LoopMe Celebrates International Women's Day with Global Activities

𝗔𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. The event 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆, with contributions from organisations such as Rape Crisis and ScotCPS was judged 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁. The organisers had applied to the Largs 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 £𝟮,𝟮𝟱𝟬 to run the event at Vikingar, expecting around 𝟴𝟬 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱. That works out at roughly £𝟮𝟴 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. The fund’s rules say projects must benefit “𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥, 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨.” Councillors concluded the event served “𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.” The council papers also raised application issues, including missing accounts, lack of quotes for some costs and questions about eligibility. The organisers say the process became complicated, including requests for three years of audited accounts despite the Trust being newly established. All of that context matters. But the decision still raises a much bigger question. Because if our funding rules cannot recognise the community value of a 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆, then something is badly off in how those rules are being applied or interpreted. Especially this week. This weekend is 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆, and March is 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. The theme this year is “𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻” – defined on the UK government’s website as underscoring ““𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨.” And recognising that “𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮, 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚.” Yet at the same time, a local event focused on women’s safety was considered too narrow to qualify as meaningful community benefit. The good news is the event will now go ahead after 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻. But the situation highlights something important. Supporting women in principle is easy. Nice catchphrases are easy. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀. And if £28 per person for an event addressing violence against women struggles to meet the definition of community benefit, it’s probably time to take a closer look at what that definition really means.

This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to celebrate the power of collaboration and generosity through this year’s theme, ‘Give to Gain’. Across Alfred H Knight, colleagues from Africa, India, China and Peru have shared inspiring reflections on community support, inclusivity and everyday actions that contribute to building stronger and more connected workplaces. From volunteering and taking part in charitable initiatives to championing empathy, respect and opportunity, their experiences highlight how meaningful change is often shaped through collective effort. Read the full blog via the link in the comments below to hear their perspectives and see how small actions can create lasting impacts 👇 #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #GivetoGain #Collaboration #Values #AHK

International Women’s Day is often a moment for celebration. At Sanjog, it is also a moment for reflection. Across our work, we have seen how people who live through exclusion, whether shaped by violence, marginalisation, ageing, or barriers to justice, hold insights that systems often overlook. When these lived realities inform research, community action, and advocacy, our understanding of what meaningful change requires becomes deeper and more grounded. This is the spirit behind our "Give to Gain" continuum - recognising that when survivors contribute their knowledge, labour, and leadership, the gains extend far beyond individuals to communities and systems. Today we recognise the many individuals whose lived experience continues to inform knowledge, solidarity, and collective action. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #SocialEquity #SurvivorLed #GenderJustice

🌸🌺 This International Women’s Day, here are a few organisations doing work that genuinely supports women, beyond the performative posts. 🌺🌸 If you’re looking for something meaningful to share, support, or engage with today, these are worth your attention. 🤰🏽Pregnant Then Screwed🤰🏽 https://lnkd.in/edunFwEv Every year in the UK: • 54,000 women lose their jobs simply for being pregnant • 390,000 working mothers experience discrimination or negative treatment at work So chances are high that you or someone you know will face this at some point. (I found them when I was pregnant 🤫) Pregnant Then Screwed provides legal guidance, practical resources, and a powerful community of solidarity for women navigating this reality. 🕺🏻Beyond Equality🕺🏻 https://lnkd.in/ebUs2ry5 If you’re raising boys or mentoring young men, their Parent Toolkit is an incredibly useful resource for navigating conversations about online influencers, masculinity, and digital culture. Misogyny has gone mainstream. Beyond Equality helps parents, educators, and organisations challenge that trend and build healthier, more respectful cultures. They also work with companies to create workplaces that people can genuinely be proud of. 🏡Refuge🏡 https://refuge.org.uk/ Because the most dangerous place for a woman is often her home. • 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime • Every 30 seconds UK police receive a call relating to domestic abuse • Thousands of women and children are supported by Refuge every single day Their work provides life-saving support, safety, and long-term recovery. 👏👏👏 If you want to mark International Women’s Day in a way that actually moves the needle: • Donate • Share their work • Bookmark their resources • Talk about these issues with the people around you #internationalwomensday #IWD2026

