About me

I am a passionate and committed feminist, with over 15 years’ experience in the development and humanitarian sector. I have had the privilege of living and working in the UK, Viet Nam, Tanzania, Jordan and Kenya and I have worked for a variety of different organisations, ranging from local non-profits, to international NGOs, to research think tanks. For over 11 years I have worked for some of the biggest thought leading organisations spearheading gender equality work, including CARE International; Marie Stopes International; Hivos; International Rescue Committee and UNFPA. During this time, I have listened, learnt, reflected and evolved; this has led me to establish core values and beliefs around how certain areas of work should be created and implemented.

I am dual nationality – English and Italian – and married to a half-Spanish, half-Belgium and we are parents to two children. Keeping four sets of roots and identities alive when we don’t live in any of the countries is complicated but it’s made our family curious and flexible! I balance my work and family life, with a love for yoga and meditation and I am now a newly qualified yoga teacher!

Julia Maria Angeli
Founder and Director

What’s in a name?

The name Cyclica is inspired by women’s deep and inherent wisdom. When we are grounded in ourselves and that inner work on our unique rhythm has been explored, we can illuminate, inspire and break down the structures of oppression. We are not irrational, hormonal or out of control. We should listen to that powerful inner truth and awaken into ourselves.

Our Values

Approaches

Evidence-based

Limited evidence exists on what works and the evidence that does exist is often underutilised. The majority of research is generated in academic institutions and research think tanks which often operate in silo to the implementers. At Cyclica, we help our partners to bridge this gap by using existing data and evidence or generate findings that can be used to design, influence and create.

Transformative

We believe in the power of challenging harmful stereotypes and social norms – this is where transformative and long-lasting change resides. There are collections of (open access) curricula and training materials on social norm change that can be adapted to support staff, organisational cultures and communities to explore and reflect on the norms, beliefs and practices that shape their lives. These materials can help to shift perspectives and when this is enabled in peer and community structures, a wave of change can occur.

Intersectional and integrated

We understand that interlocking systems of oppression exist to compound each other and that everyone’s lived experience is unique. We understand the importance of centring and elevating the voices of those who experience economic, social and structural barriers in multiple ways and why it’s important to integrate this into research, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.