By G. Sabini-Roberts, Branding Lead, Hill & Co.
Last month, I joined Hill & Co as Branding Lead. By doing so I became personally responsible for bringing an end to their impressive ‘100% female owned and team roster’ position. As a trans-identified person, it is my honor and privilege to be able to add another diverse voice and varied skillset to Hill & Co’s impressive repertoire.
International Women’s Day falls this week, during Women’s History Month as well. It might be easy, in an organization whose core team has (until now) been made up of women, to think that IWD is not something we need to acknowledge as loudly. After all, here is a living, breathing example of highly successful female leadership and teamwork and an environment in which women are nurtured and celebrated by default.
Equally, in a world in which gender diversity and trans-awareness are becoming more understood and recognized, there are more voices calling for recognition and equality. As an LGBTQ+ trainer and speaker as well as a branding specialist, I find myself being asked every year if it is still appropriate to celebrate IWD in this more diverse gender-scape.
And the answer is yes. It is a very loud and resounding yes.
Every woman, whether they be trans or cis, deserves to be seen, heard, respected, and have equal opportunities and rights. Until we live in a world where this is the case for every woman, then we need International Women’s Day.
As soon as we start to question whether celebrating women is OK – even when that question is asked from a well-intentioned place, attempting to be considerate of other gender identities – then we have a problem. Narratives exist that would have us believe that women’s rights and trans rights are in conflict with each other, that fighting for the rights of trans people puts women at risk, and vice versa. This is not and never has been the case. Celebrating and championing women is not a threat to trans people – just as celebrating and championing trans people is not a threat to women.
When we start to pitch one disadvantaged group against another disadvantaged group, the only people that win are those that are not in either. We have to ask the question, when these arguments are put forward as a reason not to support a particular group, who benefits? Are we getting distracted by reasoning that simply doesn’t hold up when put under scrutiny?
We do not stop supporting women just because we also fight for the rights of other genders. (International Non-binary Day is on July 14th and International Men’s Day is on November 19th . We all get a turn.)
We live in a world in which there are still huge barriers to women accessing education, healthcare, safety, fair pay, and justice. That needs to change. And that is why we – all of us – still need IWD.
There is room for all of us.
But today, women take centre stage.
Happy International Women’s Day 2023.
Be Well,
G.
PS: Our New York-based team members will be at the Javits Center on March 13th, attending the many trade events going on that day. If you’re going to be there and would like to talk shop, reply to this email and we’lll work to make it happen. ~Elle Hill, Founder & CEO, Hill & Co.