MECCA’s Founder Jo Horgan, on International Day of the Girl
September 30 | 5 minute read
Words by Jo Horgan
International Day of the Girl is coming up on 11 October and while it may not (yet) be as well-known as International Women’s Day, it’s just as important for us to get behind. We get to reflect on the state of girlhood globally – what’s holding girls back, and what’s in our power to change for the better. And so I’ve been reflecting on the role MECCA plays in the lives of young women and girls – in beauty, and beyond.
Writer Toni Morrison summed it up perfectly when she said: “I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulgence. I think it’s almost like knowledge, it’s what we were born for. Finding, incorporating and representing beauty is what humans do... We can do without it any more than we can do without dreams or oxygen.”
My own journey into beauty started with a bright pink matte lipstick that made me feel invincible. When my mum set me up with my first skincare routine (a cleanser, a moisturiser and of course an SPF) it felt like a rite of passage, an important part of learning to care for myself in a new way.
Jo Horgan, MECCA Founder
Then, as a young woman starting out in the beauty industry, I remember being struck by how people like me, young women or frankly even older women, didn’t really have a voice. Beauty standards were set for us not by us.
When I created MECCA, I wanted to flip that on its head and put women at the centre of beauty - where we always should have been - with a voice on the things that mattered to us, and the power to make decisions behind the scenes too. I’ve always wanted MECCA to be a place where women can thrive because I (like most women) have always dreamt of living in a world where our rights, freedoms and opportunities aren’t limited by our gender.
Every day we get out of bed so we can help people look, feel and more importantly, be their best. Whether it’s a 6-year-old diving into her mum’s makeup bag, or a woman rediscovering the joy and playfulness of a glittery eyeshadow, beauty has a unique ability to spark hope and joy. I like to think that beauty, like positivity, can be contagious. I'm talking about beauty that’s not just skin deep, but the beauty of self-acceptance, the beauty of ambition and achievement, the beauty in a moment of kindness or human connection. And that’s what MECCA is all about.
From MECCA, three generations of women: Rose, her mum Virginia and grandma Irlande.
Fast forward to 2024, and we know girls of all ages are more interested in beauty and skincare than ever before. At MECCA, we aspire to do more than put products on shelves. Over 27 years, we’ve built up a brand with the power to influence. We have a responsibility to use it wisely. To encourage young women and girls not to use beauty to mask who they are, but to light them up. We will never be in the business of judging or shaming girls for wanting to try out the latest trends… because we were ALL that girl (or boy) once. Instead, it’s our job to teach them to do it in a way that uplifts them and makes them feel emboldened. And because beauty today is a space truly occupied and led by women (finally…), we always try to listen to what girls have to say, because their voices deserve to be heard.
Looking forward, we want to have an impact beyond beauty. We'd love to see gender equality in our lifetime. That’s why on our 25th birthday, we committed $25 million over five years to MECCA M-POWER, and to using our voice and platform to champion the work of a collective of organisations all working towards a better future for women and girls.
Yesterday we invited ten teenage girls from our M-POWER partner The Flourish Journey into our Support Centre for a work experience day like no other. Watching the girls working alongside our teams, and seeing the sparkle in their eyes as they created a little MECCA magic together was such a joy. I know everyone who had the chance to work with them, including me, learned something new. I truly hope that by giving them a taste of what's possible, we’ve inspired them to work in and shape the future of the beauty industry so that it belongs to them.
Over the next fortnight in the lead up to International Day of the Girl we’ll continue to explore the power of beauty to transform and unite. We’ll celebrate all that girls are and all that they have to teach us. And we’ll allow girls’ voices and ideas to be heard through this campaign and beyond. Because I believe together, we really can make the world over.
– Jo
