Celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month on Messenger & Messenger Kids

This International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, there is a lot to celebrate—but also a lot of work to be done. This year the 2022 International Women’s Day theme is #BreaktheBias, and at Messenger, we want to start conversations that challenge stereotypes, push boundaries, and uplift women. So in the spirit of fearless women everywhere, we decided to get creative, think beyond the norm, and develop custom expression tools that push boundaries and empower women not just for one day or month, but all year. 

Use New Word Effects to #BreaktheBias 

As a society, many people have strong associations with certain words, like men with “career,” or women with “family.” With word effects on Messenger, you can help breathe new meaning into words and challenge implicit biases by creating your own custom emoji effects that will appear when certain words and phrases are sent in a chat. To help kickstart the conversation, we’re rolling out three suggested word effects to Messenger chats for the month of March: A 👠 emoji will rain across the screen when you send the word “boss” in a chat, a flex emoji 💪 will appear for “go girl,” and the 🦸‍♀️ emoji reinforces that “mom” isn’t just a mother – she’s superhuman. What biases do you want to redefine? To create your own word effects and challenge the norm this month and all year long, tap the name of any chat thread and select ‘Word effects.’

Elevate the Conversation and Support Women Artists

We’re also proud to partner with two incredible artists that are pushing boundaries and breaking the mold with their work.

Starting today, we’re releasing a new sticker pack, created by illustrator and graphic designer Lucie Corbasson, that encourages conversation around female empowerment, progress, and sisterhood through custom sticker illustrations like “know your worth,” “manifesting,” and “I got your back.” Lucie pulls her inspiration from fierce females throughout history and credits the support she’s received from fellow female artists to continue pushing boundaries with her work.  Click here to download the sticker pack on Messenger, or tap the smiley face in chat, navigate to stickers, and tap the store icon in the bottom right corner. On Instagram Stories, press the sticker tool, select “GIF” and then search #WomensHistoryMonth.

Later this month, we will also launch a new Lo-Fi chat theme and custom sticker pack (also available on Instagram) from artist Elora Pautrat, who proves that women can succeed in men-dominated fields. Elora grew up with people telling her art was not a career, yet she decided to pursue her passion against the odds and landed a career in the video game industry. To use the chat theme on Messenger, tap the name of any chat thread and select ‘Theme.’ On Instagram, open a chat thread and tap on the information button at the top right corner of your screen, then select ‘Theme.’

Empowering Girls on Messenger Kids 

Research shows that kids with role models are more likely to pursue their goals and feel hopeful about their future. Starting today, kids can decorate photos on Messenger Kids with a sticker pack that celebrates different passions – from math and science, to art and literature, to sports and leadership – and can help kickstart supportive conversations that encourage girls to follow their dreams. Kids can also try new AR masks that highlight two iconic women in history, Cleopatra and Marie Curie, or use the International Women’s Day frame to send photos to close friends and family. To access these features, open the camera in the Messenger Kids app and tap the smiley to access the AR masks, or take a photo and use the buttons in the top right to access stickers and frames. 

“We are honored to celebrate women today and everyday by creating a space where they can connect, express their authentic selves and engage in important conversations,” said Ruth Kricheli, Vice President of Product Management at Messenger. “These new expression tools are designed to inspire your chats and help everyone rethink biases.” 

From all of us at Messenger and to all badass women everywhere, Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month! 👯‍♀️