Celebrating Women: Go-Getters & Game-Changers

Meet Jess Brown, the environmental brains behind Co-Benefits, a crowdfund project that takes meaningful action against climate change.

We spent an inspiring afternoon talking collaboration, climate change, empowerment, fashion and everything in between. Discover Jess’ game-changing tips on overcoming climate anxiety, driving change and having a positive impact on our planet in our interview: 9 Questions with Jess.

We’re beyond excited to have her join us as a regular content contributor on our blog, kicking off with this beautiful piece which takes a closer look at why we should be celebrating women every single day.

International Women’s Day every day

Words by Jess Brown

Content I consumed this morning: a video of a mum exercising as her babies play around her, a clip of a young female activist slaying the stage, and photos of girlfriends surfing together at dawn.

As much as I wish my feed would look like this every day, it’s a reminder that International Women’s Day is upon us. It’s the one week a year when our screens fill up with inspiring stories about women.

We hear truths about the daily juggling act, imposter syndrome and redefining success. The light shines on barriers being broken and microaggressions being battled. It’s a sumptuous display of sisterhood.

But, by limiting our storytelling to one day between Waitangi and Easter, it can feel a little performative. A quick plug for the content calendar with no real action. It’s like greenwashing, but for women (is womenwashing a thing?). It made me wonder why we need a special day to share these sentiments? Why aren’t we singing our sisters' praises more often?

We’re definitely not celebrating women enough in the tech space, where Designer Wardrobe sits at the intersection with the fashion industry. In Aotearoa, only 26% of the tech workforce are female.Designer Wardrobe stands out as an industry rarity with a 75% female team, which is 50% more than the average workplace in New Zealand. They’re helping other women feel good and lessen their impact. In the theme of this year’s International Women's Day, it is ‘breaking the bias’ in practice.

We’re also not doing enough to recognise women in the nonprofit space, which is something that we’re working on at Co-Benefits. It is estimated that only around 9% of philanthropic giving goes specifically to girls and women, yet we know that women and girls are vital agents for change.

Empowering women is a powerful solution to the climate crisis. Studies show that improving healthcare, education, and female representation in government can help us adapt to our changing climate and reduce gigatonnes of greenhouse emissions from the atmosphere.

While the stats may seem to be stacked against us in our respective industries, in reality, they’ve proven to be a motivation. With too few females in tech and little focus on giving to girls, there’s no space but to do anything but boost each other up. We’re all working to inspire women, and in doing so, we’re all on the same underdog team. It’s why we’re so excited to be partnering together.

As a female founder trying to squeeze running a nonprofit alongside a day job, it’s not always easy to find the time to connect with others. But, I have met the most incredibly supportive community of women when I’ve done so. Women who listen without judgement, share vulnerabilities and generously pass on their learnings over a walk, drink or Zoom. The women of Designer Wardrobe fall squarely into that category.

It has reminded me that honouring International Women’s Day isn’t just about showcasing female-centred stories once a year. It’s about doing what we can whenever we can to help create the conditions for women to thrive.

That may be dancing all night with your newly single girlfriend or telling your Mum how grateful you are for her doing your washing. It may be reflecting on your experiences as a woman and sharing that with the men in your life. It may be asking a colleague how they’re doing and listening when they need to talk. It’s responding honestly when you feel you can, rather than saying ‘good thanks’. It may be telling a stranger they look great in that top. It’s supporting women doing things that align with your values.

While we may need a little daily reminder (10/10 would recommend this Cloud Bursting High Femme Energy playlist for help), what we don’t need is a special day for any of that. Here’s to celebrating women every day of the year.

— Jess Brown

9 Questions with Jess

Read on for a surge of inspiration and a refreshing take on where to get started when it comes to having a positive impact on climate change.

How did Co-Benefits get started?

It was really born out of frustration. I was based in Sydney and there were massive wildfires going on, to the point where we couldn't even get outside. I was feeling super guilty about the way I was living so I started to look for ways that I could help fight climate change. I quickly realised the number of intersecting issues we’re facing which was really overwhelming at first. It’s not just rising emissions, but the massive inequality they cause.

