International Women’s Day — Support Your Local Girl Gang

By Emma Flusk, Montclair State University Class of 2019

Being in the headquarters of a female owned company on International Women’s Day, the energy is on another level. Something about ladies working together, achieving really amazing things, all while recognizing other amazing individuals during Women’s History Month, really screams girl power. That being said, women’s issues are being overplayed in the media making them sound almost cliché. There, I said it. As a whole, we talk a great game on social media, in the news, and in the entertainment we consume. The reality is, there is still not enough support for all the different intelligent, beautiful and driven women who “run the world,” (yes, that is a Beyoncé song reference, it’s International Women’s Day, bear with me).

Our Co-Founder Elizabeth and I, a senior in college, got into talking about our experiences as women in a professional setting, making us realize that while we have come so far, so much work needs to be done in a variety of ways—but let’s start with the conversation.

I couldn’t be more excited to enter the workforce as a young woman. Seeing all the game-changers the working world inspire me daily, and even though I am so nervous about the unknown, I remember all the women who are where I want to be someday, and it motivates me to work harder. But I challenge you to think about that concept, working harder. Why is it 2019 and I still feel the need to earn respect by working so hard, when a man in the same position walks into a room and feels entitled to that same respect? Maybe it’s thousands of years of oppression that is engraved in every woman’s DNA, but I think we need to address this.

Elizabeth and Founder and Designer Kyle have faced a whole different set of struggles being female entrepreneurs. They recognized that college jewelry was far too masculine, and wanted to make pieces to celebrate the hardworking women in college. Making the decision to enter into a very male dominated space, they soon found out it is very difficult to build a network with other female owned companies...because they’re so hard to come by. Elizabeth and Kyle created their own support system by having other passionate women join the team forming our beloved #CavanCrew.

My urge to earn respect until I became deeply involved in my major courses in college. I am a Television and Digital Media major, and while the field is still regarded as a boy’s club, there were so many girls pursuing the same degree as myself. Even though there are so many ladies in the major, I still sense that some women are more timid than the men in regards to executing tasks—often myself included! This is something that I hope we can all challenge, and make majors in college become inclusive for everyone, eliminating any stigma we may carry.

I ask you to have your actions speak louder than words, not just today, but every day. We need to support our girls from all walks of life, in every capacity. Whether it’s joining a movement, being a helping hand, or someone’s biggest fan, be sure to always conduct yourself with kindness and respect for every woman, including yourself. Our world will never be perfect, but if we start by eliminating our toxic feeling of having to earn the respect of others then we will see more growth for every individual. The outcome will have a greater impact than we can imagine.

To celebrate all you beautiful lady bosses, we are offering a 15 percent discount on your order at KYLECAVAN.COM with the code IWD19.