Women In Crisis Are Fighting Back! Building New Futures & Fortresses!
It's a brutal time to be a woman in America, but our data shows women are mobilizing to flip social inequities and build a better tomorrow together.
We kick off International Women’s Month with a special focus on the recent work we just launched with theSkimm- 2023 The State Of Women Report
As a reminder, The Next Big Think! will send you one number, two insights, and three links weekly to keep you ahead of societal shifts.
1 Number
#AreYouListening?
82% of women said that “while there’s much talk about how overburdened women are, no one is actually helping them ease the burden.”
Source: theSkimm 2023 The State of Women Report
Why pay attention? Recognizing the burden on women and equity gaps is not enough; it’s time to take fundamental action steps to forge a more prosperous future together.
2 Insights
#1. Women Are Fighting Back, And Building New Futures & Fortresses!
What:
The CDC recently rang the alarm on teen girls, saying the group is in crisis and facing unprecedented rising suicide rates. The CDC report concluded that teen girls should be offered more counseling at schools and sexual content training. This is when the female uproar across social media pushed back, saying teen girls don’t need more coping mechanisms; we need societal change.
We use this example to introduce our recent collaboration with theSkimm, 2023 The State of Women Report. This pivotal report featured on The Today show and Forbes demonstrates this is not a teenage crisis but a female crisis.
What the data tells us:
We can’t sugarcoat the data; being a woman in America is brutal right now.
Women see a system working against their best interests, from health care to policy changes to support structures.
However, women are not going quietly into the night. Instead, women across the U.S. are mobilizing, rewriting rules, and creating momentum around social change to flip inequities and build a better future together.
Women feel like second-class citizens, and it’s impacting their mental health.
74% of Millennial women say “they are worried about the mental state of their female friends.”
Enough is enough; women are drawing a line in the sand!
Women are building new futures, fortresses, and operating systems.
83% are taking agency by writing the next chapter of being a woman in America
87% of women have or want to create more sources of financial stability in their life – and 60% are taking action by taking on a side hustle, shifting to a higher-earning career, or advocating for a promotion.
Women are mobilizing to shake up the system.
65% said they have gotten involved or want to get more involved in national politics (among Black women, this number reaches 74%)
76% said they have gotten involved or want to get more involved in their local community (e.g., schools, politics, small businesses, etc.).
What to think about: This change will happen with or without you. While the gaps persist, women are gaining influence and affluence as they mobilize.
This year alone, women have reached new highs around representation within Congress, the C-Suite, on boards, and as entrepreneurs. In the next seven years, women are projected to control up to $30 trillion in financial assets. And there is still a lot of work to do!
Now is the time to listen to women, fight with women, and be a part of redesigning the future together. Women want brands to champion them and understand the context of their lives – making dedicated and consistent efforts to improve it. Be a player, not a viewer. Dive into theSkimm’s insightful three takeaways for brands here.
#2. The SoftLife Movement: Rest Is Resistance
Image: Esther Galvan
What:
Speaking of redesigning their lives, Black women, tired of being lauded for strength, are crafting new aspirations. The #softlife consciously rejects grind culture and prioritizes personal needs, well-being, and rest. The phrase first coined in Nigeria, made popular by Black women, resonates worldwide in different variations. On TikTok, the phrase #Softlife already has 714M views, while #softlifechallenge has 25.2M views.
“For many Black women it is a challenge to move past always being the responsible one, always sacrificing their enjoyment, always putting others over ourselves,” she said. “The soft life is quite literally a rejection of the hard life. Life of struggle and sacrifice.” Creator Tenicka Boyd said in Andscape.
Tricia Hershey, founder of the Nap Ministry and author of the Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto, views rest as foundational to social justice work and a better world. Her global movement of over 600,000 followers believes naps can provide a portal for healing, imagination, and new possibilities.
“To hear the simple and bold proclamation “You are doing too much. You can rest. You can just be. You can be.” is revolutionary.”
Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
What the data tells us:
In our recent work with theSkimm, we see the importance of #SoftLife emerging across the spectrum for women.
When it comes to Millennial women
90% said they are prioritizing rest.
81% said they are “actively seeking new lifestyles that prioritize their health and well-being,”
72% said they’re tired of wellness products and services that “expect me to add something more to my day.”
What to think about:
How can you genuinely connect to women’s well-being? How can you give them back time or encourage rest versus adding more to their plate? How can you help incorporate the ideas that women should be taking up time, space, and energy in a way that fills their cups and desires? We will discuss this in further depth next week as we explore the macro force of Slow Culture.
3 Links
Fund of Women-Run Firms Is Beating the S&P 500 Since Launching (Bloomberg)
India's woman entrepreneurs are more likely to get loans than men (Quartz)
The Photographer Documenting Joy in the Undocumented Community (Narratively)
Bonus: Check out our recent work with theSkimm: 2023 The State Of Women Report, which is full of thought-provoking insights and critical next steps for brands.
Book recommendation for IWM: Lessons in Chemistry
Curiosity is contagious; if this newsletter makes you think or smile, please share it!!
Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at the Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.
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