Once I started looking deeper into these issues and understanding what was possible then I began to feel hopeful and optimistic. I came across these climate projects with a real social impact focus where you’re not only helping to lower emissions, but also helping vulnerable communities to create a more fair planet. It’s such a powerful way to really amplify my positive impact which is super exciting.

I wanted to make supporting these types of projects more accessible to everyone who wants to help but isn’t sure where to start. So Co-Benefits came to life as a giving community for climate projects with a social impact. We’re zeroing in on where we can have the greatest impact and do the greatest good.

What has been the most rewarding part of creating Co-Benefits?

Once a month we transfer the funding we've received to the projects so seeing how far that goes is super rewarding.

We’ve also just turned one and have been reassessing how everything's going. I’m reflecting on all the milestones we’ve hit, the projects and communities we've supported, the emissions that we’ve saved, the Sustainable Development Goals we’ve helped meet. The journey has been more rewarding than I could ever have imagined. I also love hearing how people have felt about contributing to the project.

What are the simplest day-to-day changes we can make that will have the biggest positive impact on our planet?

Not knowing where to start can be overwhelming. We're all nuanced humans living our lives so no single climate action is right for everyone. Try to think beyond yourself, beyond the micro changes you can make and shift your focus to what you can do to help others. Not only will you be taking action, but helping others is proven to make you feel good too. It’s a double win. It’s not just riding a bike; it’s telling your colleagues why you’re doing it and how it makes you feel. It’s signing petitions and voting. It’s sharing your compost bin with the block.

The Climate Club Newsletter has also been so helpful to make sure I use what little spare time I have to do something meaningful. It’s a weekly email that keeps you updated with what’s happening and tells you what you can do to help. If you’ve got five minutes spare you could sign this, if you’ve got 10 you could read this or if you’ve got an hour you could go to this community meeting. It's such a simple tool that’s easily accessible to everyone.

And signing up to contribute to Co-Benefits is also a great place to start?

Yes, so simple. If you’re super busy you can just sign up and forget about it but you can also check back to see the positive impact your contribution is having as little boost.

Sign up with Co-Benefits here to have a positive impact and support climate action around the world.

How would you describe your personal style?

I cycle between two styles. Sometimes I’ll dress very mellow: sneakers, messy hair, oversized dresses and tops. Other times I’ll go very maximal. I wore a rainbow-coloured crochet dress to a wedding this weekend and had fun mermaid themed nails over the Christmas holidays. It can really go either way depending on my mood.

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What does your WFH uniform consist of?

Really comfy, oversized, silky, baggy pants and just a t-shirt. My WFH style is centred around comfort. I also have this great Kowtow vest which is perfect to throw on when I need an extra layer for walking the dog.

Any advice to those of us who are wanting to enjoy fashion but do it in a way that's kinder to our planet?

The main thing is to start thinking circular. Buying second hand is a great starting point and not buying into micro-trends. Buying quality, lasting pieces instead of things you’re going to be sick of in a couple of months' time.

What has been your favourite pre-loved find?

Love, LOVE finding a great second-hand piece. It’s such a satisfying feeling to find something you love that also fits.

I recently raided my parent's place, where a lot of my Grandma’s old clothes are stored. I’m lucky to come from a family with a lot of older women who are very fashionable. My Nana was a dressmaker and she had the most beautiful clothes. I found the most amazing blazer that I wore all last winter, it has been one of my favourites so far. It’s 90’s style, really oversized and made in tan wool with cute pockets. It’s actually outrageous, but I love it.

Who are your favourite New Zealand designers?

I love Kowtow, Maggie Marilyn, Penny Sage, Paris Georgia, Mina and Layplan.

Kowtow’s stuff is so classic. It can be mellow but also have a fruity, maximal feel so it fits really well with both of my personal styles.

I really, really love Maggie Marilyn, especially her basics. I’ve got some of her t-shirts and I remember pausing a bit at the price, but honestly, I wear those t-shirts every single day.

I recently discovered Grey Lynn brand Mina, she has nice shirts in really pretty colours. Layplan also has such beautiful, unique styles. I’ve got my eye on one of their dresses at the moment.

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