Why this IWD what women want is for men to show up
Founder of industry initiative, Fck The Cupcakes, and CEO of Innocean Australia Jasmin Bedir, asks that this IWD, men look to make a contribution.
Every year, the first quarter of the socially responsible marketing calendar is filled with 50 shades of pink and the ultimate crowd-pleaser of every internal corporate event: cupcakes.
Once the kids are back at school, and Valentine’s Day sales posters are placed in shop fronts, warm feelings and minority groups enter Australian boardrooms at scale. Just before the rainbow-coloured main event of socially conscious marketing (Mardi Gras), we have the much anticipated 24 hours, where highly qualified women speak to other highly qualified women at corporate events filled with baked goods, sometimes goodie bags, and plenty of self-empowerment messages, about issues that don’t really seem to improve much, year on year.
Yes, I’m talking about IWD, International Women’s Day (8 March).
A previous IWD campaign from Taboola
Love the sentiment. Is there not a different between equal attendance and equal participation though? with both being required. If you can’t participate, why attend?
It’s also our responsibility as women to invite men to these events and encourage participation – i can see why they feel uninvited. Let’s work together to make change happen:)
Shouldn’t be up to women to put in even more work and “invite” men along, just adding to the onus on them to be the ones pushing for an inch of participation. Men should want to be there for their female counterparts. Gender equality isn’t a women’s issue, it’s a human right.
Love this article. I’m raging. But I love it 🙂
An excellent piece where you do not mince your words, removed the fluff. I agree wholeheartedly with you.
I tried earlier to post a comment and it appears it failed. Share the space, and own it.
Cheers
Colin