𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞

Happy International Women’s Day! (Year)

“Celebrating” IWD

Most companies: Yay! Happy International Women’s Day! As a generous gesture to show that we care, we will target women and have special events. Just for today, our company decided to create stickers that say “Girl Power” with vaginas as flowers since actually drawing a vagina would be too vulgar. Today’s the day you can wear it proudly! Just for today, we launched a unique line of makeup that embraces the IWD color, green, purple, and white. On our website, our skinny, feminine models look absolutely gorgeous! You and your friends all look like you could use our makeup.

Activism or Slacktivism?

Far too many companies are using IWD to benefit themselves economically and maintain a friendlier brand image. Mere changes only for a day to show off do not help celebrating women’s day. Rather, it is a form of performative activism. What is performative activism, and how is it harmful? Performative activism is activism done to increase one’s social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to a cause. Simply put, these brands don’t actually care about IWD.

Time-travel with IWD

Since the early 1900s, IWD celebrated women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements globally and marked a call to action to accelerate gender parity.

As years passed, with radical ideologies and fearless women, IWD fought for gender equalities in many forms. From suffrages to minimum wages and improved work conditions, women have been fighting to better women’s lives.

So how SHOULD we celebrate IWD?

Though we have come a long way, keep in mind, we would never be where we are today without the outspoken women who persistently revolted against patriarchy. Now, it is our job to follow their footsteps by practicing intersectional feminism daily.

You can start today by sorting out corporates and brands that participate in performative activism. Some factors to keep in mind when choosing the brands:

• The brand tries to diversify the beauty standard regardless of race, age, size. Many brands are receiving backlash for releasing advertisements with only pale-skinned, feminine, skinny models and non-inclusive products. Women are tired of being objectified and judged based on appearance. It is time for us to be true to ourselves without changing who we are with fashion and beauty trends that let us be comfortable and confident.
• The brand gives back to the community of women in need and fundraises for female-focused charities. It’s clear when brands genuinely care about the cause of their donations versus when they use it as a marketing tactic. Do they hold female-focused fundraisers throughout the year and have year-long campaigns dedicated to helping women? Are they transparent about where the donations are going?
• The brand makes products that prioritize women’s health and do not compromise it using harmful substances. Some of so called women’s wellbeing brands still use chemicals of concern like parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde, linked to carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption; therefore, we must check products we use from food to menstrual products. If they are really about women's wellbeing, they would care much more about what women use on our bodies.

With the brands

As women take more part socially, more brands will use marketing ploys to trick us. When we purchase from a brand, we also purchase their values and what they believe in. Choosing the brand that resonates with us is also a way of participating in the movement - it’s time we make our purchase and interest count with the right brands.

Words by Alicia Lee Illustration by Malangluna