Did you see marieclaire magazine’s ‘Demand Better’ campaign this week, where men were sent into the street wearing sandwich boards saying, ‘Hi ladies, you’re working for free from 3.45pm today’ to draw attention to the disparity in pay between the sexes?
marieclaire Australia’s ‘Demand Better’ campaign
Today is International Women’s Day, when communities around the world celebrate women’s achievements and draw attention to areas of persisting inequality. To me, International Women’s Day is about reflecting on how far women have come in my lifetime, and I always like to take a moment to reflect on how far I have come in my journey.
You see, I was raised at a time when women became wives, mothers, and at a stretch, teachers or nurses. I decided that wasn’t for me. I was determined to have a career, make my own money and be independent – so I went against the grain and did it. To this day, I still believe the only reason I was given an interview for one senior marketing role was because of my name – which, because of the spelling, was presumed to be a man’s!
I also made the gut-wrenching decision to leave a marriage that had run its course, and raise three children on my own. No easy feat, let me tell you.
My story is just one of thousands like this around the world. But it’s another life lived pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo and doing things that make me happy. For these reasons, I’m proud.
I look at my granddaughters, and I am filled with hope and excitement. If they choose to, I believe they will have families with partners who will share the parenting and household duties 50/50. They will be able to work in any field confident that their gender will have no impact on their career progression.
And I genuinely believe my granddaughters will be paid the same as their male colleagues in their lifetime.
What do you celebrate on International Women’s Day? What else still needs to change?
The Queen and I 