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March 8th, 2155: the last International Women's Day?

Shippypro_international_women_day

A date that is still controversial today: some say it no longer needs to be celebrated, yet every year International Women's Day arrives. And here at ShippyPro we have chosen to let women tell the story. 

No, not a usual marketing article. 

Why do we celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8th of March? 

The idea originated in the United States in 1909, the year during which the first movements to gain the right to vote began . 

The date, however, was chosen in Russia in 1922. Since 1972 - the year in which the United Nations proposed the celebration of the holiday - the date of March 8th has spread all over the world.

Not a commercial celebration

83% of the women interviewed at ShippyPro stressed the fact that March 8th is too often seen as a marketing hype and not as a date to address gender gap issues. 

Although they all agree that it is still necessary to celebrate International Women's Day, there is a need to get to grips with the deeper meaning of this day. In other words, in addition to the business side, it is crucial to focus on the rights of the female population.

Three wishes for International Women’s Day 

We asked our colleagues: If a genie offered you 3 wishes for International Women's Day, what would you ask for? 

Among the most requested wishes we found:

  1. Free access to education and sport for women all around the world
  2. Women as people and professionals, not just mothers or housekeepers 
  3. The disappearance of gender bias 
  4. End of gender pay gap 
  5. More education on the topic from a very young age.

To think: a note on gender pay gap

The 2022 Global Gender Gap Report by World Economic Forum reveals how far the United Kingdom (and the world) still has to go to close the gender pay gap. 

In particular, the United Kingdom is number 22 on the list with just 5 points more than 2021, way below countries like Ireland (no. 9), Germany (no. 10), and France (no. 15). 

Click here to access the full report

To think: women in leadership roles

Also in the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, it's possible to find a section dedicated to women in leadership roles. Again, the gap - especially in fields such as finance, real estate, technology and the supply chain - is enormous. 

In this LinkedIn report it’s possible to discover more data on gender equality in the workspace.

Women at ShippyPro

Shippypro_international_women_day

Change starts at home: so here at ShippyPro we are building a fair and meritocratic working environment free of gender bias. In this section, a few facts about our company and some excerpts from the survey we conducted.

The consideration of me as a professional and the focus on my skills, not on the fact that I am a woman, are perhaps the strongest signs of empowerment."

ShippyPro Employee Distribution

Lately, I informed the company I work for that I'll become a mother soon. I felt cheered and supported as I always thought it should be, but at the same time, I feel my value and my responsibilities haven't changed and will not change.”

Women managers at ShippyPro

ShippyPro never made me feel different because I'm a Woman, which is for me the best way to feel empowered.”

 


 

March 8th, 2155: let’s look into the future

According to the Global Gender Gap Report, it will take 132 years to finally close the gender gap across the globe: still a long and winding road to travel together with people and companies that share values such as fairness and equality between all genders.

If each person took a stone out of the road, the way would be easy to walk for everyone. 

Our wish for International Women's Day is that we do not need to wait until 8 March 2063 to say 'we made it'. 

The ShippyPro team has already started to lay the foundations to change the world from its own square metre: we'll follow the path laid out, now it's your turn.

 

Giulia Castagna

Giulia Castagna is Sr. Content Manager at ShippyPro. She started writing at the age of 4 and hasn't stopped since. She talks about marketing, ecommerce and, on moonlit nights, even logistics.