INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023 | #EMBRACEEQUITY
MARLOE MORGAN
CERAMIST DESIGNER & DIRECTOR | MARLOE MARLOE
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? International Women's Day is a day for reflection for me as a woman, a sister, a mother and a wife. Women play an incredible role in family, community and in business around the world and this should be celebrated. I like to stop and take a moment to appreciate where I have come from and reflect on the men and women who have helped me along my path to the success I enjoy today. Serving and being able to give back is an important mantle bestowed on women within communities and I love to take the time to consider how I might able to positively impact those around me. Being a woman is sacrificial by nature and love being able to serve from this space while being supported by James and my sisterhood.
What stigmas or adversities have you experienced in your career, industry or in life, that you would like to see dismantled? I have been quite lucky not to have experienced very much adversity in my working life. For the past nine years, I have worked alongside my husband and an incredible team of supportive women. Having a fulfilling working life alongside a family is possible and I hope to be a part of dismantling that stigma. We hope to offer women the freedom to take time throughout their careers to have children and support this journey into motherhood and back to work.
What personal or career advice have you received that’s been particularly valuable to you? There is not so much a single piece of advice as much as an attitude of support and encouragement that has been incredibly valuable to me. We are capable of so much and sometimes you just need kind and supportive people in your life to help you take steps toward your dreams.
What is the action or decision you’ve made that you're most proud of? James and I recently relocated our family to Indonesia which has taken a lot of courage and faith but we are so grateful for the opportunity and we are proud of this achievement as a family. We are closer to our production partners, we have a better work-life balance and we are more active and healthy. It has been an incredible journey thus far and we are excited to see what this next chapter leads to.
How can women better empower each other to succeed? I believe kindness can be so powerful. Creating a space of support, advice and growth for the people around you is something we can all be doing to support success. We all have different strengths and something to share that can benefit others. We live in an incredibly confusing time that is changing quickly, now more even ever young women need the strength, support and guidance of older women.
Why do you think diversity and inclusion in the workplace is so important? I think there is overwhelming pressure on businesses and culture to be diverse and inclusive. While it is extremely important for people to feel included, it is also important that we acknowledge that we can not be everything to everyone, and that is okay. We are all different with varying values, beliefs and cultures that require varying degrees of support to feel included. Through this lens of community, we can deeply support each other depending on the need of that community. As our business is based in a developing country, my need to support inclusion is framed more toward women and men being given the opportunities to support their families through education and fair wage opportunities. When we shift our lens of inclusion to support our localised communities, we are able to tailor what is needed for that community to feel supported and cared for.
What is one small act each of us can do that supports the IWD 2023 theme #EmbraceEquity? I believe if we each take the time to reflect on how we are interacting with and supporting our communities, we are able to see what is needed or what is lacking. This could be as small as your friendship group, our workplace or the wider community. Knowing what your friends or neighbour need and supporting that is #EmbraceEquity.
If you could have dinner with an inspirational woman, dead or alive, who would they be and why? It has been almost 5 months since I have seen my dearest friends and sisters. To be held by my sisterhood this weekend over dinner and good wine would be a dream.