AERA & The Shatter Foundation: Women’s Empowerment and Climate Change with Rosemin Madhavji

FOUNDER OF RR&CO LUXURY ADVISOR,
BEAUTY AWARD JUDGE @VOGUEINDIA

Did you know that empowering and educating women is key to reducing climate change? In fact, empowering women and girls in developing countries ranked 2nd amongst 76 solutions for curbing global warming. Today, gender equality is still not at the forefront of public attention as a climate solution. 

This is why this Earth Month we chose to partner with The Shatter Foundation, a non-profit that provides girls in underserved communities access to education, mentorship, capital and networks needed to foster an inclusive economy and equitable entrepreneurship. Throughout the month we will be featuring influential women and advisors/mentors to the Foundation as they share their insight on this important topic with us.

"My shoe addiction is no secret, and the search for superior quality footwear takes me around the world. But when I find a brand that creates luxury footwear while ensuring minimal environmental impact on the planet, I’m ready to put my best foot forward! 

When Tina Bhojwani, CEO of AERA footwear introduced me to the brand, I instantly resonated with the brand’s ethos. Her vision to create a brand where style and sustainability work together in equal measure, is a mature and progressive outlook for fashion. AERA’s vegan leather shoes designed responsibly yet on trend and produced by artisans in Veneto, Italy. 

And now, with the launch of The Shatter Foundation, AERA takes yet another stylish stride, paying it forward by supporting young women in underrepresented communities. By providing them with access to the necessary education, mentorship, capital and contacts, The Shatter Foundation aims to empower these women and equip them with the skills and expertise required to hone their talents. By addressing the gender equality conversation, AERA hopes to lead the way towards a more inclusive economy. 

For my part, I am humbled to have been invited to feature amongst numerous other aspirational female mentors and advisors. I was privileged throughout my career, to find mentors that supported me on my journey. And while it may be true that we have come a long way along the path towards gender equality, there is still more work to be done. 

This past year and its many challenges has resulted in major setbacks for economic parity and the outlook for women has been bleak. Decades of hard-won battles appear to have been lost as a result of the pandemic and female entrepreneurs have to face a multitude of barriers to get their businesses off the ground. It is my honor to support causes like The Shatter Foundation and help young women around the world to get on their feet (and into their shoes).

Overall for me, nothing describes the feeling I get from slipping into wearing a pair of heels and being able to take on the world."

– Rosemin Madhavji