Digital Campaign Calls for a Day of Action Not Commercialism This International Women's Day

Women’s protest signs of the past are shockingly relevant today, with many of the issues highlighted by past protests still affecting women worldwide. Today on International Women’s Day, a global campaign called ‘Still Present’ has been launched to raise awareness and encourage activism. 

Yesterday (Monday 6th March), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN’s largest gathering on women’s empowerment, that that progress on women’s rights is 'vanishing before our eyes'. “Women’s rights are being abused, threatened and violated around the world,” he added, as he ticked off a litany of crises: maternal mortality, girls ousted from school, caregivers denied work and children forced into early marriage. (theguardian/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).

According to the World Health Organization, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2020, women in C Suite positions, on average, earned just $0.75 for every dollar earned by executive men. Not only has this dropped from $0.88 for every dollar in 2018, but it’s also the biggest pay gap since 2012. (Chief UK) the general pay gap has been stuck at 22% less for three decades (bloomberg). In 2022, the US Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, further stripping women of their rights. See notes to editors for further facts.

When IWD began, protests happened in the streets. Now, social movements happen as much in digital spaces as physical ones. 

The 'Still Present' campaign is a digital protest pack and website featuring repurposed historic protest signs for modern activism. People can add these historical protest signs to their social feeds with the hashtag #StillPresent or print them out to protest on the streets to raise awareness about the different issues and causes that women still need to fight for today. People can pick a sign that resonates with them or represents their values, and the related protest sign is a call to action encouraging others to join the initiative.

The website provides a backstory for key signs and the protest each was used in, providing visitors with a deeper understanding of the history of the protest and the issues it was highlighting. Some of the signs include: ‘Keep Abortion Legal’ Washington D.C 1989 featuring ‘Jane Roe’ from Roe v Wade; ‘Equal Pay Without Delay’ London U.K 1952; ‘Rape is a Crime Against Civilisation’ and ‘Women are Not Objects of Pleasure’ India 1980.

The site also curates links to organisations who are present in the movement.

‘Still Present’ is not for profit and has been created by global digital creative agency AnalogFolk to reignite the true purpose of International Women’s Day.

"Today is not a day to celebrate ourselves. It's not a day to buy ourselves something. It's a day of action to continue where women before us over 100+ years ago started."

“By digitising these historic protest signs, they become a powerful weapon for modern activism. They can be easily distributed and shared online, allowing their messages to reach and engage a far wider audience. Our aim is to show how these signs are shockingly still relevant today and make them accessible to a new generation of activists, giving them a tool to fight for their causes while also educating people on the history of past protests.” said Anna-Louise Gladwell, managing director, AnalogFolk London.