This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Break The Bias – encouraging and demanding a world that is gender equal, that is free of bias and that celebrates our differences.

While it is encouraging that we are heading in the right direction toward equality, today, we are still not a gender equal world. As a mom of two daughters, my hope is that one day we will live in a world free of bias, one where our gender does not define us. Like all mothers, I want my children to have the opportunity to do whatever their passions bring them, without thinking, “can I do this because of my gender.”

Gender bias is a real thing and is a systemic issue. For change to happen, we all need to take dedicated steps in fighting for women’s equality. I want my children – and all woman and people – to feel as though they can chase after their dreams by advocating and creating space through equality and fairness across the board. Every day, we are given opportunities to lift up those around us. When we witness any type of bias, I believe it is our duty to call it out and to take the necessary steps to ensure we are all able to thrive, and in turn, help the world become a better place.

I also recognize that while we face gender bias everyday here in the U.S., we are also fortunate that we are ahead of many other parts of the world when it comes to gender equality. Globally, this is an even more monumental problem and there is still so much to be done. In many other cultures, women bear the burden of all domestic work and play a role in their communities where they aren’t afforded the same rights and access to education as we have here is the states. This creates a cycle of gender bias that will take a lot of work to break.  

On a personal level, throughout my childhood and early adult life, I have had to work hard to fight gender bias in all aspects of my personal life and career. Through the steps I proactively took in my own life, I empowered myself to go after my own dreams of creating Honest.

Looking back over the last 10 years and the last year specifically as we took Honest public, I never imagined we’d be where we are today when I first decided to bring this business to the market. When I was pitching room after room of (mostly) men to raise initial seed funding, I was also pregnant with my second child. Some thought I should be a spokesmodel for other brands (just be the face of a fragrance), others thought I should start smaller. That’s the part of business where being an actor helps: rejection. The more I was rejected, the more I honed my pitch. It was hard to be taken seriously at first because I was an actress... but especially because I was a woman – but I didn’t give up and believed in myself and the business I wanted to bring to consumers everywhere. If I let gender bias guide me back then, Honest wouldn’t be a company today.

I often wonder how it would have gone if I were in front of VCs that were female-led or focused on female founders. According to CrunchBase, in 2020 women-led start-ups only raised 2.3% of VC funding and Black and Latinx founders only received 2.6% of VC funding. Gender equality is a continuous uphill battle the world is facing – across industries and the globe.

There is still so much work to do to ensure women and minorities have the same opportunities as others. I will continue to use my platform to champion diversity and inclusion – saving a seat at the table for all women right alongside me. I want women to feel confident in going after what they want and not letting what gender they identify with define who they are or who they want to be.

This belief has really helped guide what’s important to us at Honest and how we approach our workforce and work environment as well as how we support employees. Today, I am proud that women represent 72% of our workforce and 64% leadership, which includes director level and above.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) have also become a key component in how our team engages with, supports and empowers each other at Honest. Our ERG WELL, Women Excelling in Leadership and Living, supports the personal and professional development of women at Honest. We founded this ERG to ensure women throughout the company felt empowered in their careers. We also have a Parents & Friends ERG that provides a valuable network of parenting resources and information.

As an employer – and a mom – I would also be remiss to not call out the simply unacceptable motherhood penalty that women face in their career. Women should never have to choose between a successful career and having a family and should be offered adequate leave time, flexibility and the necessary resources for working mothers. Female employees are an invaluable asset to the workforce, and we need to create an environment where they are set up for success – regardless of their home life. 

At the end of the day, I firmly believe we all must do our part to continue to hold open the door for all women to be part of the conversation and part of our leadership teams. Words of support are no longer enough. We must act every day and keep gender equality at the forefront of our work. I’m here to tell you today that no matter who you are or where you come from, our differences should always be valued and celebrated. Please join Honest and I as we #BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day as we work together to help create a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.