Meet Victoria Gordon: Enabling women in Northern Ireland to own their lives

We are excited to introduce you to our *new* Development Lead for Northern Ireland, Victoria Gordon. We sat down with her to find out more about her passion and brilliance.

Victoria's face!

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m Northern Ireland born and bred - and yes, the fair skin gives it away! I’m a total people person and love nothing more than a good belly laugh and genuine connection.

I’m a mum to three amazing girls and married to my husband Ric. Family life is always at the core of everything I do.  As a business owner and mentor, I love helping people grow in confidence, step into their potential, and find purpose.

Over 10 years ago, someone close to me was subjected to domestic abuse. Walking that journey opened my eyes to the impact of abuse and the strength it takes to rebuild. I knew very little about domestic abuse at that time, so I made it my mission to educate myself, so I could better advocate for and support women. This journey eventually led me to Own My Life, where I help create spaces for women to be seen, believed, and empowered.

What is it about Own My Life that led you to want to get involved with our work?

My friend Victoria Mason kept telling me about this incredible course and how I absolutely needed to meet Natalie Collins, Own My Life's Creator - and let’s just say once I met Natalie - the rest was history! From that moment, I was inspired by the way Own My Life meets women with respect, dignity, and compassion. The course gently but powerfully helps women rediscover their voice, recognise their value, and take steps toward rebuilding their lives with strength, confidence, and hope.

You’ve just finished running an Own My Life course in Northern Ireland, can you tell us a bit about that?

It has been such a privilege to run the course here in Northern Ireland alongside my sister Sarahanne. Over the twelve weeks it was beautiful to watch the women grow in knowledge, confidence and strength. One of the most special things was seeing the sisterhood that formed in the room each week - women encouraging, supporting, and lifting one another up. What’s been really lovely is that those connections haven’t stopped now that the course has finished. The friendships and support they built together are continuing beyond the walls where we met, and that’s incredibly powerful to see.

For those outside of Northern Ireland, can you give them a taste of the brilliance and beauty of your nation, and also why Own My Life is so needed?

Northern Ireland is such a beautiful place - from the stunning coastline and rolling green countryside, to the warmth and resilience of its people. There is a strong sense of community here. Yet behind that beauty is a sobering reality: Northern Ireland is often described as one of the most dangerous places in Europe for women to live. Since 2020, thirty women have been violently killed here by men, and police respond to a domestic abuse call every 16 minutes. That’s why work like Own My Life matters so much - helping women who have been abused by a partner rediscover their strength, their voice, and find the freedom to rebuild their lives, whilst also educating and equipping people in workplaces, schools, and those in leadership roles to better understand and respond to domestic abuse.

If people want to talk further to you about Own My Life in Northern Ireland, how can they get in touch with you?

If anyone would like to find out more about Own My Life in Northern Ireland, I’d absolutely love to hear from them. They can get in touch with me by emailing me victoria.gordon@ownmylifecourse.org.

I’d be very happy to have a conversation, answer questions, or simply connect!