Celebrating International Women's Day

This year, our International Women's Day campaign is a celebration of our ongoing partnership as well as an opportunity to hear from women - in their own words - about what Dress for Success has meant to them.

A global organisation that offers styling services, clothing, interviewing support, and workshops, Dress for Success helps women get back to employment and financial stability. A service that is especially vital to women who have experienced financial hardship, mental health struggles, and domestic violence, we believe that the work they do is integral to women and the community.

Here, we delve deeper into what International Women’s Day means to the women who star in our campaign and learn more about one of this year’s themes, Count Her In: Invest in Women.

Samantha: It is the celebration of all women who contribute in so many ways to society and at home.  

Marian: For me, it’s a time to celebrate amazing women from all walks of life - not just famous achievers but the everyday female heroes we all know. The women who manage to juggle work, careers, caring for loved ones…[and] To give thanks for the opportunities I have had and to promote the need to provide all women with the same opportunities to shine.

Lucy: International Women’s Day is a day of celebration of being a woman. To remind ourselves that we are amazing! It’s an important reminder for everyone, women deserve to be remembered, to be respected for what they do. 

Samantha:  For me it is the recognition of what women contribute and achieve every day and the opportunity not only to celebrate this but a chance for us to make inroads into the overall perception of women and their contributions.

Marian: First and foremost, it’s an opportunity to celebrate all that women can and have achieved.  It’s also a call to action that there is still a long way to go to achieve true equity and equality. 

Carol: International Women's Day is important because it celebrates our achievements as women, and advocates for women's rights worldwide. It reminds us of the progress we made, but also the work that still needs to be done.

Samantha: It is important that women are given equal opportunity to enable them to grow and contribute which, in turn gives them the freedom to make a real impact on society.

Marian:  We know that when women are empowered to have their own voice and meaningful participation in economic decision making, everyone benefits. The opportunity to break the cycle of poverty not just for individuals but for families and communities is real if we invest in women, such that they are given equal opportunity to build their capabilities and strengthen their capacity to learn, earn, and lead.

MT: I wanted to write a book that helps people unbind themselves from limiting beliefs. Every single chapter in Unbounded is an action to take to change your life. I think no matter who you are in the world you’ll be able to see yourself somewhere in it and walk away with a really great sense of just what you are capable of in this lifetime.

JD: My first book Unbreakable explains my whole life, on and off the [tennis] court and all the struggles I faced. My follow-up book, which will be out next September is all about diving deeper into mental health. Ultimately, they [both books] are about giving others strength and hope.

SD: We focus a lot on external expectations when deciding what we should do with our lives but often that’s to the exclusion of asking, “do I even like this?” So, the book, Seize the Yay, hopes to encourage readers to focus a little more on joy, fulfilment, and our own uniqueness in finding a life that you love. 

MT: When it comes to uplifting women’s voices in everyday life, we need to make sure we have representation of their voices in every single sphere, especially underrepresented women, First Nations women, women with disabilities, women of colour, those in the LGBT+ community. Tying it back to the campaign, it does exactly that [embraces equity], because if resources and clothes are the gap between a woman being able to have an opportunity and then bettering herself and her community, let’s bridge that gap.

JD: Don’t dismiss, silence or disrespect women in any field or any part of everyday life. Education for boys at a young age is important, for them to understand that women are not any less important.

SD: I think the best way for us all to embrace equity together is to collaborate not compete. So, if there’s a way you can give another woman a leg up, take the opportunity.

MT: I’ve become a lot more comfortable in my aesthetic, so it’s a little bit of business, little bit of chic, and I like to play up masculine and feminine as well. It’s not about looking serious, it’s about what makes me feel the most me.

JD: My staples are suiting, dresses, blazers, blouses, and pumps. Belts, jewellery, and bags are a must as well to accessorise my outfits.

SD: I am a huge fan of a simple blazer, block colours, and versatile textures like denim that go with everything. My wardrobe is 90% staples and then I might throw in a seasonal print or something a bit fun.