Somia R Bibi is a Sociologist and researcher who joined Himaya Haven as a volunteer in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic and shortly after joined the team as a Family Engagement and Outreach Worker. She has her BA (Hons) in Sociology & Psychology from Birmingham City University, a MA in Social Research & Social Change from Aston University & is presently writing up her PhD thesis at the University of Warwick.
She has worked for over 6 years in higher education as a lecturer and researcher. Having also undertaken work as a research consultant, mentor, and tutor.
Working within the community alongside undertaking research is a long-term passion. She wants to play a role in supporting and giving a space to those who can be pushed to the shadows.
Professional Development:
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk of Harm (St. Pauls Community Development Trust, January 2024)
- Prevent Awareness Course (October 2023)
- Gambling Harm Prevention Training (January, 2022)
- Suicide Prevention Plus Training (January, 2022)
- Suicide Prevention Training (2021)
- Mental Health First Aider (2021, MHFA England)
- Certificate of Attendance National Centre for Domestic Violence Information Session (2021)
- Safeguarding Training (AFCS, 2021)
- Data Protection Training (AFCS, 2021)
- Digital Skills Level 2 (accredited, 2021)
- Digital Skills Level 1 (accredited, 2020)
- Recording your Lectures using Screencast-O-Matic (BCU EDS, May 2020)
- Erasmus+ ‘Sound Minds’ TCA (2nd-6th December 2019)
- Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties (BCU, May 2018)
- Nvivo10 – An Overview for Complete Beginners (University of Warwick, Nov 2014)
- Beginners/intermediate Training in SPSS (Aspect Training, 2014)
Awards/Scholarships:
- New Leaf CIC Employee of the Year Nominee 2021/Shortlisted 2021
- UK Community Heroes Award 2021
- ESRC 4-year scholarship at University of Warwick
- Aston University/Banco Santander Scholarship
- School of Social Sciences Annual Prize for Endeavours throughout the BA degree
Web-Based Publications
Bibi, R.S. (2021) A Prison Guide to Help British Asian Families. Available from: https://www.
Bibi, R.S (2021) Prisoners’ Families: The Silent Victims on the Outside. Available from: https://www.desiblitz.
Bibi, R.S. and Chikwira, L. (2020) We are not just Black and Asian Minority Ethnic women: Belonging and the politics of belonging. Discover Society. Available from: https://discoversociety.org/2020/07/01/we-are-not-just-black-and-asian-minority-ethnic-women-belonging-and-the-politics-of-belonging/
Bibi, S. (2019) ‘No Going Back after the First Pluck?’ Beauty Demands Blog. Available from: http://beautydemands.blogspot.com/2019/12/no-going-back-after-first-pluck.html
Garner, S. and Bibi, S. (2016) ‘Skin-lightening Practices among Women in England: 1st Ever Base-line Survey.’ Beauty Demands Blog. Available from: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:V2pAQXeoWroJ:beautydemands.blogspot.com/2016/05/skin-lightening-practices-among-women.html+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Garner, S. and Bibi, S. (2016) ‘Skin ‘Graft’: tHE politics of beauty’. Discover Society. Available from: http://discoversociety.org/2016/07/05/skin-graft-the-politics-of-beauty/
Research Reports and Project Evaluations
Bibi, R.S. (2022) Himaya Haven Project Evaluation Report 2021: Supporting BAME Families of Prisoners. Available from: https://www.dropbox.
Bibi, R.S. (2020) Himaya Haven: Report & Statement of Accounts 1st April 2018- 31st March 2019 and 1st April 2019 – 31st March 2020. On behalf of third sector and non-profit organisation based in Birmingham: Himaya Haven. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MBTqaCilneWyL269kgnNTQV-1qd9t7yE/view
Bibi, S. (2016) Skin-lightening in England a baseline survey: Preliminary findings and implications. http://www.skinlighteningengland.com/2016/01/project-report-skin-lightening.html
Media Work
- Interviewed for BBC News, World Service Radio ‘Can renaming creams stop colourism?’ (26th June 2020) https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:65ndAREO8m4J:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08j3t3z+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
- Interviewed for the BBC Podcast ‘All about the Money: The Skin-Lightening Industry’ (17th October 2019) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07rd80m
- Co-created and continue to maintain the following website bringing together information from within and outside academia on skin-lightening: http://www.skinlighteningengland.com/
Professional Memberships:
- ATGENDER
- British Sociological Association (BSA)
- British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS)
- The Feminist Studies Association (FSA)
- Social Research Association (SRA)
DBS Enhanced Cleared