March is Women’s History month, so now is the perfect time to share with you an initiative that Walmart has been working on for the last three years. Aimed at improving the lives of women around the world, one piece of the global Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative is to source $20B from women owned companies by FY17!
I don’t know about you, but this makes me one happy mama… I’ve talked before about how I intentionally chose somewhat gender neutral names for my two girls — a choice that was not without some criticism when they were younger, although it seems to be less of an issue these days. I want my girls to grow up to be strong and confident women, without any arbitrary limitations based on their gender, and I’m grateful that Walmart has taken up this cause to assist in providing them with boundless opportunities when they’re older.
In honor of Women’s History month, Walmart is featuring 6 different items in stores that are manufactured by women-owned companies:
- Milo’s Sweet Tea (Family business, all natural ingredients)
- Budget Saver Popsicles
- CLR Remover (chemicals safe for the environment)
- Smart & Sexy Bra (CEO is mother of 7)
- Carter’s Infant Shoes
- Hefty Trashcan
In addition to these six items, you can also find more than 10,000 additional items online and in stores that are women owned. Just look for the Women Owned badge to identify them.
I’m currently crushing on the gorgeous jewelry line from Miss Zoe by Calinana. Just take a look at some of my favorite pieces above — I already ordered the teardrop necklace and bracelet! Not only is this stunning line owned and designed by Ainat Altarac, but each piece is 100% handcrafted in the USA.
Fun Facts About Women-Owned Businesses
- A women-owned company is a company that is at least 51% owned by women and also ran by a woman!
- Women-owned businesses contribute over $1.3 trillion dollars to the US economy.
- Women are responsible for over 80 percent of the consumer decisions globally.
- Creating awareness of these products can result in sales growth, increased consumer knowledge and loyalty.
- The majority of Walmart’s 250 billion customers globally are women.
I hope that next time you’re shopping at Walmart (or on Walmart.com), you’ll look for these women-owned items to support this initiative!