United Kingdom
I'm a digital journalist at Hearst UK, writing for goodhousekeeping.co.uk about everything from entertainment to environmentalism. I've written for other publications including Red, Marie Claire, The Debrief, Digital Spy and LOOK, and I'm passionate about storytelling and lifestyle journalism that makes a positive difference in the world.
If you had met me 12 years ago, when I was 11 years old, I imagine you'd have asked me some rudimentary questions. (Unless hypothetical 2006 you is either ill-mannered or bad at small talk, but let's imagine not for the sake of this opener.)
It's estimated that more than 8 million people in Britain live in households that struggle to put food on the table, according to a report by Food Foundation, with reasons for this varying from welfare payment issues to emergency costs making it impossible to run a home as normal.
You could be mistaken for thinking that girls and young women have never had it so good as right now. We have Laura Bates giving us sage life advice via her everyday sexism books, Emma Watson fighting our corner in UN speeches, and Beyoncé dancing in front of 'FEMINISM' written in lights, making the word more socially acceptable than ever before.
Plastic pollution is an issue many of us are now highly aware of, thanks to David Attenborough's recent series Blue Planet II shining a light on the staggering scale of harm plastic waste has on the environment. "A truck load of plastic waste enters our oceans every minute.
There are some milestone moments in life that tend to stay with us, from first days and first kisses to big birthdays and final goodbyes. One particular life event that often stays etched on the minds of many women is their first period. I can remember mine.
In life it is rare to find a woman who has not been a victim of everyday sexism. Most of us have our own stories of being catcalled on the street or having our jobs 'mansplained' to us by male colleagues.
The UK government predicts that by 2020 a third of workers will be over the age of 50 and it's known that by 2039 the state pension age will be 68. Yet despite these statistics proving conclusively that our workforce is ageing, discrimination against older workers is a current problem that is likely to worsen.
Tragically, 15 babies die before, during or shortly after birth every day in the UK, according to Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Viki Ferguson is one person who understands what it's like to experience this kind of loss, as her daughter Megan was stillborn at 35 weeks in 2013.
Mental health is a topic many adults are only just beginning to discuss openly, owing to stigma around the issue being gradually chipped away in recent years. But while it's becoming easier for adults to speak about their mental health amongst themselves, broaching the subject with children and teenagers who may be suffering can be particularly daunting for parents and guardians.