March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a global recognition and celebration of female accomplishment as we continue to strive for equality. This year, we choose to mark IWD19 with a a retrospective of women’s history and a celebration of the precipice of change.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th every year and has been since its inception in the early 1900s. The celebration and publicity which IWD receives has increased hugely since 2011, which marked 100 years since the day was first named. International Women’s Day has been known to cover a variety of issues which affect women globally, with the focal theme changing annually. From domestic violence and abuse, to equal pay, climate change and poverty, IWD has given women around the world a forum to voice their issues and have their stories heard and told.
Combined with the recent #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, International Women’s Day has gained global traction as communities around the world organise marches, demonstrations and events to spearhead the change they want to see in the world.
Today, International Women’s Day holds many connotations. It is not only a celebration of womanhood, but a day which encourages us to look retrospectively at the hardship women before us endured and the incredible suffering which many women and girls around the world still face.
In today’s Australian eCommerce landscape, we are seeing more brands than even before embrace unique, considerate approaches to business. With numerous business intelligence stating that the Millennial generation is the one which has the power to finally push the change we all want to see, it seems we are edging ever closer to this ideal of equality and socially conscious consumerism.
“81% of Milennials expect companies to make a public commitment to charitable causes and citizenship”
Horizon Media
However, the well known quote from Emma Lazarus is that “until we are all free, we are none of us free.” This powerful message cuts right to the heart of the argument. International Women’s Day is a global movement which affects men, women and children in Australia and every country worldwide. The lottery of birth is something which is completely left to chance. If you are reading this article then you are connected to the internet, using your laptop or phone to browse your social channels or maybe do some online shopping.
Jeremy Meltzer of i=Change working with one of the many global charities they support
Thousands of women worldwide don’t have access to an education, a place to sleep or basic healthcare to allow them to give birth safely. It is our responsibility to raise awareness of the plight which many women and girls across the world experience and we can do this by embracing a new Business of Purpose.
At MindArc, we stand proudly with our partners at i=Change, a radical social enterprise which is empowering women and girls around the world by working with Australian eCommerce brands to help them give back $1 with every sale made on their website. The customer chooses which charity they would like the brand to send a $1 donation on their behalf and can then track the impact of the donation via the i=Change live feed which shows a running total of the amount each brand has raised and which charities have benefited.
i=Change has raised over $1 million to date and the number continues to climb every few seconds. With more and more brands coming on board and working with i=Change, charities around the world from Nepal and Bangladesh to right here in Australia can benefit from the business of purpose.
i=Change has struck a delicate and intelligent balance between business and non-profit, a line which many have never been able to tread. By educating brands on the mentality of the new consumer, the Millennial and the new powerhouse Gen Z, i=Change can help brands profit from giving back. This might sound like an oxymoron but A/B testing has shown that consumers are 6% more likely to complete their checkout if a brand displays positive messaging about how they impact social change. 93% of the Millennial generation want to shop with brands which mirror their values and passions and will actively seek them out.
Millennials are more educated than any previous generation about climate change, social welfare issues, personal health and human rights so for a brand who wants to target this generation, it’s impossible to ignore the issues your demographic is passionate about if you want to speak to them.
“93% of Millennials want to shop with brands who have a clear purpose beyond their product”
Jeremy Meltzer, Founder of i=Change
Today, we celebrate how far we have come and with strength, we look forward to overcoming the remaining challenges which prevent our sisters around the world from all being free.
To find out more about how you can harness the business of purpose in your brand marketing strategy, get in touch with MindArc.