As the impact of COVID-19 threatens to reverse decades of progress, women around the world are joining forces across our apps to support and uplift each other and their communities. In 2020, women created twice as many fundraisers on Facebook as men and made twice as many donations, with 64% of total funds raised coming from women. And women have led on growing communities and rallying resources, creating 2.7X more COVID-19-related groups than men with 4X more members.
To support these efforts we’re launching new features across our apps to help people celebrate and empower the women in their lives, and we’re elevating the voices of diverse women leaders creating change in their fields and communities. We’re also sharing new ways for people to support women-led small businesses.
Celebrate with New Product Features
Creators and others can now go live on Instagram with up to three other people with the launch of Live Rooms. During Women’s History Month, you can tune in to Live discussions with influential women and creators on how women can help each other overcome obstacles and succeed. You can also share new stickers on Instagram illustrated by diverse women around the world to highlight intersectionality.
And on Messenger, you’ll be able to send new custom sticker art created in partnership with leading women’s media and entertainment company Refinery29 to celebrate the women in your life and encourage conversation around those who’ve paved the way in their communities. The artwork was designed by acclaimed illustrator Jade Purple Brown and will be available in March and beyond. Also, on Messenger Kids, girls can share stickers from a new collection designed to empower them to express themselves, connect with their passions and write their own story.
On Facebook we’re encouraging people to #shoutout a leading lady in their life. Use #shoutout and #IWD2021 to find and share inspiring stories. We’re also launching a new category in Community Help on Facebook to enable people and nonprofits to organize drives and collect essential items like clothing, undergarments, shoes and feminine hygiene products for underserved women and girls.
Support Women-Owned Businesses and Economic Equality
You can support women-owned businesses by visiting the women-owned shopping collections on Facebook and Instagram Shop tabs and Instagram’s official shopping account @shop. And across North America, Latin America and Asia, women business leaders can participate in #SheMeansBusiness trainings and workshops hosted by Facebook to commemorate the five-year anniversary of #SheMeansBusiness.
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, we’re partnering with women leaders and influencers in business, media and entertainment to release e-books on International Women’s Day that feature their learnings and advice and encourage women to stand up for gender equality.
Get Inspired
Starting March 8 we’ll kick off our Women x Women campaign to spotlight inspiring stories of women, celebrate their accomplishments and showcase how they’ve found strength and community across our apps this year. We’ll feature organizations like Generation Women, a collective of diverse women at various ages who support each other by sharing life experiences, and encourage people to celebrate the women in their life through posts and stories on Facebook and Instagram. And throughout the month, you can visit our Facebook and Instagram accounts to hear from inspiring women creators, advocates, entrepreneurs and small business owners.