International Women's Day: a time to celebrate, but also #PressforProgress
This year International Women’s Day (IWD) is even more poignant in the UK, with 2018 marking the 100th anniversary of British women winning the right to vote.But while some shifts in gender equality have improved, the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that gender parity is still 200 years away.Campaigning for fairness should occur all year round, but every year 8th March puts a spotlight on all the great initiatives that are challenging perceptions and celebrating women on an amplified scale.Some inspiring PR campaigns we’ve seen globally so far this year include:
- Uber’s #DrivenWomen, promoting its female drivers in Asia Pacific
- Waterstones, dedicating its homepage to just female writers, alongside other events and pop-ups
- Serena William’s powerful Until We Win Nike ad, which debuted during the Academy Awards, that looks to inspire other females to believe, “…there’s no wrong way to be a woman.”
- Smirnoff’s ‘Equalizing Music’ initiative, which raises the profile and exposure of women musicians around the world following the trending of the #GrammySoMale viral hashtag after Alessia Cara was the only female winner
- Vans and its look into the world of Indian female skateboarding, with Girls Skate India, teaching newcomers how to skate in Bangalore and aiming to break down the sport’s gender stereotypes
All the while, iconic female empowerment campaigns such as This Girl Can, Like a Girl, and Bodyform’s tongue in cheek response to men’s perceptions, are a continued inspiration.Many of these examples demonstrate the power of a think global, act local methodology. As PR practitioners this is a tactic we often have to balance — driving a global approach to communications, but also applying local context and market activations that resonate with each target audience where required.How will you #PressforProgress this year? Find out how to get involved here.