International Women’s Day 2019: #Balance for Better

balanceforbetter love happens and koket - international women's day 2019

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 with a perfectly timed theme—#balanceforbetter! “A balanced world is a better world,” says the International Women’s Day website. While Love Happens and our publisher KOKET are led by women and devoted to empowering our fellow females, we, of course, love men and wholeheartedly stand behind the belief that gender balance is the ultimate goal.

The first International Women’s Day occurred in 1911 as over one million people began what is now commonly known as the women empowerment or feminist movements. A worldwide mission for equality and at the core basic human rights.

The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.

Gloria Steinem, World-renowned Feminist, Journalist, and Activist (via International Women’s Day)

Women Empowerment & International Women’s Day 2019

Earlier this week we published an article called Why Women Empowerment Is A “Thing”. The article explores how women empowerment came to be a “thing”, its importance, and what the future of the movement looks like. Women around the world have stood up and claimed their girl power. And while at times women empowerment can feel like a movement for a female take over. This was just the beginning, the push, the rise.

koket team celebrating international women's day 2019 with their arms raised for #balanceforbetter
Put your hands out and STRIKE THE #BalanceforBetter POSE. Post your #IWD2019 message on social media with your “hands out” balance pose for a strong call-to-action.
(Message via International Women’s Day)

Today women have made great strides toward claiming their place as equals among the human race. However, gender equality is far from achieved. The message of International Women’s Day 2019 is strong—the battle now must be to not only stand up for one’s individual rights as a woman, one must stand up for equality on all levels. The world expects and needs balance.

Balance is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage …

Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.

International Women’s Day

So, how do we create a more gender-balanced world?

koket employees stand for #balanceforbetter for international women's day 2019 - quote across image says behind every successful woman is herself

First, celebrate women’s achievements. Women may not be present in the history books as prominently as men, but their achievements exist in droves nonetheless.

Second, raise awareness against bias. Genderism is a thing whether we like it or not. Talk about it. Stand up to it.

Lastly, take action for equality. As the great women’s rights activist, Malala Yousafzai said, “Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”

Collective action and shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women—while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.

International Women’s Day

An Empowering Leader

koket employee stands with an international women's day 2019 sign next to a quote by sheryl sandberg, in the future there will be no female

At Love Happens and KOKET, our founder and CEO Janet Morais is consistently looking for ways to take action and empower. As a woman who has worked her way to the top of the luxury design industry, Janet understands what it means first-hand to be doubted or disregarded based on gender. A powerful, confident and passionate leader, Janet is an avid-mentor to her employees, always looking to help them be the best versions of themselves.

The KKLh Internship

In 2018, Janet decided to take action and formalize her love of mentoring. So coupled with her desire to give back to the creative industry she established the KOKET-Love Happens Intern/Mentorship program (KKLh). A program designed to empower and inspire young minds.

KOKET Love Happens internship program 2018 - international women's day 2019 - #balanceforbetter

Open to men and women alike, the KKLh internship is unlike most traditional internship programs where fetching coffee and mailing packages are top priorities. Yes, on occasion interns help with such menial tasks. But at KOKET-Love Happens everyone takes on such responsibilities. From the top executives to part-time assistants the KOKET-Love Happens team is all-hands-on-deck all the time.

KKLh was not built to create a team of administrative assistants. Instead, it is structured to inspire and educate young minds about the industry that Janet is so deeply passionate about. It is designed to give back to the design community and nurture the talent of tomorrow.

Learn more about the KOKET-Love Happens Intern/Mentorship Program & Apply for the Summer of 2019!

A #BalanceforBetter Future

koket employees stand sit with their arms raised for #balanceforbetter for international women's day 2019

International Women’s Day is just one day, but the movement for #BalanceforBetter must go far beyond this day. “The campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize continuous collective action, with #BalanceforBetter activity reinforced and amplified all year,” says the International Women’s Day website.

For International Women’s Day 2019 and beyond, how will you #BalanceforBetter?

Words by Anna Beck Bimba