Today marks International Women’s Day (8 March), a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It began in the early 1900’s and has seen rallies and campaigns by both men and women calling for equality, women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office, and end discrimination. There have been campaigns for peace during World Wars, marches around the world battling for women’s rights, and thanks to the creation of the ‘internationalwomensday.com’ platform in 2001, a way of celebrating and making visible the achievements for women as well as offering guidance and resources.
This year Cosmic are celebrating the fact that not only have our joint CEOs, Julie Hawker and Kate Doodson, been included in the top 100 Women in Social Enterprise List but they are also among the 29 finalists announced in the Women in Social Enterprise Awards. These awards are split across four categories: The Social Business Leader of the Year, Environmental Champion, Social Investment Champion and Star of the Future.
Julie and Kate are among the 8 finalists in The Social Business Leader of the Year category.
Julie Baker, head of enterprise, business banking at RBS/NatWest, launched the WISE100 at the NatWest SE100 Leadership event at RBS Business School in Edinburgh on International Women’s Day in 2017. Women in Social Enterprise recognises the most inspiring and influential women in social enterprise, and is a platform connecting women in the space, enabling them to learn from and inspire each other, discover collaboration opportunities and increase their social impact.
There are fantastic articles and resources on their website, and over the years the Awards has seen many amazing women and social enterprises take to the stage and celebrate their achievements.
“What a brilliant surprise and honour to be selected as finalists this year, and at a time when recognition for the dedication and commitment for the whole team at Cosmic is strong. We both celebrate the work and success which all of our colleagues have achieved through the past 2 years and delivering the highest level of social impact ever.”
Julie Hawker, Cosmic
"We are delighted to be recognised for the impact that Cosmic has had over the years. Today is a day of celebration, and we are delighted to be working towards a world free of bias and discrimination and where difference is valued and celebrated."
Kate Doodson, Cosmic
The 2022 winners of the Women in Social Enterprise Awards will be revealed on 18 March in central London.
You can discover all the top 100 Women in Social Enterprise here, and the list of 29 finalists for the Women in Social Enterprise Awards here.
Congratulations to all the finalists, and we look forward to finding out and celebrating the winners on the 18 March!
If you want to find out more about International Women’s Day and this year’s #BeattheBias campaign, check out their website here.
Blog Post written by Kate Anderson, Marketing & Design Executive