From grassroots funding to a thriving community hub 💙 Since 2019, we’ve provided £21,000 in funding to support the Hedon Methodist Church Community Hub, helping it grow from a small weekly group into a thriving community hub. With this support, alongside other partners, the hub now delivers a wide range of activities and services each week – supporting local people through community groups, digital support, wellbeing sessions and more, reaching around 150 people every week. It’s been fantastic to see this impact, with The HEY Smile Foundation recently featuring their Community Manager for International Women’s Day, celebrating the difference she’s making in the local community. Read more here: https://loom.ly/o_py0XQ #HedonCommunity #CommunityImpact #InternationalWomensDay

Proud to support “EmpowerHer Future" with donation. Inspiring Girls Hong Kong equips disadvantaged girls (16-18) with financial and career skills during the most formative years of their lives. Science shows this age is a critical window where self-belief and financial habits are formed, influencing up to 80% of life outcomes. Empowering a young woman economically is proven to lift her entire family and community. The impact is staggering: - Builds Lifelong Confidence:Intervening at this age shapes self-efficacy. - Creates a Ripple Effect: Empowered women reinvest in their communities. - Breaks Cycles: It's a direct investment in social mobility. I'm sharing to amplify their vital work 💕 Sarah S. Eliza Wan Isabel Mak Kristin Ngai Jessie T. Valerie Koh Pauline Ong Erica Wong Katy Ho Winki Tsui #BeTheInvisibleTie #GiveToGain

Join us for the third and final episode of this season’s ‘Conversations That Count’, where our host Sharanya Sekaram talks to Dr. Gayathri Lokuge, Team Leader - Livelihood and Employment at the Centre for Poverty Analysis, and Thanuja Jayawardene, Head of Women’s Empowerment and Advocacy at MAS, about how care work keeps families, communities, and economies running, yet too often remains unseen, unpaid, and carried disproportionately by women.   Dr. Gayathri and Thanuja discuss the realities of unpaid care work, its impact on women’s economic participation and advancement, and why creating fairer systems of support is not just a workplace issue, but a question of equity, choice, and collective responsibility.   To celebrate Women’s History Month, join this and other insightful conversations, as we unpack what it takes to address these challenges with care, intention, and meaningful action.   #IWD2026 #InternationalWomensDay #PlanForChange2030 #WomenGoBeyond #FairCareResponsibility #CareEconomy #BurdenOfCare #Gender

Join us for the third and final episode of this season’s ‘Conversations That Count’, where I talk to to Dr. Gayathri Lokuge, Team Leader - Livelihood and Employment at the Centre for Poverty Analysis, and Thanuja Jayawardene, Head of Women’s Empowerment and Advocacy at MAS, about how care work keeps families, communities, and economies running, yet too often remains unseen, unpaid, and carried disproportionately by women. Dr. Gayathri and Thanuja discuss the realities of unpaid care work, its impact on women’s economic participation and advancement, and why creating fairer systems of support is not just a workplace issue, but a question of equity, choice, and collective responsibility.

Dena Hysell-Cornejo in action at the most recent screening of UNMUTED - Child Brides as part of Unchained At Last event in NY. Their work has changed the child marriage laws in many states but there are still 34 states in the US where it is legal. This must change.

This #InternationalWomensDay (IWD), let's remember its roots: a movement born from recognizing working women. As more women join the workforce, the gaps in awareness, infrastructure are revealed and the potential for bias and discrimination become increasingly evident. These experiences of exclusion are further amplified at the intersections of disability, caste, queerness, transness, religion, and ethnicity. This year, as we celebrate, let's embrace the spirit of the IWD 2026 "Give To Gain" Campaign. This initiative highlights the profound power of generosity and collaboration. It’s about centering reciprocity and mutual support on which to build sustainable future communities. Whether you can give donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or simply your time, contributing to women's advancement is key. By bridging these gaps, we help build a more supportive and interconnected world for everyone, not just today, but throughout the year. Let's renew our commitment to center gender equity and create inclusive and safe workplaces. #IWD2026 #GiveToGain #WomensEmpowerment #Equality #Inclusionatwork #internationalwomensday #equilibrioadvisoryllp