DRWF Women and Diabetes interviews: “It can be difficult to try and be really open about having diabetes” – panel discussion
The DRWF Woman and Diabetes series welcomes guests comedian Sajeela Kershi, midwife Laura Spence and DRWF Chief Executive Sarah Tutton for a panel discussion to explore some of the specific challenges they have experienced.
At the heart of this project is a simple but powerful belief: every woman living with diabetes deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported.
Across the UK, women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes navigate a lifelong journey shaped not only by their condition, but also by the many milestones and challenges unique to womanhood – from adolescence and pregnancy, through menopause, to later life.
Alongside managing blood glucose levels, they balance careers, family, relationships, and their own health and wellbeing.
Yet too often, these experiences are underrepresented in public conversations about diabetes.
Many women tell us they have never heard a story that truly reflects their own – and that lack of visibility can leave them feeling isolated, misunderstood, or unseen.
The Women and Diabetes podcast series aims to change that.
For the second of two panel discussions, we invited guests to talk the crossover between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Sajeela Kershi, author of Immigrant Diaries, is living with type 2 diabetes and wants to raise awareness in her south Asian community. Sajeela attempts to manage her condition alongside a challenging lifestyle on the road as a comedian: “I suppose most people are reluctant to be diagnosed with diabetes, but I was told I was going to be pre-diabetic. I really thought, oh, come on, I can fix this. But I didn't know how to do it.
“I see it as a cross to bear sometimes in terms of work. I probably don't share it in the comedy industry, because I am afraid that for all the health reasons that we have such as menopause, or having babies, we are judged all the time, not just on what we look like, but also how we function. If you are getting the menopause and your life is over, like, you're redundant, you're invisible, and now you add health issues and now you are completely useless, where you know your work will dry up.
“Everything is related to how you feel and look, so your health is important. I think it has been difficult to try and be really open about having type 2 diabetes. For me anyway.”
Laura Spence is a midwife with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) who experienced gestational diabetes during her last pregnancy and wants to improve the experience of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood for neurodivergent people: “I suffer quite a lot from rejection sensitive dysphoria, which is well known, almost like a trauma response. I had quite a big reaction to getting the gestational diabetes diagnosis during pregnancy, almost as if I was failing. I was failing my body. My body was failing me. I felt hugely disappointed and I remember crying a lot after being told the news. Potentially because I knew how the consequence might play out, I had a set of ideals in my head about what this birth would look like for this third baby. Almost instantly when I got that diagnosis, I knew all of that would have to be undone, and I would need to go back to the drawing board to try and make a new plan. I probably had quite a dramatic reaction to it.”
Sarah Tutton, Chief Executive at DRWF: “As women we face lots of health challenges as we age through from puberty, pregnancy, to menopause, all of those life things that are thrown at us as women. We have to navigate the ins and outs of those areas. I think when you add diabetes, there is an explosive mix. We have been talking for some time about the lack of awareness out there around women's health, and we wanted to bring together a group of amazing women who were willing to share their stories about life in general, and what that looks like in terms of family life, career, professional life, and how they navigate those general women's health issues. Then thinking about how diabetes adds to that. I think we have heard some fantastic stories which will be shared through this podcast series. It is a hugely important area for us and we are really pleased to be able to delve into this in more detail with the group of women that we have brought together.”
The DRWF Living with Diabetes women's health podcast series is supported by Abbott.
Launched to coincide with World Diabetes Day (14th November), the DRWF Women and Diabetes series brings together inspirational women from diverse backgrounds who live with diabetes, to share their life stories in their own words.
We explore how they navigate the different stages of life while managing their condition, and the strategies they use to minimise its impact and live fully.
Sarah Tutton, DRWF Chief Executive, said: “At DRWF, everything we do is grounded in compassion, credibility, and collaboration. We actively listen to the voices of those we serve, ensuring that our initiatives are shaped by lived experience and respond to real-world needs. In doing so, we aim not only to inform and support, but also to inspire hope and positive change within the diabetes community.”
Watch all videos at the DRWF YouTube channel
Listen to the interviews in full as part of the DRWF Living with Diabetes podcast series here
Read more DRWF Podcasts: Launching the Women and Diabetes interviews series for World Diabetes Day
Read the DRWF diabetes information leaflet What is diabetes?
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