For over a century women (and their menfolk) have been coming together to support and celebrate women’s essential role and contribution to family, work and culture.
The convenience channel depends for its survival on women – not just for staffing but for entrepreneurialism, all across the industry. From independent retailers to women in wholesale, to delivery drivers.
International Women's Day (IWD – March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
IWD has been held annually for well over a century now, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively, everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.
The day grants the world an important moment to showcase commitment to women's equality, launch new initiatives and action, celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness, highlight gender parity gains and more.
IWD is supported globally by industry, governments, educational institutions, community groups, professional associations, women's networks, charities and non-profit bodies, the media and more.
Collectively every person and all groups can make a difference within their sphere of influence by taking concrete action to help build a more gender equal world. From small powerful grassroots gatherings to large-scale conference and events – International Women's Day is celebrated everywhere. It's a big day for inspiration and change.
Women to the rescue!
IWD is the perfect occasion to think about how the situation in our industry is improving for women – what is being done and how much more can be done.
JJ Foodservice for example, has been actively hiring female drivers. “Only one per cent of HGV drivers in the UK are women – we want to help change that,” said Joanna Florczak, JJ’s HR manager. The wholesaler is offering permanent contracts with no evenings or weekends, attractive salaries of up to £35,000 in London and – importantly – no gender pay gap. (incidentally, it also organises Women in Fish and Chips, an event dedicated entirely to female shop owners!)
The traditionally masculine world of wholesale (all those heavy pallets, no doubt, in the days before fork-lifts), is also changing – partly thanks to the tireless efforts of the Women in Wholesale (WiW) organisation.
Recent research by Lumina Intelligence found that lack of respect for women is still a key challenge for wholesale, although more than half of women now agree their company is doing enough to achieve gender equality.
However, women still face many of the same personal challenges as in previous years. When asked about barriers to progress, 28 per cent of respondents cited “lack of respect” as the biggest challenge for women working in the sector, with no improvements since 2019, followed by lack of opportunities (20 per cent).
On the other hand, 75 per cent of respondents said they were offered more flexibility in terms of working hours during Covid while 78 per cent felt they had more flexibility with location – much of this will continue into the longer term, said the report.
“Overall, it’s a really positive picture for careers in our sector,” said WiW Founder, Elit Rowland. “The majority of businesses are offering flexible and remote working, and mental health support. But the issue of respect for women and career progress cannot be ignored and will play an important role in our agenda moving forward,” she added.
Over at the Co-op, meanwhile, Food CEO Jo Whitfield is about to step back for a few months to coach her sons through the run-up to their exams – embodying the ideal of integrating family and work. Previously, in 2019 she had launched Grocery Girls – a network aimed at arming women in the industry with the tools they need to further successful careers.
Female products, spending power
IWD is also a great opportunity to promote products aimed at women – not just “women’s products” but items that take their place on a universal platform of goods while expressing an ethical foundation that is in tune with the ideals and aims of the day.
One example is the UK’s first coconut flower drops beverage company, Neitiv, which will be celebrating the occasion by launching The Red Dot Project to combat period poverty by providing free period products across the nation, after it became much harder for women to afford period products during lockdown. The project will be partly funded by sales of the Coconut Flower Beer and eventually rolled out to all countries where the premium lager is stocked. Additionally, Neitiv will implement The Red Dot Project in villages in India and Vietnam where some of their producers are based.
“We chose to contribute to abolishing period poverty because as a brand we want to empower all people and we recognise the importance of brands using their position to contribute to effecting positive change,” said co-founder Vaani VetriKo. “Neitiv’s ethos aims to ensure that all people should be able to enjoy a beer.” Hurrah for that! “We have plans to increase female visibility in the craft beer industry further down the line through training and employment.”
IWD 2022 agenda
This year’s campaign theme for #IWD2022 goes to the heart of the matter with the slogan,#BreakTheBias, which states its programme as:
- Imagine a gender equal world.
- A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
- A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
- A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
- Together we can forge women's equality.
- Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
Go to the website to download a whole bunch of resources, such as posters and card. You can find fantastic “Lean In” tools and resources and find out about events near you. You can even download Zoom backgrounds!
Why not try dressing up your store to celebrate IWD 2022 on March 8? Purple, green and white are the colors of International Women's Day. The colors originated from the suffragette-era Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK, which first began in Manchester in 1903: Purple signifies justice and dignity. Green is for hope and white represents purity (a bit controversial these days!).
Brian McLister
