08 March
decent x International Women's Day.
With the theme of "Accelerate Action" this International Women's Day, we speak to Lucy Blakiston from Shit You Should Care About, an uplifting news outlet that helps advocate for women in the workplace, and beyond.
Read on to find out more about how we can all accelerate action for gender equality.
Hey Lucy! Can you each please tell us a bit about yourself, and what drives or inspires your work?
Shit You Should Care About it like, the cutest media company on the internet. My ethos is, ‘Giving You The News Without Giving You The Blues’ and I do that in my daily newsletter and on social media, in which 83% of our readers are women. I have one full time employee (ME!), and one contractor/designer (my bestie Abby!).
The theme of International Women’s Day this year is ‘Accelerate Action’, “emphasising the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.” How do you each champion women in your work?
I’m half joking and half not - I’ve only ever employed women (except for my older brother who co-hosted a podcast with me for a while). I don’t need too much help in my job, and when I do, I turn to my besties first, who happen to be the wisest and most talented women on the planet, so of course I want to employ them first (what is it Taylor Swift says? Karma takes all her friends to the summit?). It’s also a scary time to be a woman - particularly a trans woman - in this world, so I champion stories that feel like they can help lift us all up. Also, just by way of me being me, everything I write has a super feminine lens over it!!
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What do you think other businesses or people in power can do to accelerate gender equality in the workplace?
Lol hire us!! Put us in the big positions! Stop underestimating us! Don’t require us to wear a kitten heel or a pencil skirt!
What’s your view on the state of gender equality currently, and where would you like to see improvements?
I feel like I operate slightly outside of most professional environments (which I have worked hard to do - building a business where no is calling the shots except me) but even recently when I went to report on a tech event, I kid you not, 90% of the attendees (perhaps more) were men, and EVERYONE WAS IN A SUIT THAT WAS SOME SHADE OF GREY. So I’d like to see more women being invited to these events, and I know it’s silly, but I’d love to see the dress code be more accepting of the pinks of this world.
What’s something you want other women to remember?
LEARN TO LOVE BEING UNDERESTIMATED! Let your power be walking into a room and watching people slowly realise that you deserve to be there. It feels so good.
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