by STEFANIE STRAUB, Mars Vice President & General Counsel
Women step up in a crisis, history tells us that. They step up for their families, for the people they work with, and when they need to, for their country. Right now, so many women are showing this resilience once again.
Seeing the horrific images and listening to the traumatic stories from Ukraine, I’m in awe of how many everyday women – whose lives were changed seemingly overnight - are boldly rising to the moment. Accounts from the conflict zone depict women doing their usual work in pharmacies, shops, transportation and public offices. Those who are taking care of their children without panic and entertaining them with games and cartoons while hiding in a subway station, protecting their minds from the sounds of war, some even forced to give birth in bomb shelters. Those bravely joining the men on the frontlines.
Personally, I have found this challenging to write. But I didn’t want this International Women’s Day to go by without recognizing that, on the march towards women’s equality, we can’t stop even in the face of the most desperate humanitarian crisis. We know from experience that the gender equity fight is exacerbated by war, and so we must keep calling for progress for our Associates, for our Associate’s families and for women everywhere. As the sponsor of the Full Potential program at Mars, supporting women to reach their full potential in all aspects of life is my core mission. Together with our partners at UN Women, CARE, BSR and many others, we push forward and overcome the obstacles to equity that women face every day, and especially in these extremely trying times.
We keep in our minds and hearts that the march in Ukraine this year is a notably different one.
On IWD 2021, like in many cities around the world, thousands of women from all over Eastern Europe marched on the streets of Kyiv demanding governments do more to respect their rights. In 2022, they have different priorities – scooping up their children, holding up their elderly relatives and picking up arms – they are making a different kind of march altogether. A march to safety, or a march towards danger, or simply a march to open up their shop to keep life going. All heroic in my opinion.
In times of crisis, just as we come together to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, this war is a brutal reminder that we must stand together as an international community, and that business must play a meaningful role. My thoughts are with every single Ukrainian right now, and with all who are called to fight for their families, children, pets with the hope of a free and fulfilled life.
So today, on International Women’s Day, my thoughts and support go to those women stepping up, wherever you are. This is to the women who make sure life goes on.
Sources:
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-invasion-first-lady-olena-zelenska-praises-incredible-women-who-are-the-face-of-the-resistance-12554943
https://www.rferl.org/a/feminists-march-for-rights-international-womens-day/31139997.html
