International Women's Day 2018
#PressForProgress
Thursday 8th March 2018 marks International Women’s Day, a day recognised globally to celebrate the achievements of all women from around the world and to act as a reminder of the integral importance of gender parity.
The day itself has roots dating back to 1909, but was only recognised in 1975 by the United Nations. It’s celebrated in many ways around the globe, for example, in Italy yellow Mimosa flowers are given to women, and often in China women are given half the day off of work, while the US has dedicated the entire month of March to ‘Women’s History Month’.
Suffragettes march down Fifth Avenue, 1917
Here at Bluebella, we LOVE International Women’s Day and were in the thick of it at the #march4women on Sunday, from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square! As a brand focused on female empowerment as well as embracing and owning your own sensuality, we couldn’t be more supportive of a day pushing for gender equality and celebrating all women!
As a team consisting of mostly women, we see how wonderful equality in the workplace can be and truly strive for more representation across other workforces, especially those that are particularly male-dominated. We also strive to see more women taking on positions of power and given the opportunity to demonstrate all skills and abilities across the board as leaders!
Tigerlily Taylor, model, Bluebella muse and writer holding up her promise for IWD
Whilst there is much to celebrate in the advancement of women, there is also still a lot of progress that needs to be made. This past year has seen the rise of many movements such as the #MeToo campaign as well as #TimesUp, shedding light on sexual harassment in the workplace and society in general, with strong celebrity advocates and figureheads.
Celebrities at the Golden Globes dressed in black in solidarity with the Time's Up campaign
This year’s IWD campaign theme is #PressForProgess, using this current momentum for change, and pushing forward for true gender parity in the workplace, and an environment utterly free from abuse.
Statistics show that on average women are paid much lower than men in the workplace, with women of colour earning even less than white women. The World Economic Forum recently reported that this gap won’t close for another 200 years! This is utterly shocking, and why this year we are focusing on really working and pushing together so that we can achieve gender parity within all of our lifetimes!
Emily, Bluebella Production and Social Sorceror, holding up her promise for IWD: “I attended London's Women’s March on Sunday. The passion, diversity and strength of everyone there was hugely positive. However it also highlighted how much there is to do and how widespread the issues we face are in terms of gender inequality."
So what can we do to try and bring about this change? Luckily, on the IWD website they’ve listed out ways in which you too can support this movement by implementing changes into your everyday life. These include: making sure the language you use is inclusive, calling out any inappropriate behaviour and questioning any lack of inclusivity, as well as challenging any statements that could be seen as limiting a woman’s potential.
You can also help by supporting companies that actively try and reach out to give more equal opportunities to women, and that generally have a more inclusive workforce! Read more on the IWD website here.
Dani, Bluebella Wholesale Honey, holding up her promise for IWD: "If you’re from a small city in the south of Italy (like me), stereotypes and bias are very common! I love being a strong and open-minded woman and making other women feel the same!"
At Bluebella we believe that every little helps and we will use International Women’s Day this year to focus on how we too can #PressForProgress, as well as celebrating the women in our lives who really inspire us. Let us know which women inspire you, and tag us on Instagram showing us how you plan on celebrating International Women’s Day this year!
Karolina, Bluebella Ecommerce Energiser holding up her promise for IWD: “The last year's shown us how important it is to fight for what we believe in and that hard work brings change. We musn't let go of the goal of a truly equal world. Working alongside amazing and inspiring women at Bluebella makes that so much easier.”
Check out www.internationalwomensday.com for more info, and how you can take action on this important day!
And happy International Women's Day, you lovely, brave, intelligent, strong and gorgeous women.
Emma, Bluebella Customer Care Hero holding up her promise for IWD: "It’s easy to feel negative about inequality but it’s so important to remain positive, press for progress and look at what's already been achieved!"
