Celebrate International Women's Day With Coca-Cola's #5by20 #IWD2017

I received products from Coca-Cola’s 5by20 program; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

In case you weren't aware, March 8th is International Women's Day. I think that given the current state of our world, it is now more important than ever to embrace and celebrate all things WOMANHOOD. You know that old saying, "I am Woman, hear me ROAR?" Let's do that, ladies. Let's do it a lot!

One brand that understands just how important it is to empower women is Coca-Cola. In 2010, Coca-Cola launched their 5by20 initiative with the goal of helping to empower 5 million female entrepreneurs worldwide by 2020.

5 MILLION BUSINESS LADIES.

Let that sink in a bit. That's a lot of women, a lot of women growing, succeeding and building better lives for themselves, their families and their communities as well.

Coca-Cola's 5by20 program addresses some of the most common barriers that prevent women from succeeding in the marketplace by offering access to training, financial services, and peer-to-peer mentoring. All of this training and tools help these budding entrepreneurs grow their businesses, which obviously allows them to grow their income. Many of the women in the program live in developing nations, and they are using their resourcefulness and creativity to turn Coca-Cola packaging into awesome decor items and accessories.

Hello...DECOR AND ACCESSORIES. That's kinda right up my alley! Look at how cute this giraffe looks on my desk!

Did you know that studies show that women are more likely to reinvest 90% of their income in food, education and healthcare for their children and their families? Simply put, when women rise in their communities, the communities themselves rise to new heights of prosperity and health. It's a chain reaction, a Pay-it-Forward effect! Studies have found a direct correlation between women’s empowerment and GDP growth, business growth, environmental sustainability, improved human health, and other positive impacts.

There are mountains of research indicating that when you invest in the education and success of women, it improves the economy and makes the community stronger and more sustainable. Everyone benefits in the community, not just the women in the program - men, other women and children. EVERYONE benefits.

There are 5by20 programs enabling women in more than 60 countries around the world. At the end of 2015, 1.2 million women were impacted in total through the initiative.