Today marks International Women’s Day which states its purpose as “celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women" and being a "call to action for accelerating gender parity". This is a day to recognise womankind and champion our achievements, but it should also serve as a reminder that there is still a way to go.
In the UK the gender pay gap currently stands at 17.9 percent, one of the worst in Europe. Plan International UK has estimated that 1 in 10 girls in the UK are unable to afford sanitary products. And Amnesty International has approximated that 1 in 3 women will experience violence because of her gender.
We must take pride in supporting other women in every capacity, as sisters, friends, colleagues, creatives and entrepreneurs, and strive to ensure that women’s rights and liberties are protected. Here at Because we have each chosen an item or brand that in some way supports women and promotes action over gimmiks and solutions rather than slogans.
Caroline Issa, Editor-In-Chief
I have always loved Kirsten Kjaer Weis' approach to beauty - as a makeup artist, she knew she wanted to develop a beauty range that was clean, organic and as full of good ingredients as she had spent her career applying ones that were not necessarily the most beneficial to our skin. Her beautiful oil - made out of a mix of Chinese yam, wild rose, jojoba seed and sweet almond seed oils - is something I always soak into my skin and preps the face beautifully if you wear makeup. Her lipsticks don't harm when you bite/eat it off as one will inevitably do. And so it was a pleasure to collaborate with Kirsten a year and a half ago to create my two perfect reds, working together to make sure 25% of the proceeds from the lipsticks went to one of my favourite charities, Women for Women, who help support women rebuild their lives after war has torn their realities apart. Kjaer Weis' celebration of natural beauty, enhanced however you want to make you feel powerful and polished, is a brand that truly empowers and arms women.
Kjaer Weis x Caroline Issa is available for purchase here.
Carmen Bellot, Junior Fashion Editor
As an avid obsessor of handbags, I've realised that the only way I can justify indulging in my accessory addiction and obtaining more bags, is by buying better. A quick gander through the Charity page of the Matches Fashion Responsibility edit, led me down a wormhole of different Lutz Morris bags. While I've been aware of the brand and their boxy, minimal aesthetic for some time, I wasn't aware of the altruistic pillar to their identity. For every bag sold, $10 is donated to maternal health charity, EveryPillarCounts, a non-profit organisation dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer for women internationally. So while scratching my handbag craving, my purchase is also helping more women in getting access to essential maternal care, reducing the number of women (more than 800) that die because of this a day. An initiative this important deserves all the support from fellow bag addicts it can get.
Get your Lutz Morris bags here.
Leonie Hutch, Writer
This organic cotton jumper comes out of Bella Freud’s partnership with The Prince’s Trust and 40 percent of the proceeds of every sale will be donated in support of their #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign. Aside from that, the reason that I love it is because the slogan is in reference Freud’s belief that “When a woman speaks it’s good to listen” – which, as an oft unheard softly-spoken person, I fully endorse. Also, the orange space-agey ‘She Said’ seems slightly subversive - perhaps a comment on the ‘he said, she said’ narrative and the importance of not just listening to what a woman says, but believing it as well.
The She Said jumper by Bella Freud is available here.
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