What Is International Women’s Day?

Each year on the 8th of March, people worldwide celebrate International Women's Day. The day itself dates back to the early 1900's, and celebrates women's achievements as well as calling for gender equality. This isn't about women being 'better' than men, this is about raising the issue of the gender gap as figures show that globally, women's education, health and violence towards women is still worse than that of men. International Women's Day recognises the inequalities women still face, and celebrates the achievements of those women who have overcome the barriers.

Who Are Our Strong Female Inspirations?

There are so many women out there who have done incredible things to help the progression of women's rights. Some have really made a name for themselves, and others might not have been truly recognised for their work yet, but the girls at HQhair put together their inspirations...

Sophia Amoruso

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRQypUvj4XC/

Sophia and the team at girlboss have just held the girlboss rally, where 500 inspired and inspiring women congregated to share their wins, losses, life hacks and more. Attendees had the chance to meet and network with other talented, like-minded women whilst taking learnings from some of the best minds of our time. Not only has she written a best selling book, #GIRLBOSS and held the most badass rally ever, but 10% of all ticket proceeds went to the Girlboss Foundation, awarding financial grants to women in the worlds of design, fashion, music and the arts to help fund their journey to owning their own future; empowering creative women to take over the world. Is there anything this woman can't do?!

Lolli (Girl Stole London)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRCDVmClhDT/

Lolli, or Lauren, has got to be one of the strongest and bravest women we know. After finding out she had breast cancer in August 2016, she decided that she wouldn't just fight it, but that she would share her journey with all of her followers. Her aim is to share the tales of her treatment to tackle the cancer taboo and help those who are also dealing with the same issues, using her blog and social media to empower and encourage her peers to take responsibility for their bodies. With a whole section on her blog dedicated to '#GIRLVSCANCER' Lolli is for sure an inspiration. And to top it all off, she's just launched a line of sassy slogan t-shirts, where 25% of sales are donated to The Breast Cancer Haven.

Ingrid Nilsen

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQOUsq8lYcW/

YouTube sensation Ingrid has captivated followers and fans for years. Hell, we watched her back in the day and completely fell in love with her and her videos. Pushing herself to overcome her fear of public speaking, Ingrid created videos about fashion, lifestyle and make-up. Then in June 2015, Ingrid posted a video where she came out as a lesbian. Let's put it this way, Ingrid seriously used her position to educate and break stigmas about the LGBTQ+ community, and that was brave. Ingrid continues to create videos that challenge stigmas and talks about taboo subjects because.. why not?! This stuff matters, and Ingrid is brave enough to talk about it. We salute you!