March is Women’s History Month, and March 8 is International Women’s Day. The campaign theme for 2019 is #BalanceforBetter—meaning that “a balanced world is a better world.” We agree. #BalanceforBetter asks us to celebrate the achievements of women and girls, increase awareness of bias, and take a stand against social injustice. After all, women’s rights, gender equity, and the #MeToo movement are not just women’s causes. Social parity benefits us all, so men should embrace #BalanceforBetter right alongside women.

#BalanceforBetter is a wonderful theme. Let us explain why we love it and how we see it in as integral to Little Colorado.

Noelle and I bought Little Colorado three years ago with the belief that we could handcraft beautiful and safe wooden toddler furniture here in the U.S. We did it together, as partners, each bringing different strengths to the table. Noelle is a proud feminist, and her activism contributes to the strength of our relationship. Balance for us, in our marriage and with Little Colorado, means that each contributes from a unique skill set, regardless of whether that contribution conforms to a traditional gender role or not. When a traditional gender role fits best, so be it, but the tradition is never an influencing or deciding factor. Our #BalanceforBetter works.

We bring to Little Colorado a vision for supporting jobs here in the U.S. and providing a living wage—for everyone, men and women alike. The woodworking involved in making our wooden toddler furniture might be considered traditionally “men’s work” but 30% of our plant employees are women. We are striving for #BalanceforBetter and are slowly making progress. Can we do better? Yes, and we plan on it.

We are very proud to partner with Mod Mom, Kiersten Hathcock. She has lived through an incredible personal and professional journey on her way to becoming a successful female entrepreneur. As she explained in“Become the Carpenter of Your Life,” her recent TEDx Sedona talk, “becoming the carpenter of her own life meant doing things she never imagined and discovering buried truths along the way.” Eleven years ago, this 34-year-old ex-TV network executive & mom of two unexpectedly went from corporate to carpentry. She faced the typical entrepreneurial challenges as well as personal realizations that rocked her world. The power of her brand and her life story as an abuse survivor are inspiring. Her fresh take on wooden toddler furniture is innovative and beautiful, as evidenced by her midcentury modern wooden toy box designs. Her bravery, initiative, and fearless advocacy are examples of why #BalanceforBetter is so important.

Happy International Women’s Day, and let’s all take action for equality!