#ChooseToChallenge - International Women's Day

International Women’s Day 2023 is on Wednesday 8th March. One of our favorite IWD campaigns is to ask people to step up and ‘#ChooseToChallenge’. As a challenged world is an alert world and essentially, from challenge comes change. So celebrate women’s achievements and take action for equality!

How will you help forge a gender equal world?

The campaign invited people and organisations to join the world to send in their #ChooseToChallenge photos. The team at Dynamic Pilates struck the #ChooseToChallenge pose with their hands high! We chose to show commitment to challenge inequality, questioning stereotypes and help forge an inclusive world.

So why not submit a photograph of yourself striking the #ChooseToChallenge hand up pose?

Gender Equality by 2030

We believe this day is a time to reflect on the progress made. We call for change and encourage everyone to celebrate acts of courage and determination. Especially those by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

Gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action. Society needs to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still effect women’s rights in private and public spheres.

“The world has made unprecedented advances, but no country has achieved gender equality. Fifty years ago, we landed on the moon; in the last decade, we discovered new human ancestors and photographed a black hole for the first time. In the meantime, legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men. Less than 25 percent of parliamentarians were women, as of 2019. One in three women experience gender-based violence, still.”

Belize's UN Resident Coordinator 2021

We believe in celebrating women, we ask Korin and Tiffany, what women inspire you?

We speak with Korin and Tiffany to find out why International Women’s Day is important to them. Korin says: “Tiffany and I are hardworking businesswomen, balancing work and home life with kids and husbands. We believe that it’s important that we work hard and show our daughters that we contribute to the family income. That we don’t solely rely on our husbands. It’s important to be independent and strive for more. I have previously been a single mother, I went to university when my son was 1 years old, I knew I needed to educate myself, build a career and build a better life for us. I believe this is a powerful message to pass onto our children.”

Korin’s Inspiring Women

Korin says: “Fellow mum and inspiring business women, Jade Holland Cooper. Jade is the founder and owner of the apparel brand, Holland Cooper. Apart from drooling all over her inspo- Instagram account, I think it’s incredible how Jade is a kick-ass boss, continuing to launch new collections whilst looking after and breastfeeding her newborn – truly inspirational. Vogue Williams is another inspiring woman I follow, the mother of two is super fun, engaging, charismatic and super strong minded. Vogue is an entrepreneurial working mum, she is her own boss and has launched her own products, such as the tanning brand, Bare By Vogue – I think women like that are the types of women we should look up to and find inspiring.”

For the Pilates Mom

Tiffany says: “I really like the entrepreneurial story of Kate Spade. A truly inspirational woman, Kate launched her business alongside her husband, Andy from the ground up, with nothing. Kate worked for years developing her brand from her small 400 square foot New York apartment, while still working a full time job. Kate wanted to design bags that were functional yet still classic looking.

“Within a few years the bags had become an international sensation, appearing on the back page of Vogue and in nearly every high-end department store. Eventually Kate sold her business for $124 million. Also struggling for years with anxiety and depression, Kate eventually took her own life. A sad story yes, but her story is also about building a brand from scratch and is truly inspiring for women and entrepreneurs.

This story is what we American’s refer to as the American Dream. Here is a really good podcast where Kate talks about her success story, How I Built This: Kate Spade – Kate & Andy Spade.”

In 2002 Kate was named ‘Woman of the Year’ by Glamour. “If you’re as honest and fair as you can be, not only in business but in life, things will work out,” she said in her cover story interview. “I hope that people remember me not just as a good businesswoman but as a great friend—and a heck of a lot of fun.”

“Madam C. J. Walker is another inspirational woman”, says Tiffany. “Though she’s now widely known by her married name, Walker’s given name was Sarah Breedlove. Known as America’s first black female self-made millionaire, she was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist who rose from poverty in the South to become one of the wealthiest African American women of her time. As her wealth increased, so did her political and philanthropic outreach. Sarah contributed to the YMCA, covered tuition for 6 African American students at Tuskegee Institute, and became active in the anti-lynching movement, donating hundreds of thousands to the NAACP’s efforts. Just prior to passing away of kidney failure, Sarah revised her will, passing two-thirds of future net profits to charity, as well as thousands of dollars to various schools and individuals.”

Netflix’s new historical drama ‘Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ is a perfect choice if you’re looking for some inspiration and escapism this International Women’s Day.