ABOUT CARLA Carla Mark-Thompson is a believer of Jesus Christ which she shares is at the heart of who she is and all she is becoming. She is an avid fitness and women's wellness enthusiast who enjoys expressing herself creatively through writing and cooking. She is passionate about being a voice for the voiceless and ending violence against women and girls. Carla's desire for justice is reflected in her role as a violence against women and girls specialist within a charity where she provides advocacy and trauma-informed care for young women aged 14-25. Her heart for young people has motivated her to impact the lives of many marginalised young women within various voluntary mentoring positions. She has led and delivered youth programmed within two charities and has given back to her community by running holistic well-being and fitness programmes in two secondary schools for young girls. She has also had various opportunities to advocate for mental health on renowned platforms such as LADbible, ITV and The Daily Mirror. She was also an inspirational speaker at the first Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation Conference raising awareness about Body Dysmorphic Disorder which she has overcome. Despite a diagnosis of dyslexia, Carla has further demonstrated her tenacity and resilience by successfully graduating with a BA Hons Sociology degree. She is also a published author and is about to embark on a journey to become a qualified psychotherapist in hopes of establishing her own practice and community interest company providing holistic therapeutic support to global majority women. Carla aspires to raise awareness and highlight the intersectional impact of gender-based violence particularly on young black Caribbean women by cultivating various community initiatives that will aim to educate, equip and empower.