I'm Sick of IWD

I’m Sick Of IWD?

I finally said the thing that so many of us are thinking.?

I’m sick and tired of International Women’s Day. And not because I don’t believe in what it stands for.?

I ferociously work towards empowering and bettering the lives of women in my community and the communities around me. In fact I’ve created charities in the past to raise up the women of abandoned communities because I know that by empowering women we improve the lives of every single person that they touch. I’m even working towards bringing this back into my business again as I grow and do more each year.?

So why do I feel my stomach churn more than ever as we approach IWD for 2025??

Because it begins to feel like Groundhog Day.

Here we go again. Another International Women’s Day, another flood of pink cupcakes, corporate panels, and LinkedIn posts about celebrating women - only for the world to go back to business as usual the very next day.

And, outside of the hashtags and feel-good marketing campaigns, real power imbalances still exist.

Women are still underpaid.

Women are still unsafe in their own homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

Women’s rights are still being debated, controlled, and stripped away in parts of the world.

And this year’s International Women’s Day theme; “March Forward - For ALL Women and Girls” is a stark reminder that if we want real change, we have to go beyond the slogans.(The theme mentioned is the one directly from the UN International Women’s Day website, other organisations bearing the same name have sprung up since the first UN IWD which may have different themes for 2025 and cause a bit of confusion about the day).?

Because true empowerment?

It’s not about handing women a seat at the table. It’s about burning the damn table down and rebuilding it in a way that serves everyone. That’s right EVERYONE.?

So what does real action look like? And how can we make sure it is not just today, but every day??

1. Advance Women’s and Girls’ Rights

Women’s rights are not a privilege. They’re a fundamental necessity. Yet, across the world, women and girls still face systemic violence, discrimination, and exploitation.

From wage gaps to reproductive rights, from sexual violence to child marriage, there is no justice until every woman and girl has full control over her life, body, and choices.

So what can we do?

• Call out injustice when you see it. Whether it’s a sexist joke in a meeting or a major policy issue, silence equals complicity.
• Vote for policies and leaders who prioritise women’s rights. Because systemic change doesn’t happen by accident.
• Protect the most vulnerable. Indigenous women, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, disabled women, and women in marginalized communities face even greater challenges. Fighting for women’s rights means fighting for ALL women, not just the ones who look like us. Protection also doesn’t mean infantilising, these are women who deserve to have their voices heard and by making space for them we allow them to empower themselves and create lasting change.?

2. Promote Gender Equality

True gender equality isn’t about empowerment branches; it’s about power redistribution.

It means:

• Dismantling patriarchal structures. If a system benefits from keeping women small and profiting off women's free labour, it needs to go.
• Holding businesses accountable. If a company is celebrating IWD but has a gender pay gap? Call it out.
• Amplifying women’s voices; especially those on the margins. Women with privilege must use their platforms to uplift others, not just themselves.

3. Foster Empowerment

If we want women and girls to thrive, we need to stop waiting for permission and start creating opportunities.

• Ask for the money. Stop undervaluing your worth. Demand pay that reflects your skills and impact.
• Take up space and stand in your spotlight. Stop apologising for being in the room. Stop shrinking. You deserve to be in every room where decisions are made.
• Invest in women. Hire women. Mentor women. Fund women-led businesses. Buy from women-owned brands.
• Lead unapologetically. Stop playing small. The world needs more women in leadership; as thought leaders and decision-makers.

Progress isn’t made in a single day. It’s made in the choices we make every single day.?

To push forward, to demand better, and to refuse to accept a world where women and girls are treated as second-class citizens.

So, this International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate, yes. But let’s also do the work.

Let’s hold each other up, not just when it’s easy, not just when there are cupcakes involved, but every damn day.

Let’s choose connection and curiosity over the division that is so drastically trying to take away the power that those in control are so scared of us stepping into.?

Because I can feel the fire inside the women in my life and I can see it inside you too.

It’s time to set the world ablaze and create something that benefits not just some but everyone.

Why everyone?

Because as a mother of one daughter and two sons, and married to one of the biggest advocates for my work in this world, I know that we need to work towards a better future together.

It’s never about someone being better than anyone else, it’s about equality in its purest form, and we need to take action together to achieve this.?

Want to hear more? I’m diving into this topic in this week’s podcast - Links below

But I don’t want this to be just my voice in the conversation - I want to hear yours.

What’s the ONE thing you’re doing to drive real change for yourself, for the women in your world or for women on a larger scale?

Let’s turn this into a movement, not just another moment.

?? SPOTIFY

?? APPLE

Janine x