International Women’s Day: How to Support and Empower the Women around you

Women have been pivotal in making waves in history for marginalized communities to gain resources, recognition and the help they need within the mental health sector. Women are also a big part of PsyMood. Whether that is our amazing team that works behind the scenes creating content and offering user support, our talented specialists or our partners, we are proud of being a woman-strong organization. This week in light of our celebrations we wanted to discuss how to support and empower the women around you.

Offer your Expertise

Being a part of a marginalized community is full of obstacles particularly when you are a woman. This is only increasingly more challenging when you are a newcomer to a country. As an organization created and run by fellow immigrants to Canada we can appreciate the complexity of starting afresh, learning the new ways of life and adjusting can take time. If you are someone who is well adjusted to life in your home locale and see another woman struggling to understand new ways of life, sharing your experience, advice and resources can be extremely beneficial. This could include signposting to good local healthcare providers, recommending safe neighbourhoods to live or helping someone understand the complex local laws and regulations. 

Shop Woman-Owned 

It is no secret that marginalized women, particular women of colour are among those most likely to face prejudice and discrimination. Women are also less likely to receive financial support for their businesses and subsequently face a harder time developing companies. Supporting women-owned businesses is an effective way to show your support for your fellow ladies, when you shop locally with women-owned businesses you don’t just buy a product, you help fund someone’s dream.

Educate Yourself

If you are reading this and don’t self-define as a woman, you may be unaware of both the minor and major obstacles women face due to their gender every single day. It is important to educate yourself to eliminate ignorance of gender inequality. This can include doing research in the history of feminism and the issues women face due to gender inequality that still exists. 

Reject harmful Gender Stereotypes 

Many harmful gender stereotypes are innately deep rooted in the language still spoken today. Not only are these stereotypes reductive of women, they also pressure the definition of what it means to be a woman. Women are not defined by the clothes they wear, how they look, the colours they like or who they love. Be sure to think wisely before using language that is perceived as perpetuating harmful stereotypes of women.

Encourage Speaking Up

Life can be overwhelming at the best of times and a great way to support those in your life is to listen to them in their times of need. However at PsyMood we know it can be hard to offer appropriate advice without being qualified and that’s what we’re here for!

PsyMood offers mental health specialists to support you or the ones you love with online or in person therapy sessions with professionals covering topics including depression, ADHD, eating disorder and many other conditions. Not only do our mental health professionals specialize in supporting marginalized groups, they also originate from a diverse range of communities from around the world. PsyMood’s specialists speak over 35 languages, from 22 countries and are here to offer your support with your language and cultural background in mind.