#BreaktheBias photoshoot for IWD
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social,
economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to
action for accelerating women’s equality. Encouraged by over 100 years of IWD
gatherings around the world, local Leighton Buzzard residents Clare Twelvetrees
and Sally Seddon invited the community to get involved in this year’s campaign with
a #BreaktheBias photoshoot.
Following the impact of Covid-19 on progress towards gender equality, Clare co-
founded international charitable organisation Equality Starts at Home. Clare
explains ‘Equality Starts at Home believes that equality at home will enable women
to fulfil their potential and will ultimately create a better society for all. We also
believe in diversity, inclusion and anti-discrimination in all its forms. These aims are
reflected in the IWD focus for 2022 which highlights that, whether conscious or
unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias
exists isn’t enough, action is needed to level the playing field.’
Sally, Treasurer with Fairtrade Leighton Linslade, continued.
‘Clare and I, along with some of our friends, have been involved in various local campaigning activities on issues of equality and fairness for many years. IWD seemed a great opportunity to engage the local community again focussing on an action that was easy to engage people in and also thought provoking. We are also thrilled to see the work and activities being promoted by the Town Council around IWD and hope this raises people’s awareness of their own ability to create change.’
The IWD website highlights that as individuals and communities we are all
responsible and that we can all take action.
‘We’re all responsible for our own
thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can break the bias in our
communities. We can break the bias in our workplaces. We can break the bias in
our schools, colleges and universities.’
As Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any
one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
