Last Thursday evening I received some rather unexpected news. I was settled down on my sofa, relieved with my husband being away that the children were finally asleep. I had the TV and was catching up on my social media. When I saw that BritMums were due shortly to announce the finalists of the Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs) for 2019, I thought ooh I shall follow the Twitter chat and see if any of my friends make it through.
I have always thought of the BiBs as some of the pinnacle of parenting blogging awards, the Golden Globes of the web if you will. I can whole heartedly say I clicked on the list not in anyway expecting to see my name there. When I did, I did a double take.
I am genuinely completely amazed to be a finalist in the ‘Inspire’ category. It’s such a honour and I am so very grateful for anyone who voted or nominated for me. I sat there in shock and then wished my husband was awake (it was past midnight in India at the time).
I have since found out that there were over 50,000 votes for the finalists. 50,000! The number is really quite hard to get my head around and I am genuinely humbled.
So what stands between mean and that very final award? Your votes. It would mean so much if you could take a couple of minutes out of your day and cast your vote for me and my blog.
You can Vote Here
Why should you vote for me?
This year I have done a lot of work in raising the profile for gender equality for women. I was invited to take part in the Gender Equality Forum at Westminster with the Government. This was something I did when my youngest was small too, taking him with me and even breastfeeding in sessions.
I was then invited in July, to go back and see the roadmap being delivered a consequence of the sessions I attended in March.
The truth of the matter is that in 2019, gender inequality is something that still persists and something I continue to campaign for. I feel passionately about changing the future for our children and the next generation. To live in a world where gender isn’t an issue. Where women don’t earn 25% less by the time they reach retirement, where 67% of girls aged 11-21 don’t think that women have less chance to succeed than men and where 20% of mothers do not receive harassment in the workplace.
But for men too, let’s not forget that toxic masculinity still also persists and suicide is still the greatest killer of men under 40. This is why we need to change the story and this is why I have been doing what I have been doing, because it takes a generation for change to happen so we need to start the process right now.
I’m up against some really amazing bloggers in the same category, so I am honoured to just be a finalist, but if you would like to vote for me, I would be most grateful. Voting closes on the 4th October (only one vote per person).