Senior Advisor, Sycamore Partners
Global Impact
From SHEcession to SHEcovery
A look at how women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and how No7 in the U.S. is supporting trailblazing women through its new empowerment movement.
By Harriet French
“According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are exiting the labor market at four times the rate of men. No matter how resilient or strong they are, women – and particularly women of color – are feeling the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic due to systemic inequalities and stereotypes such as a women's role in society as the homemaker or the caregiver.” – Dr. C. Nicole Mason.
In January 2021, No7, one of WBA’s global beauty brands, launched Unstoppable Together, a multi-year campaign in the U.S. that aims to help women defy stereotypes and enable them to reach their full potential. No7’s Unstoppable Together movement kicked off by addressing the SHEcession, a term coined by Dr. C. Nicole Mason, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). Despite having started 2020 celebrating the fact that women were more than 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, Dr. Mason put forward the term in May 2020, to highlight the disproportionate impact that the economic downturn, caused by the pandemic, was having on women.
“This moment is historic and unprecedented,” wrote Dr. Mason in an op-ed originally shared on KatieCouric.com. “Neither the Great Depression or the Great Recession in 2008 impacted women more than men. According to the analysis conducted by IWPR as part of the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics’ January 2021 Employment Situation report, women still hold 5.3 million fewer jobs on payroll than they did in February 2020 (before the COVID-19 recession hit). Sharp racial disparities persist among women’s unemployment, with rates 67 percent higher for Black women and 73 percent higher for Hispanic women than for white women.”
Three in five women turn to their female friends and colleagues as their preferred support systems, which is why No7 is bringing unstoppable women together behind the SHEcovery. Dr. Mason is joined by women's advocacy thought leaders Arianna Huffington, Maria Shriver, Tamron Hall and more as part of No7's Unstoppable Together campaign to provide inspiration, resources and practical tips to help women reenter the workforce.
To spark open conversation, No7 released an original female-produced video spot that captures the feeling and magnitude of the "SHEcession's impact by presenting facts and figures as well as through vivid, visual representations of women's stories:
“The unequal impact of this recession jeopardizes the progress toward a more equitable society that women – and No7 – have strived toward for decades,” says Anisha Raghavan, chief marketing officer for Global Brands Americas at Walgreens Boots Alliance. “As a company with an 85-year history of supporting spirited women as they’ve led the changing views of women in society, it’s important for No7 to join the conversation and provide tangible resources to women.”
In its efforts to aid the SHEcovery, No7 hosted thousands of people for the Unstoppable Together Job Summit in February, in partnership with FORTUNE, The Female Quotient and Hello Sunshine. This free, virtual event was open to anyone, and was created in response to the unprecedented challenges of the past year and the pandemic’s impact on working women. Those unable to attend are invited to watch a replay.
No7 is also offering an estimated $100,000 worth of free coaching sessions from The Female Quotient, covering topics such as interview skills, networking in the new normal, pivoting careers, rewriting your job loss story and more.
To learn more about Unstoppable Together, visit No7Beauty.com/Unstoppable and join the #unstoppabletogether movement at @No7USA on Instagram and Facebook.
