International Women's Day - Sneaky Pre-launch bonus episode

This episode looks at International Women's Day - looking at is it still relevant, why we have 3 themes and what we make of it all. 

Transcript

Audio Only - All Participants 0:00

Hi, I'm Belinda. Business mindset coach, gen X woman, and someone who thinks midlife gets a pretty bad rap. This podcast is for women in business who are navigating the messy but meaningful middle of life with grit and grace and creating the best chapter yet. I appreciate you being here, and with that, let's get into today's episode. Hi, welcome. So I thought I'd be a bit cheeky today and drop a bonus episode, which is coming straight after a teaser before we even officially launch, Because I didn't wanna miss the opportunity to speak about International Women's Day, and I wanna talk about it not in a motivational quote type of way, but let's actually sit with it for a minute, because for me this year feels a little bit different. Firstly, international Women's Day was removed from both Google Calendars and Apple Calendars last year, I really don't wanna get into the political parts of it, but as women, 50% of the population, I think this feels kind of silencing, The other thing is that I've recently become aware that there are multiple themes for International Women's Day. In fact, there are three, and curiously, it's been like this for 20 years and I wasn't even aware of it. The themes are coming from different places with different emphasis, and I think that is probably something worth exploring a little. So that's what this episode is a look at each of the themes, what they mean, and most importantly, what they might mean for you as a Gen X or millennial woman building a business, living a full and sometimes complicated life. But first to clear some things up. Let's have a quick look at how we ended up with three things. International Women's Day isn't one organization and it never has been. It started as a grassroots political movement over a century ago, and over time it's been taken up By the United Nations, by national bodies, by advocacy organizations, and yes, by the corporate world. So what we now have is a day that means different things to different groups, that each of those groups tend to set their own agenda. The UN has its global platform. UN Women Australia interprets that through a local lens and international women's day.com. The commercial campaign organization that most brands and businesses align with runs its own parallel, separate to the UN entirely. They don't always agree. And while that can add a sense of tension where we become aware of it like myself, it also reflects something valid and that is that. Women's issues can't really be encapsulated by one theme. The barriers facing a woman in rural Pakistan looks incredibly different to those facing a, a woman in suburban Melbourne. And both of those look different again to the experience of navigating a glass ceiling in a corporate boardroom. So holding the three themes may in fact allow all women to feel seen in one way or another, even if, as we know in business, having three lots of messaging can be super tricky. So let's start with a bit of context, because sometimes I think these annual moments can start to feel like wallpaper familiar, expected, easy to tune out. As I mentioned, international Women's Day has been around a long time since 1911, over a century of marking this day. And you might reasonably ask, are we still doing this? Do we still need to? And while I imagine many of the women listening to this believe this to be a no-brainer, there are women who openly believe that women should just be happy with their lot in life because of how far we have come. and just to be clear, I am not one of those women because if you look at what's actually happening in the world right now. Ask, do we still need this day? The answer is yes, absolutely. Yes, the scary facts are that one in three women globally will still experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The gender pay gap is still real. Women, particularly women in midlife, are navigating invisible barriers that the data shows are structural, not personal. So international women day matters, not because we haven't made progress, because we have, but because progress isn't the same as equality. So let's do a bit quick breakdown of each of these themes. So, as I mentioned, there are three distinct International Women's Day themes running simultaneously, and I find the contrast between them genuinely. Interesting. The UN global theme is Rights, justice, action for All Women and Girls. It certainly has a global feel to it. It's looking at things like discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, harmful social norms, the scaffolding of that inequality that still exists across the world. It's theme reminds us that for lots of women globally, the barriers aren't about mindset. They're about systems, about what's legal or illegal accessible or out of reach, and I guess I appreciate the directness of this rights justice action, not soft language, not inspirational, just this is what's needed. Not inspirational, just this is what's needed. The second theme, the UN Women Australia theme is Balance the scales. It feels like they've chosen something a little bit closer to home. their theme is about being fair and inclusive for every woman and girl here in Australia, This can mean many things to many women, whether it's about the legal system, whether it's about the corporate world or the way women are portrayed in the media. And trust me, I have an opinion on each, but I think each of us will lean into where it leans in our own way about finding