150 Bold Women Inspire Others to #BeBoldforChange This IWD 2017

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2017, Global experience design agency Critical Mass worked with the Famous 5 Foundation to celebrate Canadian women who have been bold for change in their fields and inherently positively affecting change for all women.

“Canada’s 150-year history is full of brave, brilliant, bold women, but history books – and even today’s news – are over-powered by stories of male greatness,” says Kathryn Nixon.   “We want to tell the stories of 150 of Canada’s baddest, boldest women, so other women are inspired to act with the same noble intentions and courage.”

The women’s stories are served up via a Chrome extension called 150 Bold Women. People who install the browser will meet a new bold woman everyday, on every new window or tab they open. From there, they can follow the link to learn more about that woman, choose to browse through more stories, or just go on with their internet activities feeling more inspired than before. For those using different browsers, or checking the list of legendary ladies out on mobile, there is a website available.

This campaign aligns with the strategies of previous campaigns and initiatives from the Famous 5 Foundation. So many organisations paint a negative picture of the current state of women at work and in the world to motivate change. The Famous 5 Foundation stands out with positive messaging - celebrating women’s achievements in order to inspire other to follow suit and make a change. For Person’s Day 2016 – a day that celebrates when the Famous Five successfully petitioned the government for women to be considered person’s in Canadian law - the foundation launched #WomenBelong. The campaign celebrated local Albertan women who fearlessly entered and wildly succeeded in roles and industries that male-dominated to inspire future generations to consider paths that buck gender stereotypes. 150 Bold Women is a natural extension of the successful #WomenBelong campaign – featuring about 10 times the women, and broadening the scope to all of Canada – past and present.

The positive tone found in all of the foundations work is found in this campaign – and then some. With a theme like #BeBoldForChange this International Women’s Day, it only makes sense to turn the dial on positive all the way up to fun, using bold and sassy language. A challenge for many organizations with historical roots is retelling history in a way that resonates with modern audiences, as it can be a struggle to relate to stories from eras hundreds of years past. The writing behind this campaign doesn’t just bring past stories new life, it makes you want to track these heroines down, and make them part of your squad.