, especially Black and Indigenous women, reclaiming knowledge of our cycles, fertility, and traditional reproductive practices is crucial if we want to have power and ownership over our bodies. 

Inspired by artist Jacqueline Bishop’s The Keeper of All The Secrets tea service on display in the Queen's House, the discussion will cover:

• The importance of community support systems
• The impact of colonisation 
• Herbal options
• Reclamation of cultural practices and knowledge
• Using our voices to promote positive changes for women

About the panel

Dr Kesewa John is a Lecturer in Black British History and Convenor of the MA Black British History at Goldsmiths, University of London.

A historian of liberation movements, intellectual history, and gender, Dr John's research and teaching explores transatlantic, multilingual linkages between African and Caribbean activists and the evolution and circulation of Black radical thought. Dr John is particularly interested in the intersections of histories of Black feminist and Black radical Caribbean activism. 

Love Hannington is an Obeah woman and multidisciplinary artist, deeply connected to the spiritual heritage of the African Diaspora. Practising Obeah, a sacred Caribbean tradition of ancestral knowledge and herbal remedies, she utilises generational wisdom and creative expression to support women on their path to resilience and empowerment. Her work also integrates Celtic Shamanic practices and the herbs of the British Isles, honouring the way traditions evolve as people connect with new lands.

Through her workshops, Love combines storytelling, meditative reflection, and embodied creativity to honour the legacy of Indigenous knowledge keepers. Whether introducing participants to African-Caribbean and Celtic herbal practices or inspiring self-expression through art, her work holds space for the timeless power of ancestral traditions and women's wellbeing.

Akosua Paries-Osei is a PhD Candidate in the history of science. Akosua's research is ethnobotanical, uncovering the use of medicinal plants by enslaved African and Caribbean women as a site of reproductive resistance, from puberty through to menopause. 

Akosua has recently completed a placement at the Natural History Museum, London where her research into Hans Sloane's Collection of Vegetables and Vegetable Substances is available through the Natural History Museum's Data Portal.

Header image: © Jacqueline Bishop