INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2019

Friday March 8th marks International Women's Day 2019. A day in place to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women all around the world.

The day was first recognised and honoured in 1911, the first day saw rallies of over one million men and women globally out on the streets campaigning for women's rights to vote, work, to hold public office and end discrimination amongst other causes.
While peoples causes to get involved have changed, the day has grown in support year on year. IWD not only recognises women's achievements but also acts as a reminder of gender parity.

International Women's day is key for driving a gender-balanced world, and that is why this years theme is #BalanceForBetter.

The idea behind the campaign is that we can all work together to play a part in ensuring a more gender balanced world. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here at By Alona we believe that everyday is International Women's Day and we're delighted to say our pieces are designed FOR women and made BY women. We're very proud to say our task force is completely made up of women and we can proudly promote that all women that we work and collaborate with are fully supported and paid a fair wage. 

Supporting and empowering women is the backbone of the By Alona brand and something that we're very passionate about. In celebration of IWD, we've rounded up some women we find most inspiring. 

Tarana Burke

Tarana Burke is a civil rights activist and the founder of the #MeToo movement. Not many know, but she started the campaign back in 2006, jotting the phrase down on a piece of paper in order to start an action plan after witnessing sexual violence in her community. The phrase became a global campaign, gaining the support of numerous celebrities, press and the public in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations. Tarana encouraged men and women to get involved by using the phrase #MeToo if they had ever been a victim of sexual harassment or assault to show they were not alone. 

Her work has inspired and encouraged many to come forward and talk about their experiences instead of being met with shame and scrutiny, rightfully gaining her the Times Person of The Year Award in 2017.  

Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso founded fashion brand Nasty Gal at just 22 years old. Starting out as a vintage clothing outlet on eBay she soon took the plunge to launch her own online store and clothing brand. Within 5 years NastyGal the company had grown significantly, listed as worth over $23 million in revenue. However the story was not a happy ever after, by 2015 she stepped down as CEO and filled the company for bankruptcy.   

While things didn't go to plan with her fashion career, Sophia learned from her failure and took took the opportunity to create an online community space designed to inspire young women who are looking to start their own companies but do not have the tools to do so. 

Amoruso coined the term #GirlBoss after her biography and now runs GirlBoss Media where she works with young female entrepreneurs, empowering them to turn their ideas into companies. 

Malala Yousafzai 

Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate and an activist for female education. By just 11 years old Malala and most other girls in her country were banned from attending school by the Taliban. Following this, she began writing a blog for the BBC under a false name documenting life opposing the ban and the Taliban.  

After coming out to the media as the face of her blog and giving international interviews Malala became known as a female activist, this however resulted in retaliation from the Taliban who planned Malala's assassination. At just 15 years old she was shot in the head and left in critical condition.

Following her incredible recovery Malala continues to speak out against gender inequality giving talks at the United Nations and launching Malala Fund, a programme fighting discrimination against girls and breaking down the barriers preventing young girls from access to education.

Celebrate everyday as International Women's Day and let us know who is inspiring you this year over on our Instagram.