Also read our blog post by Olivia on Celebrating Racialised Autistic Women here: sema.scot/celebrating-...
#InternationalWomensDay
#RightsJusticeAction
#AutisticWomen
#Neurodiversity
#SEMA
#IWD2026
#Givetogain
When we centre the experiences of those most often overlooked, we move closer to a world where all women and girls can live with dignity, safety, and opportunity. It's not enough for organisations to say they don't cater for us. Skill up and show up to dismantle the system that is killing us all.
This International Women’s Day, we stand with women and girls everywhere calling for:
• Equal rights under the law
• Justice that recognises intersectional identities
• Action that removes barriers to support and opportunity
SEMA exists to help with that. Instead of signposting vulnerable women to pigeon-holed centres, make your centre inclusive by learning from us.
In action terms, this means public and third sector organisations need to tool up to accept the challenge of supporting the complexities that racialised Autistic women and girls face.
At SEMA, we believe that real justice means recognising these intersectional realities. Advocacy must include the voices of Autistic women from diverse cultures, faith backgrounds, and communities.
For many Autistic women & girls, especially those from racialised communities, these barriers are often layered. Cultural stigma, missed/misdiagnoses, limited access to support, & misunderstanding of neurodivergence can affect how rights, safety, education, healthcare, & employment are experienced.
The theme for 2026, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, reminds us that equality is still far from reality. Around the world, women currently hold only 64% of the legal rights that men do, and in many areas of life, laws and systems continue to disadvantage women.
Poster from SEMA (Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics) for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2026. The text reads: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls. #IWD2026.” A message explains that visibility, support, and understanding for women and girls facing multiple barriers help create pathways for justice and equality, highlighting the importance of recognition, representation, and culturally aware support for racialised autistic women. Background image shows a diverse group of smiling women with purple butterfly graphics. Website: sema.scot.
Happy Women's day to all the women around us!
Today is a reminder to take a moment to reflect, recognise, and take action at a time when women and girls are politicised, victimised and terrorised.
#Internationalwomen'sday
The learning from this writing does not exclusively apply to Muslims or even just Autistics. We hope that many people from diverse backgrounds will be able to relate.
@thendeducator.bsky.social
#AutisticRamadan #Fasting #Ramadan #Muslim #Autism #Neurodiversity
We hope to continue to improve this publication and write more on community topics that will spread awareness and improve understanding about being Autistic.
You can access the book here: heyzine.com/flip-book/e2fd430c8a.html 🧵👇
We have a list of organisations and individuals that we recommend to learn from, however, in this short piece of work, we have referenced:
@auroraconsulting.bsky.social
@sedsconnective.org
@vivdawes.bsky.social
@autisticrealms.bsky.social
Dr Sofia Rehman 🧵👇
Poster promoting a book titled “Ramadan Through Autistic Lens – 2nd Ed, March 2026” by SEMA (Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics). The design features warm beige tones with hanging Ramadan lanterns. At the bottom are two images of the book cover showing an illustrated Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Colorful shapes around her list topics such as executive dysfunction, sensory overload, meltdown moments, routine changes, fasting challenges, prayer, social anxiety, and sleep struggles. The subtitle reads “An Autistic Guide to Ramadan.”
We are pleased to see the positive response to our Autistic Ramadan E-book!
We would like to thank our service users for the learning, our partner organisations and fellow Autistic advocates for the continued love and support over the years & the team who put this together. 🧵👇
We hope those who are observing the month (and also those fasting for Lent) can benefit from this time of reflection, self-improvement and spiritual reconnection.
#Ramadan
#AutisticMuslims
#Fasting
Thanks to our friends and partners, in particular, we named @auroraconsulting.bsky.social
(environment checklist) and @sedsconnective.org (hEDS, co-occurring conditions) in our book.
You can find more resources on our website too. 🧵👇
However, we hope that Autistics, their carers, employers, and teachers can take some value from our humble collection.
You can watch our webinar with Dr Sofia Rehman on our YouTube channel. 🧵👇
The experiences and advice given is not limited nor reflective of all Autistic people. More can be said about the impact of (peri)menopause, minority stress trauma, living in an increasingly hostile environment, to say the least. 🧵👇
Poster with a beige background and hanging lantern illustrations at the top. The logo reads “SEMA – Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics.” Large centered text says “Ramadan Through Autistic Lens.”In the middle, an illustrated young woman wearing a white hijab and brown top is shown from the shoulders up. Around her head are colorful abstract shapes containing the words: “Executive Dysfunction,” “Meltdown Moments,” “Sensory Overload,” “Routine Changes,” “Fasting Challenges,” “Prayer,” “Sleep Struggles,” and “Social Anxiety.”At the bottom, inside a cloud shape, the text reads: “An Autistic Guide to Ramadan.” Crescent moons and subtle Islamic geometric patterns decorate the lower background.
