Life Uncut: Laura Byrne says International Women’s Day is ‘tokenistic’

Reality stars-turned-podcasters Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley have called International Women’s Day a ‘tokenistic’ gesture.

The pair criticised the national day on Life Uncut, saying companies aren’t doing ‘anything to bridge the gap’ between men and women when they host IWD events.

‘We have some conflicting feelings about International Women’s Day. It’s not about what the day is supposed to represent, but we have an issue with how corporate it has become,’ Laura began.

‘It has became a real tokenistic day about, “Wow, we appreciate our women,” but they are really not doing anything to bridge the gap.’

Brittany added: ‘I don’t see the point of putting one day where the heads of all these companies come out, throw a luncheon, post some photos and a quote about women being strong and then nothing changes.’

Laura said she also feels International Women’s Day ‘doesn’t celebrate every type of woman’.

‘The other part of this is that I feel like it’s only celebrates and a certain type of woman. It only celebrates women who are in the workforce, who are hustling hard,’ she said.

‘What about women who are stay-at-home mums? Women who are contributing to society in caretaker roles? We don’t glorify or celebrate that as an equal contribution to society.’

Brittany and Laura said they are ‘all about celebrating women, and people equally’, but there needs to be meaningful change.

The pair criticised the national day on Life Uncut , saying companies aren’t doing ‘anything to bridge the gap’ between men and women when they host IWD events 

The former reality stars launched their Life Uncut podcast in 2019.

ARN’s iHeart Radio network last month re-signed the duo to a new multi-year deal to continue their hit podcast.

Laura rose to fame as the winner of The Bachelor in 2017 and shares two children with fiancé Matty Johnson.

Brittany made it to the finale of The Bachelor a year later with Sophie Tieman, only for leading man Nick Cummins to choose neither of them.

Brittany added, ‘I don’t see the point of putting one day where the heads of all these companies come out, throw a luncheon… and then nothing changes’