Happy International Women’s Day!
Every year the 8th March is celebrated as International Women’s Day. It is a collective world wide effort to honour and celebrate the lives of women, both past, present and future.
Read more: Happy International Women’s Day!The theme for IWD this year is Embrace Equity, yes you read that right EQUITY (not Equality) Slight change of spelling and change of meaning.
So what’s the difference?
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. So, what if everyone gets a bike as a form of transport. But what if one person doesn’t have any legs, is that bike any good to them? No!
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. So instead of a bike, the person with no legs would get some other mode of transport that suits their situation.
Inequity affects many people, but most commonly historically it has marginalized communities such as women, people of colour, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, and those from the LGBTQ+ community.
The goal of equity is to change systemic and structural barriers that get in the way of people’s ability to thrive. (1)
“You can do some rather extraordinary things if that’s what you really believe.”
– Toni Morrison
This blog post is also to introduce you to the work of The Nest and signpost to some other women’s support organisations in the Exeter and Devon area.
The Nest Southwest is a community interest company based in Exeter, Devon, set up to support women and girls through the major life transitions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause. We offer social, emotional and informational support through a variety of women’s peer support groups, menstrual wellbeing workshops, webinars, social media presence and a hire service to reduce landfill waste while saving money. We are passionate about creating community by opening spaces that foster non-judgement, build peer support networks, and grow respect for self, others and the planet.
We currently offer:
- Menopause Café group
- Meno Mondays – menopause peer support group
- Nesters fortnightly antenatal support group
- Nestlings weekly new parent and baby group
- Walk & Talk group for pregnant and new parents
- Hire/borrow service for birth items
- Core Restore postnatal classes
- A Perinatal Peer Support Network (PPSN)
- Whatsapp Wednesdays: Private chats in our groups for pregnancy, birth & parenting
- Baby Loss Conversation Café
- Women’s Well-Being community days for women of colour and from diverse culture backgrounds and allies to address health inequalities
- Menstrual Well-being workshops in Exeter secondary schools
- YouTube channel (catch up on our webinars and informational videos)
- FREE downloadable positive affirmations and information leaflets
- Facebook and Instagram social media channels
- Read our report on menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause experiences in Devon
Other Exeter women’s support groups…
- Mothers Who Make creativity group
- Dreadnought celebrating women’s voices
- Choices Pregnancy / baby loss / abortion support
- Devon United Women networking
- Women’s Aid against domestic abuse
- SANDS baby loss charity
- Devon Maternity Voices Partnership
- Big Sis Girls empowerment social enterprise
- Wellbeing Exeter community life and social connections
Whatever you choose to do with your time we hope you will take a moment after reading this blog to reflect on the world you live in, and if there are any actions you can make to increase gender equity in your home, and your community. Big changes are often made up of little actions taken consistently over a long period of time, and to create a world where gender equity is a reality, the changes need to first start inside ourselves and our beliefs.
“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.”
Anne Sexton
Comments? Please drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you…