Last year we published a month worth of reflections on Ramadan including 2 webinars discussing Autistic experiences during the holy month.
This year we decided to collate these into an e-book, the first of its kind but not the last!
You can access the book here: heyzine.com/flip-book/29... 🧵👇
⬩ True equity means changing systems, not asking individuals to adapt themselves
Science is stronger when it includes many ways of thinking and being. We honour women and girls in science, especially those whose brilliance has been overlooked or pushed to the margins.
#WomenInScience
#GirlsInSTEM
⬩ Scientific spaces are not neutral and often exclude racialised and neurodivergent minds
⬩ Autistic ways of thinking, pattern recognition, focus and creativity are strengths in science
⬩ Inclusion must address race, gender, disability, culture and access together
Access to science education, research careers, and leadership is often built around whiteness, neurotypicality, and unspoken cultural rules.
At SEMA, we centre intersectionality in conversations about science and knowledge-making. We advocate for approaches that recognise:
Many racialised Autistic people are excluded from science spaces because their communication styles are misjudged, their curiosity is dismissed, or their ways of thinking do not match rigid academic norms.
They are shaped by racism, ableism, cultural expectations, and narrow ideas of who is seen as “scientific”.
Poster from SEMA, Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics, titled “Women and Girls in Science.” Subtitle reads “Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls.” The poster lists statistics highlighting gender disparities: 46 percent of young women pursue higher education compared with 40 percent of men, yet women make up 35 percent of science graduates; fewer than 2 percent of quantum job applicants are women and 80 percent of quantum companies have no senior female leaders; in artificial intelligence, 22 percent of professionals are women. The website sema.scot appears at the bottom.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science exists to highlight how women and girls continue to be underrepresented, undervalued, and excluded across scientific fields. For racialised Autistic women, non-binary people and gender-diverse people, barriers in science are rarely just about gender.
Also read about The Five Neurodivergent Love Languages here:
stimpunks.org/2022/01/22/t...
#AutisticLove
#NeurodivergentAffirming
#RacialisedAutistics
#SEMA
⬩ Cultural and faith values shape how love is expressed
⬩ Neurodivergent connection deserves respect, not correction
This Valentine’s Day, we invite reflection rather than comparison. Love is not about fitting a mould. It is about being understood in how you give and receive care.
At SEMA, we affirm that love does not have to follow one script to be valid. We advocate for understanding that recognises:
⬩ Love can be shown through actions rather than words
⬩ Sensory boundaries are part of care, not rejection
⬩ Direct communication is not a lack of romance
Autistic love languages are not lesser. They are intentional, thoughtful, and deeply felt.
Autistic love may show up as shared silence, parallel play, practical care, honesty, consistency, or protecting someone’s energy. It may not look performative or scripted, but it is real.
Poster titled “Autistic Love Languages” by SEMA, Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics. The design features soft pastel illustrations showing different ways autistic people express care and connection. Circular icons depict “Support swapping” with hands exchanging items, “Penguin pebbling” with two penguins sharing a small object, “Deep pressure” with hands clasped, “Infodumping” with a person talking at a laptop, and “Body doubling” with two people reading together. Below, text reads “Autistic love can look like:” followed by examples: cultural humour and shared language; being understood without code switching; talking about justice, history, and politics; doing life side by side; learning, gaming, and being together; deep pressure and sensory care. At the bottom it says, “Ask the people you love what makes them feel loved.” and includes the website sema.scot.
Love languages often centre one narrow idea of love.
Romantic. Verbal. Neurotypical. Public.
For Autistic people, love can look and feel very different. Especially for racialised Autistic people, whose expressions of care are often misunderstood, dismissed & judged through cultural & ableist lenses
We wish care, safety, and dignity to all who are marking the Year of the Red Fire Horse in ways that honour who they are.
#LunarNewYear2026
#YearOfTheFireHorse
#RacialisedAutistics
#NeurodivergentCulture
#SEMA
