International Women’s Day is a great reminder of what women can achieve when we have inspiring women to look up to. Since it began over 100 years ago, International Women’s Day has seen thousands of events celebrating women’s achievements, encouraging equality and offering inspiration to younger generations across the world.
It’s a great time to show a little thanks to the inspiring women in our lives. Where would we be without the mums, grandmothers, sisters, friends, and teachers who’ve taught and encouraged us to love ourselves? After all, self-esteem is one of the most valuable tools a girl can have and with so many obstacles in the way of nurturing it, the support of the women around us is as vital as oxygen (alright maybe not quite as vital, but you know what we mean).
In fact, we think EVERY day should be International Women’s Day - quite frankly, we’re pretty darned amazing on the other 364 days too. So how do we make a difference for women all year round?
- For starters, let’s make it a habit to celebrate a more diverse set of beauty role models. Lupita Nyong’o’s recent speech on beauty made it clearer then ever that every woman needs a relatable beauty role model. By being vocal about, and supporting brands that are embracing, a diverse range of women, we can do our bit to make the world a place where every skin colour and body type is valued.
- What else? Become the great role model you had, and encourage girls and young women to feel confident about their bodies. Banish negative body talk and make sure the women looking up to you know that every shape is sexy, that the best size is a healthy one and that flawlessness doesn’t equal beauty.
- But the most effective thing you can do? Make confidence contagious. Remind the women in your life how beautiful, gorgeous and fabulous they are and that they’re capable of anything and everything, so they step into the world feeling like they can do great things and spread their self-belief on.
