Nau mai, welcome to the Womanhood Journal.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Womanhood Journal proudly showcases stories of real women from the Kāpiti and Horowhenua communities in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Inspire Inclusion’. When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment. Inclusion is intentional. It is about identifying and removing barriers so that everyone can participate to the best of their ability.
The dots on the infographic below and dots throughout the journal highlight that we are all different:
Inclusion - A variety of people have power, a voice and decision-making authority
Equity - Fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all
Diversity - All the ways in which people differ
When inclusion, equity and diversity all occur together we can create true belonging. That is where the magic sits, and what we all need to work toward.
Inclusivity is about recognising that we do not all start from the same place and that we must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The process is ongoing, and it requires us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.
The beautiful thing about sharing stories is that we can all learn from each other’s experiences - especially if we have experienced exclusion. Sometimes it feels as though society still has a lot of undoing to do, and sometimes it’s powerful to come together, reflect on positive and uplifting stories, and remind ourselves that every bit of effort can go a long way.
Chapter Four of the Womanhood Journal features stories of more than 25 women from our community who have shared stories of their own experiences, career paths, and life journeys. Knowing that people can face exclusion in any part of their life is a key take away from this collection of stories. Our hope is that we all seek to learn to recognise this and challenge it so that together we can feel proud of helping others to feel a sense of inclusion and belonging in whatever place they have arrived at in this remarkable thing called life.
This is the fourth issue of the Womanhood Journal, a publication which has provided a platform for women’s stories to be acknowledged and celebrated. To date we have heard from more than 100 women in our community whose stories have offered depth, variety and meaning to the pages within.
Not only has it become a powerful way to inspire, educate and uplift others, but it has also provided an opportunity to give back to two local women’s charities - Kāpiti Women’s Centre and Horowhenua Women’s Refuge - with the proceeds of this journal heading their way to support the important work they do in helping women to rise.
Listen to Anna’s recent interview with Nikki Carroll at Coast Access Radio about the Womanhood Journal project.
With so many more inspiring stories to share, this is just the beginning. Tell your story in 2025. Email Anna Colville-Smith at ACS Marketing for more information. anna@acsmarketing.co.nz