On this International Women’s Day we not only want to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, but also extend our gratitude to the women that are fighting the good fight on the daily, you are our inspiration!
“We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.”
International Women's Day has been an official holiday since 1911 but has been celebrated amongst feminist groups globally since 1908 and The Suffragette movement. A time of great civil unrest when women stood up against oppression, and inequality, fought and won their right to vote! Progress! Right?
Over 100 years on, this is abhorrently not the case. The 2022 SDG Gender Index reports on a global level how equality is being measured and reports show how the pandemic brought to light the divide in inequality once more. To this day, not one country has yet to reach full gender equality and 18 countries saw their scores drop.
According to UNICEF, Ecuador, Brazil, and the U.K. are three countries that have faced austerity for decades and have made zero progress or scored worse on the report than in 2015. Between 2016 and 2020 we saw one in 20 U.K. households struggling to feed their families and using food banks with statistics rising yearly. We have also seen a surge in DV and SA with only cuts to the vital services made available to help women.
“Collective activism is what drives change. From grassroots action to wide-scale momentum, we can all embrace equity.”
Gender issues and body autonomy have also become highly politicised. All across America, mandates and bills are being passed that suppress, repress, and oppress women and the LGBTQIA+ community. Terrifying anti-abortion laws that put women at severe risk of health issues both mentally and physically have been passed in 13 states. There are laws in some US states still banning women of colour from wearing their natural hair to work! Human rights are being taken away and threatened, so the need for allyship and speaking up against sexism, racism, and women's and trans rights is vital in our fight.
Violence against trans people is more prevalent than ever and just this year alone there have been 64 reported trans lives lost. Just this month we lost Brianna Ghey, 16 to a brutal murder in the UK, and this week a bill was proposed in Florida that children undergoing gender-affirming care could be forcibly removed from happy homes and kept from treatment and their families! We still have big steps to make before reaching true equality and we get there by embracing equity. If you want to find out how you can support trans lives or if you are struggling with gender identity issues yourself, please see our blog about our current dedicated charity Gendered Intelligence where you can reach for educational resources and signposting.
“Forging gender equity isn't limited to women solely fighting the good fight. Allies are incredibly important for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women.”
It’s tough out there, but we are tougher. We want to make sure that every single one of our community feels loved and knows that Glisten is a safe space! The theme for this year's International Women's Day is #EmbraceEquity which means embracing a world without judgement or stereotypes, so throughout the month of March we will be bringing you femme-powered features that will leave you feeling inspired and energised. From music to makeup, to incredible influencers that will enlighten your feeds and help build your sense of self whilst encouraging you to lift those around you! No matter how you celebrate this IWD, we want to leave you feeling empowered and even made a playlist for the occasion- you can't hold us down!
We also can’t let this special day go by without giving a big IWD thanks to our incredible squad of gorgeous girls at Glisten. We wouldn't be able to get by without our amazing team of pussy power and their constant hard work that helps keep our company thriving. With Mother’s Day right around the corner we want to give an extra special thanks to Mumma Glisten 💕
“I wouldn’t be half as driven or determined if it wasn’t for her!” - Natalie, CEO Glisten Cosmetics
Tag us in your International Women's Day celebrations throughout the month! Maybe you have some looks inspired by The Suffragette's?! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for more content and check back next week for more IWD themed blogs!
By Erin O'Neill
[Quotes from International Women's Day Website https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme]
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