Want to know why you should get involved in our #Walk4Women? Here’s why we’re taking part.
What are you doing to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March?
Don’t panic if you haven’t given it much thought. We’re here to give you a simple option to support women – by going on a walk.
Our #Walk4Women, in collaboration with CARE International UK, asks people to commit to a walk on 8 March, wherever and however they fancy. You can sign up here, pledge how far you’ll stroll and then, when the day comes, just lace up your comfiest trainers and get going.
Our goal is to walk the circumference of the earth (don’t panic, it’s not too lofty a dream – if 8,000 women pledge to walk 5k, job done). And on the big day, Team Stylist will be heading out on our own walk around London, and we invite you to host your own, solo or as a group, wherever you are.
Want some extra inspiration to get involved? We asked some of the women joining us on #Walk4Women to share why they’re taking part. Here’s what they said.
Lisa Smosarki, editor in chief of Stylist
“I’m joining the #Walk4Women this year as a reminder of just how powerful it is when women come together and how much we can change if we work together. There are still so many women living in crisis around the world – from climate crisis, poverty, as refugees, as victims of violence and war. Together we can help changelives by raising awareness and money for those in need.”
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer
“A woman’s right to lead is not up for debate. Now is the time to change the narrative that our life, liberty and choice can be determined by anyone other than us. This is why I resist and I’m going to #Walk4Women.”
Nikita Gill, poet
“The act of walking in solidarity with other women is a symbol of what we need to do as a collective. It is not just us walking. It is our foremothers walking with us and we walk for our granddaughters and their granddaughters. Today with women’s rights under attack all over the world, there has never been a more urgent time for resistance.”
Helen Pankhurst, activist
“Walking together is a powerful act of solidarity, whether it’s marching in protest, walking to raise funds or walking to symbolise struggle and progress. #Walk4Women is a mixture of all three for the modern age: we’re walking in solidarity with women leading their families and communities through global crises, and with the special #March4Women podcast, you can listen to the voices and stories of some of the women we are celebrating. Sign up, lace up and listen up this International Women’s Day!”
Michelle Blond, presentation manager at Stylist
“My 91-year-old grandmother died in her sleep last night so I’ll walk in her memory and everything she stood for. She was the most fearless, amazing, wonderful woman who learned to drive at the age of 70 after her husband (my grandfather) died. He was 18 years older than her and that was his job!
“She asked me to set her up with an email address because it was too inconvenient not having one and she got herself a mobile phone and iPad to do online shopping, send WhatsApp messages, etc. She was the embodiment of We Are Women And We Are Stronger Than We Think.”
Miranda Larbi, Strong Women editor at Stylist
“As someone who has female family members living in countries where access to education and crisis relief is scarce, Care International has always been a charity close to my heart. Of course, you don’t need a personal connection – just look at what’s happened to women and girls in Afghanistan or the communities destroyed in the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. I might not have the funds to make a huge difference personally, but by joining #Walk4Women, I know that my contribution may help to improve someone’s situation.
“Oh, and as a fitness fan, I’m always keen to get moving – and this provides the perfect opportunity to ditch my desk for an hour.”
Kellyann Prior, head of retail at Stylist
“I’m walking because I’ve never done anything to mark International Women’s Day. I know from friends living abroad that it’s a much bigger thing in other countries, and it would be nice to replicate that over here. Often it just feels like an angle used by companies to sell us things!”
Felicity Thistlethwaite, digital content director at Stylist
“As a woman who is daughter, a sister, a friend and also a mother to a daughter, I feel both the joy and the weight of my position in 2023. While I can celebrate the strides we (as women, inclusively) have taken towards equality in the last few years, there is still so much to be done – and if I think about it too much, it feels like an overwhelmingly impossible task.
“So I’m walking with Care International and Stylist on International Women’s Day to make a small, personal, proactive step (hopefully) in the right direction. I know Care International put women and girls at the centre of all the work they do (around the world), and I want my daughter to see me actively doing something to try to help the people who really need it.”
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Manon Clarke, digital marketing executive at Stylist
“I’m joining the #Walk4Women with friends and colleagues to celebrate all the brilliant things that women are achieving around the world. I will also be walking in solidarity for Care International as they support and champion women who have experienced life-changing disasters, which means a lot to me.”
Meena Alexander, features editor at Stylist
“Nobody needs me to tell them this, but it’s been a tough couple of years in the fight for equality. From setbacks in abortion rights to the loss of brilliant female leaders, there have been plenty of times when I’ve felt down about the state of the world and, quite frankly, helpless to change it.
“That’s why I jumped at the chance to #Walk4Women; pounding the pavements with like-minded people is not only an act of solidarity, it is energising. It reminds us that we’re heading in the right direction, together, no matter how slow progress sometimes feels. I’m so ready to get out there and get inspired again.”
Images: Getty; Bronac McNeill; Will Bremridge; Sarah Brick
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