Getting serious messages out in a fun way

We can get very earnest about life and work when it’s something we feel passionate about. I sometimes feel like I’m banging the feminist drum loud (and even boring myself) because equality is simply a no brainer to me and it continually shocks me, not just that some people don’t agree but that there is so much passive anti-equality in our day to day lives.

I was horrified when commentators on the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift referred to these amazing pro-cyclists as someone or other’s girlfriend or wife. Really! Phil Liggett called Urska Zigart the girlfriend of Tadej Pogacar several times and he referred to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (who won the TDFF two years ago) as Taylor Phinney's wife. Words let me down sometimes…

But balancing all this out, Pogacar made a wonderful video, where he was interviewed as Urska Zigart’s fiancé and proudly wore a gifted HAB (husbands and boyfriends) T-shirt. Good for him, what a sport and thank you from women everywhere. It’s a shame that we need it but he’s proved that you can get deeply serious messages out in a fun, non-drum-banging way.

Often, winning respect in business takes a light touch and while we may feel, why the heck should we (when most men don’t), it can get us further… More than 290k people have viewed Pogacar’s video to date. It’s worth checking out and you’ll be helping women everywhere - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jQjDS4vqh2Y

Pogacar’s brilliantly fun video reminds us how important language is when we want to show respect.