First of all, do the Brits still have an Empire? Last week, the 4th was with us, The Empire Strikes Back remains one of my favorite Star Wars films and Scary Spice is now an MBE!
All joking aside, she earned it for her work in the Domestic Violence arena. That’s an awfully scary space to come from.
“It’s amazing to have but it’s not just for me – it’s for all those other women. Especially because of Covid, there’s been such an epidemic of domestic violence, that’s been completely on the rise, and I’ve got an army of women behind me that need help and need to be heard. So I’m their voice because we’ve all been through exactly the same story, so I don’t take it as it’s my award because it’s our award because we’ve survived.“
Melanie Brown
Mel B was married to her abuser for 10 years. Their share a daughter. She left the relationship but went back. That is not unusual. But when her beloved father died from Cancer, she found the strength to leave for good. Her husband is a denier. But Mel B got help from Women’s Aid and went to become their spokeswoman. It was in this role as an advocate for abused women that earned her this latest honor.
Paperback, hardback and Kindle versions of her book are available and I’m sure it’s riveting reading. If you haven’t been in a violent relationship consider yourself lucky. It’s more common that you may think and the pandemic has made it worse for many reasons. Everyone is stressed and then women have been locked down with their abusers.
We’re proud of Mel B for her membership in the legendary Spice Girls. Love them or hate them they made music history and she’s part of it. We’re proud of her for getting out of a horrible relationship and not hiding the fact that she was abused. We’re proud of her for using her power to help other victims through her work with Women’s Aid. We’re proud of her for receiving the Member of the British Emprise award for what it means to Brits. She’s more than just a pretty face. She’s a strong woman and mother and role model.
