MJ Day, editor-in-chief of the SI Swimsuit edition, told Yahoo Finance Live that the advertising mandate, which goes into effect with the magazine’s May 2022 edition, will set a new standard for publishers.
“We do believe that this will be a revolutionary kind of industry change and shift,” she said.
Brands that can illustrate they are creating change for women will be certified as a Changemaker, which Day defined as a brand that has made is making and will make progress for women.
“What we want to see is proof of that progress,” she said. “Any progress is good progress when you’re speaking around women empowerment.”
Sports Illustrated complete statement is on their site.
Day, who has been editor-in-chief of the annual issue since 2014, acknowledged that the SI Swimsuit brand has long been criticized for objectifying women and said people who call its gender equity mandate hypocritical “haven’t been paying attention.”
“I would tell them that since the inception of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, we’ve been doing more than almost any other brand out there in terms of elevating women’s platforms and giving them opportunities to be more than just, you know, a, dot dot dot, swimsuit model.”
In recent years, the magazine has featured an array of models from different ethnic backgrounds and with a range of body types. In a landmark moment, last July model Leyna Bloom made history as the first transgender woman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue.
SO IF YOU WANT ANY- YOU BETTER GO ALONG WITH THEIR POLITICS
Sports Illustrated will also be Community Organizers:
“Along with Pay With Change, SI Swimsuit is launching The Swimfluence Network, an inclusive digital community for people looking to connect, learn and champion change for the next generation. The Swimfluence Network app features content focused on health, wellness, lifestyle, fashion, travel and food and lets users create a profile, join live events and engage with the Swimfluence community, SI Swimsuit models and staff. The app is also home to the Swim Search platform, letting SI Swimsuit hopefuls from around the world apply to be in the 2022 issue.”