International Women's Day 2024

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. With well over a century of history and change, the first International Women's Day was held in March 1911. Each year, this day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made towards gender equality and highlights the work that still needs to be done. 

IWD is a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women's equality. This year, the theme #InspireInclusion resonates profoundly with us here at Florence London as we strive to create a world where every woman, regardless of her background, race, or ethnicity, feels valued and respected. 

As a small, all-female team, it is a core value for us to foster environments where women feel empowered and their contributions acknowledged and celebrated. #InspireInclusion means amplifying the voices of women from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, uplifting their stories, and advocating for policies and practices that promote equal rights and opportunities for all. 

As a business we believe the biggest impact we can have to #InspireInclusion is to use our resources to champion other women and as part of our 2024 promises, we will continue to do this across these key areas: 

1. Recruiting, retaining and developing diverse female talent: Both through our existing relationships of female freelancers and consultants and our all-female team, we are committed to championing female talent across all areas of the business.  
2. Helping women and girls make informed decisions about their health: By using our profits to support important charities that focus on women’s health, we believe this education is crucial in bringing about gender equality. 
3. Promoting creative and artistic talent of women and girls: As a creative business, we are passionate about bringing more people into our industry and offering a life skill and craft that can offer them financial stability. 

From a personal perspective, there are so many ways you can help support women and #InspireInclusion, and one of my personal favourite ways to do this is shopping other female founded brands. We can together unleash the powerful contribution these businesses can make to our economy, our future, and our communities. 

Here are my 5 favourite female founded brands that I love, although there are so many more that I use every day! 

1. With Nothing Underneath - the best shirts in the business, I live in them! 
2. Neom Wellbeing - heavenly candles and diffusers, 100% natural essential oils. I can’t live without the pillow spray. 
3. South London Letter Press - always a fan of personalisation, this stationary makes for a great present or a fun note set. 
4. Little London Bloomers - my favourite kids brand and always the best present for newborns. 
5. Chinti & Parker - the cosiest knitwear, made here in the UK too.  

World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, Gloria Steinem, reportedly once explained:

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

So together, let's all help fight the good fight!

Love,