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With the theme of "Accelerate Action" this International Women's Day, we speak to two wonderful ladies and one excellent bakery helping do exactly this, and advocating for women in the workplace, and beyond.

Introducing....

Lucy Blakiston from Shit You Should Care About, an uplifting news outlet. 

Alisha Davidson, talented London-based artist (who recently designed some stunning Compostable Canvas Hot Cups for us!). 

Luminary Bakery, award-winning social enterprise bakery in London.

Hey ladies! Can you each please tell us a bit about yourself, and what drives or inspires your work?

Alisha: Hi! I’m Alisha Lucia (she/her), I’m an illustrator and artist. I love drawing, specifically drawing people. I find bodies to be a source of endless inspiration. There’s so much mystery, and individuality and weirdness in the human form. I source a lot of inspiration for my work from contemporary dance, yoga, and people watching.

Lucy: Shit You Should Care About it like, the cutest media company on the internet. My ethos is, ‘Giving You The News Without Giving You The Blues’ and I do that in my daily newsletter and on social media, in which 83% of our readers are women. I have one full time employee (ME!), and one contractor/designer (my bestie Abby!). 

Luminary Bakery: We're a social enterprise in London that empowers women facing disadvantage by offering training, employment and community. We use baking as a tool to provide a safe and professional environment where women can build confidence, develop skills, and move towards financial independence.

We work with women who have experienced gender-based violence and multiple barriers to employment, including homelessness, low income and involvement with social services. Through our Employability and Independence Training Programme, we support them over two years, equipping them with skills for sustainable employment.

In 2024, we had 84 women worked with us on training, employment, and holistic support. 100% of women completing the programme reached our independence threshold, and 65% of women were in employment, education, volunteering, or training after completing the programme.

The theme of International Women’s Day this year is ‘Accelerate Action’, “emphasising the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.” How do you each champion women in your work?

Lucy: I’m half joking and half not - I’ve only ever employed women (except for my older brother who co-hosted a podcast with me for a while). I don’t need too much help in my job, and when I do, I turn to my besties first, who happen to be the wisest and most talented women on the planet, so of course I want to employ them first (what is it Taylor Swift says? Karma takes all her friends to the summit?). It’s also a scary time to be a woman - particularly a trans woman - in this world, so I champion stories that feel like they can help lift us all up. Also, just by way of me being me, everything I write has a super feminine lens over it!!

Luminary Bakery: Championing women is at the heart of everything we do at Luminary Bakery. We accelerate action by:

Providing training and employment opportunities to women who have faced disadvantage, breaking cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Advocating for financial independence through skills development, mentoring and work experience in our cafes, bakeries, and with partner organisations.

Offering holistic support, including mental health services, legal guidance, and practical assistance with housing and childcare.

Building a strong community where women can find solidarity, encouragement and ongoing support beyond their training.

We don’t just help women gain employment, we help them build lives of stability, dignity, and independence.

Alisha: It’s very important to me to feature a diverse array of bodies in my work, especially those that aren’t typically highlighted in art and culture. I think representations of strong powerful women, specifically larger women, trans women, and women of colour are heavily underrepresented in the art world. So that’s who I try to draw more of, because I want folks to see themselves in my art and feel empowered.

What do you think other businesses or people in power can do to accelerate gender equality in the workplace?

Alisha: Paying folks equally, utilizing diverse hiring practices, focusing on accessibility in the workplace, shutting down misogynist, transphobic or ableist language or behaviour–these would all be excellent places to start! We need to create environments where misogynistic behaviour is inappropriate and everyone knows that. The more consistently that we speak up and call it out, the less acceptable it will become. 

Lucy: Lol hire us!! Put us in the big positions! Stop underestimating us! Don’t require us to wear a kitten heel or a pencil skirt!

What’s your view on the state of gender equality currently, and where would you like to see improvements? 

Lucy: I feel like I operate slightly outside of most professional environments (which I have worked hard to do - building a business where no is calling the shots except me) but even recently when I went to report on a tech event, I kid you not, 90% of the attendees (perhaps more) were men, and EVERYONE WAS IN A SUIT THAT WAS SOME SHADE OF GREY. So I’d like to see more women being invited to these events, and I know it’s silly, but I’d love to see the dress code be more accepting of the pinks of this world.

Alisha: I think acknowledging there are more than two genders would be a great start. Paying women and non-binary folks equally would also be great. Spending more money on research into women’s healthcare and trans healthcare would be excellent. But genuinely, changing the way in which we educate young children would probably have the greatest long term impact. Teaching empathy and emotional intelligence amongst children, especially young boys and continuing to champion that into adulthood, would garner a lot of change.

What’s something you want other women to remember?

Luminary Bakery: "You are capable, you are worthy and you are enough." No matter what challenges you’ve faced, you have the strength and potential to build the life you dream of. Luminary is here to help light the way.

Alisha: Women need to remember that the systems of patriarchy only work if we allow them to. If folks at the bottom are still being oppressed then the fight for equality is not over. Working together to empower one another and continue that work beyond your own liberation is key. 

Lucy: LEARN TO LOVE BEING UNDERESTIMATED! Let your power be walking into a room and watching people slowly realise that you deserve to be there. It feels so good.