equality or that balance. And I find that framing meaningful, particularly as women in business. And if we think about ourselves in the tricky stage of life, the scales we're balancing in our own lives, the weight of caregiving, of self-doubt, Of systems that weren't built with us in mind of medical research that has been predominantly male centric. Those are real and lived. moving onto the third theme, give to gain from the International Women's day.com business, it's probably the campaign that you are most seeing, and that's because. There's a lot of businesses and brands that align with it, The idea is reciprocity. That when we invest in women, be it through mentorship, resources, time, advocacy, opportunity, everybody gains almost like the all ships rise together. Feel. And I want to be fair to this theme because I think there's something genuinely true in it. When women are supported and resourced, the ripple effects are real in families, in communities, in economies. It's not just marketing. The research backs it up, but I also think that this theme. Is most susceptible to what I call sort of that performative allyship. The give to gay messaging could easily become a corporate branding exercise without much underneath it, a purple logo, a morning tea, a social post, and them back to business as usual. So I hold it with both hands that the intention is good. It's the execution of it that I think has potential to vary enormously. So what does all this have to do with you? I wanna bring it back to you because this is a podcast for women business who are in midlife, and I think International Women's Day lands differently for us than it might be for a 25-year-old just starting out, or for someone not in the workforce. We're at a point in our lives where we have enough lived experience to see the patterns and what comes up for us might feel different, perhaps years of giving more than we received. The way our contributions were sometimes minimized or overlooked, the way we may have learned, to make ourselves smaller so others could feel bigger. Or maybe all or maybe none of these. But I've noticed in speaking with women in this generation, if we're paying attention in the middle of the brain fog, we can sometimes feel shifts. There's often a moment, a resistant to keep acting in ways that no longer feel aligned. A kind of emerging clarity about what actually is or should be or could be. I think all of these International Women's Day things in their own ways speak to that. Rights, justice in action. We know what it feels like to operate in systems that weren't designed for us. Think corporate structures that lean into competition and Friday night drinks. I remember when I was a teacher that the guys in our staff room would always have their reporting completed first, high school teaching 120 reports due, but in general, the guys would go home and sit in their office. And just get it done. The kids magically got dinner. They were magically off to bed, and we often choked that. We all needed a wife because for most of us, and most of us were moms, we needed to go home, do dinner, baths, and bed, and then after that, somewhere between eight 30 and nine, at least for me, that would be the start of my time to write my reports. so when we think about the action component of this theme, for those of us who've stepped out of corporate life and into our own businesses on our own terms, this is. Maybe our form of action one where we know the business is designed for us in the way that we want to work. So the next theme, balance the scales. I'm curious, what would it actually mean if the scales were balanced in your life? In your business, not in the hustle culture, grind harder type of way, but generally what needs to shift for you to feel like that weight is being distributed fairly? What's one action you could take today that might help you feel a better sense of the balanced scales? And the final theme give to gain, I wanna flip this one slightly Because I think the version of this theme I believe in isn't about giving more or doing more or stretching yourself, because I think we have done enough of that for me, I wanna position this one about investing in yourself generously without apology, and trusting that that gain is real. How often will we put our hand up without hesitation for investing in those around us? the expensive camp, the new shoes, for a particular sport, the opportunities that we will invest in for others. Many of us feel a resistance when it is focused on ourselves. So right here, right now, I just wanna let you know you are allowed to be the recipient of the giving, not just the source of it. And if you're already there and you didn't need to hear this, I wanna congratulate you because it is a tricky one. So to wrap up. International Wednesday is one of those moments that can feel like noise, or it can feel like a moment to pause and reflect or even move to action. The choice is really yours. The fact that there are three different themes this year globally, locally, commercially, actually reflects the complexity that shows up for women in their lives. There's no single lens that captures it all. There's big system picture. The lived experience on the ground and the everyday choices we make about how we show up, where we show up, and for who we show up. And I believe all of this counts, but most importantly, I truly believe you count. So today, however you're spending it, I hope you take a moment to acknowledge how far you've come, Not in a performative way. You don't have to put it on socials or find a speaking gig to share it at, but perhaps just a quiet moment to reflect and celebrate the amazing woman that you are.