Unsubscribe From Anything That Feels Like BS This IWD

Happy International Women's Day!

Let me first say that IWD is really important. Full stop. It brings issues to our
collective attention that should be on our radars every day. Things like equality for all genders, access to leadership and decision-making roles in representative numbers, women's safety, security and bodily sovereignty. The fact that we are still so far from equality should drive us to #accelerateaction every day, not just on IWD. But at least it brings it to the forefront each year.

That being said, some of what we see on IWD can be superficial or performative, and those are the places where we want to unsubscribe. 

At WLI we often make the distinction between networks - loose bonds with a large number of people, vs community - tight bonds with a smaller number of people with whom we get stuff done. So one way to move past superficial experiences on IWD is to be in community. Attend an event with a small group of friends or colleagues,
connect more deeply, have some really good conversations, share your stories and perspectives and ideally get something done together. Participate in something that moves the needle. That can be as simple as buying from women-owned businesses, making thoughtful charitable donations, volunteering or participating in equity
initiatives in your workplace.

There are so many events around IWD that can be a great opportunity to get
​​​​​​​informed and inspired. What I know as someone who works on gender equity all year round is that myself and many other women are still asked to speak and work on IWD for free, for low pay and at the last minute. That's the performative piece that we want to unsubscribe from. It's pretty ironic that one of the things IWD draws attention to is the persistent pay gap and economic gap that many women continue to face, while at the same time asking women to work for free for "exposure". 

I've been at this a long time and I know that in most cases exposure doesn't pay the bills. Just like anyone else at any other job, we deserve to get paid. So if you have the option to support events where the speakers are well compensated and are part of a longer term commitment to gender equality (instead of just ticking the IWD box) then definitely spend your time, energy, money and attention in those places.

It’s up to us to make IWD meaningful in our own way, and we know that when we #accelerateaction what's good for women is also good for everyone - workplaces, communities and families.

Want proof? www.womensleadershipintensive.ca/book

Let's do this,

– Belinda & the WLI Team