#BreakTheBias

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day dedicated to recognising the achievements of women around the world. It’s a time to reflect and voice action over the acceleration of women’s equality. It’s an urgent reminder that we should all be playing a role in the fight for women’s rights around the world.

IWD dates back to 1911 where meetings and protests were held across Europe, with more than 30,000 women coming together to stand up for their rights. In 1913, IWD was moved to March 8th and has been held on the same day ever since.

This year it’s all about breaking the bias. It’s about creating a world free of stereotypes and discrimination, creating a world that is equitable and inclusive, and creating a world where difference is valued and women are empowered.

At Leina & Fleur, we are extremely passionate about the advocacy of women’s rights. From creating a community where women feel safe and valued, to breaking the sizing bias in the fashion industry, we will do whatever it takes to forge equality for all women.

Let’s take a look at some of the steps we can all take to help accelerate change and how we can strive to create an unbiased world. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

Imagine a gender equal world

It is hard to believe that even in 2022 we continue to see gender inequality. It is present in too many environments, especially in the home. We cannot make strides towards equality, if it is not ingrained in our lives at home. The examples we set for the generations to come is how we can start to shape the future.

Think about your life at home. Do you and your partner have equality in daily chores? Do you find yourself doing most of the parenting? If we are demonstrating to our children these societal ‘norms’, then we are not helping to break the bias. By making subtle shifts in our lives at home, regardless of gender, where we all play an equal role, we can start to break down these stereotypes. Our children should not grow up with the ideology that women must take the full brunt of household chores.

A lot of the time we are too eager to be proactive with external change, that we forget that the root of all change begins in the home.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination

If we want to create a world free of stereotypes and discrimination, we have to start with ourselves. Creating a non-judgemental mind requires commitment on a daily basis.

For example, are you judging yourself? Are you giving in to society’s expectations despite disagreeing with them? Do you change things about yourself out of fear of judgement from the external world? Change starts with you. To get rid of these stereotypes, we must not listen to them! Just because you are a Mum does not mean you have to match society's expectations of what a Mum should look like. Wear whatever you want. Do the things that make YOU happy even if other people disagree.

If we want to break the bias, we must be committed to doing so on all levels. Sometimes we can be too quick to accept defeat and automatically revert back to the notion of ‘a man could do it better’. When you need to move something heavy do you look for a man or do you think ‘how can we move this together’? As women, we have been brought up with the ideology that men do the heavy lifting and women do the cleaning. From movies, to magazines, it has been hard to escape these stereotypes. That is why it is so important for us to make these subtle changes at home and get rid of stereotypes forever. We have to remind ourselves: We are women and we can do anything.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated

Celebrating differences at home and in the workplace should be a priority for every person. We would not be where we are today if we were all the same.

If we want to be valued and celebrated, we must prioritise the celebration of those around us, especially in the workplace. We live in a society where the loudest people are often noticed first. Make sure you are looking out for those around you who aren’t always in the spotlight. Make sure they are heard. Make sure you are consciously giving every member of your team the opportunity to feel valued and celebrated.

Every day is an opportunity to #BreakTheBias. Start by making those small changes in your home life. Start the butterfly effect for change.

Take up the challenge today and start making subtle shifts to create the change we all want to be a part of.

Share what changes you are making today. How will you help #BreakTheBias?