Empowering Women+: Celebrating International Women's Day
Mar 07, 2024Empowering Women+: Celebrating International Women's Day
Advocating for Women's Financial Freedom
International Women’s Day is not just a day to say, ‘love you’ ‘great job’, here’s a pat on the back just because you identify as a woman but to truly celebrate the people who are creating change towards equality and to build awareness to gender issues such as the pay gap between males and female, access to education and leadership opportunities as well as violence against women. I’m a big advocator for women's financial freedom and equality in the workforce. International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate, empower, advocate for, inspire, and create change in support of women's rights and gender equality. By coming together to uplift and support one another, we can work towards a more just and inclusive society where all individuals have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
As a woman in finance for my entire career, I have seen every day the importance of women being in control of their finances. Being in control of your own financial destiny and making choices that align with your goals and values is power and freedom. We all need agency and autonomy in all aspects of our own lives. When we don’t have this control, it leads to feels of scarcity and lack and can make us extremely vulnerable.
Women+’s lack of financial freedom go hand in hand with financial coercion and domestic violence in my opinion. There is often a lack of ability to escape in these situations, no access to funds to reestablish or get away from the situation especially if you have to support dependants. There is a real lack of acknowledgement in the LGBTQI+ community around domestic violence and after the recent passing of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird it’s really highlighted that we don’t often see this in the mainstream media yet domestic violence in these communities is actually really high. We need to bring these conversations to the forefront as well. We need to be able to control our money, control our well-being and control our outcomes.
There is a drastic need for change in attitudes, policies, and practices that perpetuate inequality and limit the opportunities available to women. I encourage you to take action, speak up, and work towards a future where all individuals, regardless of gender, have the opportunity to thrive and succeed. It is going to take a collective effort to make change and it needs to come from everyone who cares about human rights. Can you tell I’m passionate about this? You should listen to this week’s podcast on this topic…now that’s passion (or could be seen as a slight rant).
Try to imagine a gender equal world? A world where there’s no discrimination, no bias and no one pigeonholed. What would that look like? What would change? What actions need to be made to get there? How can you invest in women and minority genders? How can you inspire inclusion?
As Reese said, “I encourage women to step up. Don’t wait for somebody to ask you.” – Reese Witherspoon
So, let’s overcome obstacles, shattered glass ceilings, and make a positive impact on the world!
https://unwomen.org.au/get-involved/international-womens-day/
