Much-needed funds have been raised for Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid (BSWA) by healthcare solutions partner HealthTrust Europe (HTE).
Demonstrating the company’s mission of commitment to the care and improvement of human life within the communities it serves, staff members celebrated International Women’s Day 2019 on March 8th with a dress-down day and donated a total of £533.
The money will help BSWA support women and children affected by gender-based abuse including domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
HTE is a solutions partner for health and care providers; helping them to source the best products and services to deliver high quality patient care. The company is a trusted partner for the NHS and commercial health and care providers.
The theme of the campaign this year is “Balance for Better” and members of staff came together to discuss how they can help forge a more gender-balanced world and remember ordinary women who have done extraordinary things to help further equality.
As well as being a day for reflection, vital funds were raised by generous members of staff who organised a cake sale and a dress down day. The local charity provides a helpline, community-based and central drop-in services and six safe, emergency refuges. The support it offers helps to unlock women’s power and enable them to regain their confidence and skills to achieve their aspirations.
The day was recorded in a series of photos of staff members many of whom had dressed in purple, the colour historically linked with efforts to achieve gender equality.
Nanette Grant, Associate Vice President of Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) who launched the celebrations said: “The theme this year is Balance for Better, and in this context, we define balance as meaning ‘together we have impact and power’.
“It’s not just an issue for women, it’s important everyone helps to drive forward and achieve a gender-balanced world. Today is an opportunity to recognise the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual, which ties into HealthTrust Europe’s mission and is an opportunity for us to work in partnership to improve healthcare in the communities we serve.”
International Women’s Day is held globally each year on March 8th to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, to campaign for accelerating gender equality. It has occurred for well over a century, with the first gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom’s Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women’s equality.
