At least 400 people have signed a new petition from boot brand Wolverine that seeks to add the phrase “woman-made” to the dictionary, alongside the more commonly used “man-made.”
The petition, which officially launched in early February, is a part a new campaign from Wolverine to uplift women in the skilled trades this Women’s History Month. Dubbed “Woman-Made,” the campaign highlights female workers and encourages more women to enter the historically male-dominated sector.
The campaign launched Thursday with a video highlighting notable female contributions to famous structures, such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Terminal One at the LAX airport. It also highlights accomplished women in the skilled trades, such as Anna Connelly, the inventor of the fire escape, and Jane Blain Gilbertson, the first female chief executive officer of general store chain Blain’s Farm and Fleet. Wolverine is partnering with the chain to offer customers a free coloring book that features Gilbertson, along with all the other skilled female trade workers highlighted in the video.
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According to Wolverine’s Director of Brand Marketing Lauren King, the “Woman-Made,” campaign was driven by the fact that women and girls tend to have lower confidence levels than men until they reach their mid 40s. And when it comes to skilled trades like construction and manufacturing, women have been historically underrepresented and less likely to try them out.
“We’ve been around for 140 years and our mission is to celebrate the next generation of skilled trade workers,” King told FN in an interview, noting that only 10 percent of workers in skilled trades are women. “With this campaign, we knew that we had the opportunity to inspire and build confidence in young girls and women to try out the trades to ultimately help close the gap that there is in skilled trades.”
To help circulate the message, Wolverine is partnering with several skilled trade-focused influencers. The brand has also partnered with real estate developer Mika Kleinschmidt of HGTV’s “100 Day Dream Home” to show a real example of a woman excelling in this arena— and how men like Mika’s husband Brian can be allies for this cause.
“We are showcasing and honoring all of these accomplishments of women, and letting young girls know that can be them, they can do that,” King said. “They should have the confidence to go try it out as well.”
Wolverine is also donating $25,000 to Girls Garage, a design and construction school for female-identifying kids.
When it comes to its own house, the brand Wolverine is looking to double its women’s business in terms of volume and revenue over the next few years. Like other footwear names such as Ariat and Timberland Pro, Wolverine has diversified its product mix and increased its women’s offerings by 60 percent in 2023. (The brand’s women’s business is currently in the single digits in terms of the percentage of the overall business.)
“We are looking to make sure she feels like she has plenty of options for what she needs for the job site and beyond,” King said. “And we’re excited to earn her trust and be the brand that she chooses for her work boots.”
