Jill & Gill – Why Women’s Rights
ActionAid Ireland is an international organisation fighting for women’s rights, social justice and an end to poverty. Award-winning creative duo Jill & Gill answer questions for our blog series Why Women’s Rights. Thanks to print-maker Gillian Henderson and illustrator Jill Deering (pictured) for contributing.
Why do women’s rights matter to you?
As female entrepreneurs, we see the importance of education, community, and mentor-ship as key in our growth both as people in our own right and as business owners. Women’s rights are human rights. When a person is educated, respected, equal, that person can thrive, their confidence can pave the way for change. Change for the future we are all working together to achieve.
What is your proudest achievement?
Building the Jill & Gill brand ourselves from scratch.
We’ve worked so hard from day one and we continue to do so in bringing our vision of Jill & Gill to life.
We’ve created something we are extremely proud of and enjoy doing every day, that is an achievement in itself to do what you love.
If you could change one thing for women, what would it be?
More female voices across all industries worldwide.
As two female designers, entrepreneurs, and business owners we have zig-zagged our way, never really identifying with those in our industry that have gone before us. Fact: The Irish design sector is 75% Male.
This is said for so many women across all industries, the daily fight to prove your place. If we could change one thing tomorrow, it would be more women in power, more female change-makers, more female voices across all industries so that every little girl can see themselves as a change for the future.
What is your hope for a post-covid world?
We hope that some of the lessons we have learned during lockdowns like embracing the simpler approaches to things, supporting local businesses, enjoying your community, and helping grow your economy with pride will become permanent behaviours in a post-covid world.
Interested in supporting ActionAid’s work promoting women’s rights? You can sign-up to make a regular donation or give a one off gift here.
You can also learn about ActionAid’s women’s rights programme, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, here.
