International Women's Day: charities paving the way

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year around the world on 8th March. It was first marked in 1908 in the US to support striking garment workers. But the March 8th date is also strongly linked to women’s movements in the Russian Revolution of 1917. After a growing number of grassroots movements adopted the day it was recognised globally by the UN in 1977.  

Since 1987, the day has formed part of Women’s History month where women’s historic contributions to society are recognised and celebrated throughout March.

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the impact of five charities, non-profits, and Community Interest Companies (CICs) on millions of women’s lives.  

Black Girls Hike 

Black Girls Hike was founded in 2019 by Rhiane Fatinikun to provide Black women with a safe space to get outdoors and reconnect with nature – diversifying the outdoors.  

Only around 1% of UK national park visitors come from BAME backgrounds. Fatinikun says in a Guardian piece, “Many people grow up in cities where they experience racism on a daily basis so it feels uncomfortable to them to head out into the countryside – the last bastions of whiteness – where it is even less diverse.” 

For Fatinikun, hiking was a way to deal with her anxiety after a serious car crash. Keen to involve others, she set up a Facebook page called Black Girls Hike that has since become a CIC. The page now has nearly 6,000 followers and the team hosts regular hikes and other events across the country. 

Bloody Good Period 

In 2016, founder Gabby Edlin founded Bloody Good Period to collect period products for refugees and asylum seekers.  

Pregnant Then Screwed 

Pregnant Then Screwed founder, Joeli Brearly, was sacked by her employer (a charity) two days after she informed them that she was pregnant with her first child. She founded Pregnant Then Screwed on International Women’s Day in 2015.  

Speaking about her book, The Motherhood Penalty, with The Good Agency Brearley says, “The motherhood penalty probably contributes to about 80% of the gender pay gap. We know that by the time a woman’s first child is 12 years old, her hourly pay rate is 33% behind a man’s. I don’t expect this problem to be solved in my lifetime. I think it’s going to take a long, long time. And we’re at the beginning of that journey.” 

In 2021, Pregnant Then Screwed supported more than 80,000 women and were mentioned in parliament every 11 days. They had more than 400 pieces of media coverage and their social media posts were engaged with more than a million times.  

Refuge 

One in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime and Refuge is the largest charity working on this issue in the UK. In November 2021, Refuge marked 50 years of providing specialist services to women and campaigning to end domestic abuse.  

In the past 18 months, the charity has supported more than 26,000 women and worked in partnership with Centre for Women’s Justice, Women’s Aid Federation of England and survivor ambassador, Erica Osakwe to extend the legal time limit women in England and Wales have to report their case.   

In Refuge’s 2021-22 Annual Report Osakwe says, “I never wanted to be seen as a victim, I’m a survivor and now I’m a law changer. I’m so proud of my journey and was delighted to work with Refuge, as well as so many brave survivors.” 

The government has announced that women will now have up to two years to report incidents of domestic violence. 

Rise 

Rise founder, Amanda Nguyen was raped during her final year at Harvard University. After spending six hours at the hospital, she found that her un-tested rape kit could be routinely destroyed after as little as six months, making it very difficult for her to access justice.  

Nguyen decided to re-write the law and in 2016, the US Congress passed her, ‘Survivor Bill of Rights’ unanimously. She set up Rise to help others, “pen their own rights into existence.” 

In 2022, Rise successfully advocated for the adoption of a UNGA resolution called the Universal Survivor Bill of Rights. The resolution supports access to justice for sexual violence survivors across the globe.  

Nguyen says, “No one is invisible when they demand to be seen. No one is powerless when we come together.”