IT'S Saturday the 9th of March 2024. The day after International Women’s Day. The women of Scotland wake to a new reality. Our wages are equal, our kids are in affordable childcare, we all feel safe moving through the world, even at night. Our democratic structures are transformed with many more women, particularly disabled women, black and minority ethnic women and LGBT+ women calling the shots.
As we wake up after International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations, I hope that the change is instant – that Saturday will see inequality here in Scotland levelled out.
But it won’t.
The equality sentiments promoted by big brands and corporations on IWD, though sometimes useful, will not deliver us a more equal country on 9th March.
READ MORE: Laura Webster: We're making great progress but it’s not done yet
While IWD is a fantastic way for us to unite, reflect and amplify our message, we have to make sure it moves us beyond social media moments and brand building opportunities.
There is a better way.
I first heard about IWD when I was a Girl Guide, ironically washing up after the messy boy scout group. A day to celebrate us? To take up space? To my chubby little red-headed self, this was utterly radical. I was pumped. I couldn’t wait to go ask my mum about it.
By that time in my life, between pitching tents and cleaning marshmallow skewers, I was already aware that the generations of women in my family lived in the same world as the men - but operated within different parameters. And in the years since, yes, there have been wins, but like many of us, I look around and still see the threads of inequality sustained to some degree through each generation. A sticky trail of marshmallow that just won’t go away.
So, when we see the eye-catching advertising splashes marketing women’s equality this weekend, we need to ask: Does the bank that shares the ‘We support women’ post offer flexible working, and family friendly conditions to its single-parent employees, 92% of whom are likely women?
Does the beauty brand going big on women’s empowerment promote women of colour into leadership positions, or does their advertising address harmful stereotypes?
Has the sports brand made changes to their pay structures to address gender pay gap figures, that currently sit at 10.9% nationally and largely impact marginalised women and those in part- time and lower paid work?
True advances toward gender equality come from structural change.
It is crucial that the systems that govern us, work for women. We need to see more women from diverse backgrounds in positions of power, spearheading feminist leadership across our industries and creating cultural change.
We need to see reliable, long-term funding dedicated to initiatives for women in Scotland. We must challenge societal stereotypes that continue to place imitations on women. And we need accountability from those corporations that don’t ‘walk the walk’ the rest of the year.
So, when you see the IWD posts over the weekend, avoid amplifying the tokenism and give some love to the women’s and equalities organisations and those fighting to change the system itself. Talk to your friends and family, sign up to intersectional feminist campaigns, or write to your MSP.
Find out if your workplace has an equality, diversity and inclusion group, and if not, start one.
Jade Stein is Communications and Engagement Manager for Engender, Scotland's Feminist Policy and Advocacy organisation.
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