WHY WEAR PURPLE ON MARCH 8TH?
March 8th, 2021 is International Women’s Day.
Sue Kramer of the National Association for Women Business Owners reminds us that there are 11.6 million women business owners in the US. It’s the largest business growth segment in the US. Women entrepreneurs create $7 trillion for the American economy. Celebrate these women on March 8th by wearing purple.
The path to the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs hasn’t been easy. It took years of marching, imprisonment and even hunger strikes and forced feeding for women to get the right to vote in 1920.
It took another 48 years, 1988, for Congress to pass HR 5050 that allowed a woman to sign for her own loan. Her 18 year old son could sign for her, but there were dozens of absurd and denigrating reasons why she couldn’t be treated as a responsible adult.
Indeed, when I was going through a divorce in 1973, I couldn’t get a credit card in my own name or a mortgage despite the fact that I had the required employment history and annual salary without a husband. Much work was being done at that time to change those rules and many more. The work still goes on to insure that a women has the education, access to capital and respect she needs to fulfill her potential.
International Women’s Day is part of National Women’s History month. The 2021 theme for International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. To challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. And the celebration color is purple.
On March 5th the entrepreneur incubator 1871+Discovery will hold a free virtual event which will include networking, workshops and a conversation with 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler and keynote speaker Valerie Jarrett. You can register at Events@ 1871.com
On March 18 the Deerfield Bannockburn Riverwoods Chamber celebrates through their virtual Women in Business luncheon. I’ll become Lady Bird Johnson and will be interviewed by DBR Membership Stacey Ditka. It’s a piece of a program I created and toured the US with after having dinner with Mrs. Johnson at the Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Lady Bird’s life spanned the 20th century. It reflects the enormous changes women saw during that time. Mrs Johnson described it as having “a role for which I never rehearsed”. That’s a feeling many women experience even now. If you’re a woman or a gentleman who has an affection for one or more women, get the link to the Zoom performance at www.dbrchamber.com.
I’m so proud to be a woman and an entrepreneur in a business that serves other women entrepreneurs. Join me in this wonderful celebration.