83: Interview with Academic Woman Magazine Founder, Dr. Anatu Mahama

I'm joined on this episode by Dr. Anatu Mahama, founder and editor-in-chief of The Academic Woman magazine. She shares her journey through academia as an ambitious and determined woman, always looking for ways to increase her knowledge and increase her reach. She launched The Academic Woman magazine about a year ago to share stories of women who are contributing to the world and not always being seen. Her vision is to create a community of like-minded women who inspire one another, share knowledge, and bring their varied knowledge and experiences to bear on the issues they all face.

Key points discussed:

• Growing up in Ghana as a chatty, ambitious little girl who loved to read, and going on to study publishing, information and knowledge management
• Working at an NGO in the water and sanitation sector, and utilizing her knowledge management skills on each project.
• Getting pregnant, moving to a more forgiving schedule, lecturing, and going for a PhD with 2 small children
• Realizing there were many women doing great things that no one had heard of, and being inspired to share their stories in a magazine
• Creating The Academic Woman magazine to celebrate women's contributions to knowledge, what they go through, and how they handle challenges they face.
• Who writes for the magazine, how they balance the busy lives of academics with running features and finding content
• Organizing and growing an editorial team
• Who the magazine is for and a future vision of community, in-person events, and larger and more frequent circulation

Key Quotes:

• "I always wanted to know more, and always wanted to see myself excel at whatever I do." -Anatu Mahama
• "I think that word, ambition, is one we need to claim." -Cathy Mazak
• "There's always that need for progression." -Anatu Mahama
• "We've got all these women at the forefront, who are doing great jobs, but nobody hears of them." -Anatu Mahama
• "If we tell our stories, then we are able to inspire one another." -Anatu Mahama
• "I'm so grateful for all the women who have told their stories...incredible stories, incredible journeys." -Anatu Mahama
• "Getting people to write is a challenge because academics are busy." -Anatu Mahama
• "I don't believe in spending too much time in planning; I believe in getting on with it." -Anatu Mahama

To contribute or subscribe to The Academic Woman magazine, visit: https://theacademicwoman.co.uk/

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This episode was first published at https://www.cathymazak.com/episode83.