Lets celebrate IWD 2021: A Salute To Inspiring Young Women
In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021, we’ll be dedicating the rest of March to highlighting some inspiring quotes on our Instagram and LinkedIn pages from phenomenal women we think everyone should know. Each woman is renowned and respected for blazing a trail in their fields—whether they’re authors, artists or climate justice activists. Here’s to Jameela Elfaki , Candice Brathwaite, Kristy Drustman, Chloé Zhao, and Mikaela Loach, for all the awesome work they do. We salute you today, and always!
Jameela Elfaki
“Accepting that it’s okay to not fit into a box or belong to just one place is a beautiful and liberating thing. It’s okay to have multiple cultures, homes and communities, it is your choice how you express your identity”
Jameela Elfaki
Jameela Elfaki, the founder and editor-in-chief of AZEEMA mag has many plates spinning, and one in particular is growing her platform that seeks to empower and uplift womxn within the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia diaspora. AZEEMA grew from what began as Jameela’s final project at Central Saint Martins. Having graduated from the fashion communication and promotion course back in 2017, Jameela and AZEEMA have grown together in perfect harmony. Here, we talk to Jameela about the “gambles” you take as a freelancer, her life-changing project and how she’s adapting to shooting from home during lockdown. Caption taken from an interview written by Siham Ali
Candice Brathwaite
“I want people to learn, especially white people, that being an ally doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture. It certainly doesn’t always have to be public. Maybe it’s you mentoring a black person, or helping them to climb that career ladder – all those things add up”
Candice Brathwaite
Candice Brathwaite is an author, journalist, TV presenter, and founder of Make Motherhood Diverse – an online initiative that aims to ensure many more people see themselves reflected online. Candice started blogging in 2016 to tell her own motherhood story keen to show that young black families weren’t just surviving but thriving and her straight-talking, original content really struck a chord with fans and brands alike. Her debut book I Am Not Your Baby Mother – about being a black British mum – published in May 2020 by Quercus made the Sunday Times Bestseller list.
Kristy Drutman
“My vision is that I can start bridging the gap between these ideas of what it means to be an environmentalist between, regardless of your race, your gender, your age. What does that look like, how can we start exploring that, and what are the gaps and what are the opportunities for collaboration?”
Kristy Drutman
Kristy Drutman is a Filipina environmentalist and digital strategist who wants to save the world one post at a time through her podcast and media series, Brown Girl Green. She interviews environmental leaders and advocates about diversity and inclusion as well as creative solutions to the climate crisis. Follow her journey at @browngirl_green on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the Brown Girl Green Podcast.
Chloé Zhao
“It’s very important for feminism for us to tell our daughters that they should be strong. But to tell our sons that they can be vulnerable, to have these characters on screen that are not perfectly masculine cowboys that never fail, for our boys to change their psyche as well, that’s equally important for feminism”
Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao is an award winning filmmaker who started writing and making films because of her fascination with multiculturalism and its role in the world. Her films usually reflect this curiosity and the desire to explore. Recently, Chloe made history by becoming the second woman to win a Golden Globe for directing ‘Nomadland’. Zhao was raised in Beijing and England, received her BA in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and is now a MFA thesis student at New York University’s graduate film program.
Mikaela Loach
Fashion is often connected to empowerment, if you wear a great outfit you feel good, you feel empowered,” Loach tells Global Citizen. “But if your empowerment is causing the oppression of someone else, is that real empowerment?”
Mikaela Loach
Mikaela Loach is a climate justice activist and ethical fashion blogger. Mikaela enjoys sustainable living and lives in Edinburgh, where she studies Medicine at university. On her Instagram, you’ll find posts about ethical fashion, low impact living, and advice on looking after your mental health. Mikaela aims to encourage conscious consumerism and save our beautiful planet, whilst honouring the other humans on it!
Happy IWD #ChooseToChallenge