What International Women’s Day Means to Us—After a Year Like No Other

Today is International Women’s Day—a celebration of the accomplishments of women throughout history and an opportunity to look towards a more equitable future for all. After a year like no other, marked by a devastating pandemic, horrific (yet all-too-familiar) violence against Black Americans and the subsequent calls for justice, a contentious election, and a literal insurrection...the nuances of women’s varied experiences and ever-evolving needs ring especially true.

A major theme our group is focusing on this month is “boundaries,” and more specifically, a boundary refresh. In a time when the lines of work and life are blurry (to put it lightly), and fatigue is hitting everyone in different ways, we’re carving out time for well-being and personal nourishment. Knowing women are more likely to take on extra tasks in the workplace, say “yes” to anything and everything, or have extra caretaking duties, honoring the parts of ourselves that may go underserved at work has never been more important. Whether it’s reclaiming the lunch hour, taking hard PTO, or asking roommates and live-in partners to take on a more equal share of household tasks, we’re honing in our needs and the ways boundary-setting can give us the strength to show up for ourselves, as well as others.

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned hang with the girls, so to unpack all that’s on our minds, we got members of our women’s ERG, Herizon, together to discuss what International Women’s Day means to us in light of the past year. Check out some musings and takeaways below!

Praytell Perspectives

“IWD this year is particularly relevant—I’ve been reading all of the studies showing how women have statistically borne the brunt of the pandemic, from job loss to enhanced caretaking duties at home. Especially this year, let’s talk about how women can have boundaries and time for themselves despite being pulled in so many different directions.” - Sarah Howard, Account Supervisor

“Global circumstances for women are so different: different burdens, different stressors, different needs...there’s not one archetype of what a woman is or what she should be. Let’s bring to light the nuances that make up our community and our different needs. My needs as a Black woman are different than the needs of a white woman, for example. Our boundaries are going to look different, because we’re different people. Let’s reflect on, what do boundaries look like for us in our individual circumstances?” - Kendall Galloway, Director of Account Strategy

“As a new mom in the pandemic I did not (and still don't) feel supported enough. They say it takes a village to raise a child, well, what happens when that village has to quarantine? For IWD this year, I'm thinking about all the other women who made it through the past year isolated and without support, and how those women, especially new moms in the time of Covid, are true superheroes who deserve to be acknowledged and seen.”-  Jessica Yurasek, Senior Social Media Director

“For me and so many others, 2020 brought to light every systemic weakness and inequality that plagues our country. Intersectionality has always been vital to the women’s movement, and every single compounding crisis in our country affects women. In the wake of the past year, my focus for International Women’s Day is not about elevating the ceiling for what successful women can achieve, it’s raising the floor for the most vulnerable in our society.” - Emily Gaus, Senior Media Strategist

“Since the pandemic, I’ve begun determining success by the happiness it brings me. Finding time to reflect upon IWD took work but at the end of the day I’m happier for it. Ultimately, I found that supporting the women who don’t have that luxury of setting boundaries or finding time is what this month is about. At the end of the day we have to be kind to ourselves and be kind to others.”- Christine Tibert, Junior Account Strategist

“It feels extra challenging to create boundaries this past year. Work and home are the same plus being a new mom...it’s all new territory for me and there are no boundaries. I’m working on it but lately find I have to demand support in order to get it.” - Ali Pinckney, Offices Manager

“For a variety of reasons, not everyone will be able to ask for help in the moments they need it. Proactively offering tangible support to someone who you know has a lot on their plate is a great way for all parties to break unsustainable cycles and remind folks that they have people in their corner.” - Annie Hulkower, Senior Copywriter

“The resilience of women has really been brought to the forefront during this craziness. Sometimes, boundary-setting for me is literally impossible. For example, it’s not an option to skip out on a work deadline or childcare duties. Even if we feel like we have nothing left, we pull from this unending resource within us that’s always there when we need it to be there. Boundary setting is so important, but extenuating circumstances can make us unable to do that—and we can’t pass judgment or make others feel bad. Instead, let’s support each other so we can all make the space to actually have boundaries.” - Jade Ye, Junior Analyst

Questions? Or looking for guidance about how your brand can support employees? Send us an email allyship@praytellagency.com.

About Herizon: Herizon aims to unite the women of Praytell to empower each other, discuss women’s issues and advocate for intersectional equality within our industry and communities through collaboration, education, action, and mentorship.