Newsroom

Celebrating International Women’s Day at SHEIN

Cover photo for International Women's Day with a blue background showing photos of several women

This year, International Women’s Day encourages us all to #EmbraceEquity and work together to imagine a gender equal world. Creating workplaces where women feel empowered to speak, share and create impact is key to a more equitable future. At SHEIN, women make up 56% of our workforce and 40% of our executive management1. We’re proud to share the stories of some of our female leaders around the world here at SHEIN – meet them and hear from them firsthand what International Women’s Day and being a woman in leadership means to them:

Cui He, Director of Europe


How has SHEIN provided you with opportunities to learn, grow or advance in your career? 

I was invited to join SHEIN just after I became a new mother almost six years ago. As someone coming from a cross-cultural business background with a passion for fashion, I was thrilled about the opportunity to be part of SHEIN’s exciting localization ambition in the UK after the brand’s initial success in global markets.  

SHEIN offered a fantastic platform to utilise some of my previous professional experience and skills. It also presented some new challenges that reminds me to stay humble and keep learning. For example, sustainability was a new topic of tremendous importance to me when I first joined SHEIN. I made sure I went to major sustainability conferences and tradeshows in the UK. I also took a Business Sustainability Management course at the University of Cambridge to educate myself on this topic and drive positive change from within the organization. I thoroughly enjoyed my SHEIN journey so far and I am really excited about the new chapter as Director of Europe with the Europe team.  

How do you empower yourself and the women around you?  

Being authentic and compassionate.  

Who are some inspiring women you look up to, and what are the things you admire about them? 

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by incredible women—family, friends and colleagues. I admire their dedication to what they love and believe in.  

Daisy McKenna, Los Angeles Studio Manager


How has SHEIN provided you with opportunities to learn, grow or advance in your career? 

Since the day I joined SHEIN, I have been able to continue to further my knowledge and experience in production. Thanks to SHEIN, I have had the opportunity to be creative and work with an incredible team where we can bring our ideas to life. The best part has been being able to shoot at some of the most iconic locations in Los Angeles! 

At SHEIN, women make up 56% of our global workforce and represent 40% of senior management – how does that make you feel?  

It truly is so wonderful to be a part of a company who uplifts women and gives them the opportunity to shine and hold important positions that help the brand continue to grow at such a rapid pace.  

Who are some inspiring women you look up to, what are the things you admire about them? 

One of the women I look up to the most at SHEIN is our brand director, Julie Yuh. Without her support, I wouldn’t be the manager I am today. She gives me the space to try new things, to build my team, and come up with my own ways to help make our brand better. She is a great mentor, and I am lucky to be a part of her team.  

Ye Song, China ESG Team


What does International Women’s Day mean to you? Anything you would do today to make women around you feel special?    

When I was little, International Women’s Day was more like Mother’s Day to me, we would buy flowers and gifts for Moms. After I grew up and started working, I began to understand that Women’s Day was more about women struggle for their own rights in the labor scene, and I began to actual realize I was also part of the Women’s Day.  

On Women’s Day, I usually don’t have special arrangements, and I think I might still have a meal with my mother to celebrate our common feast. 

How has SHEIN provided you with opportunities to learn, grow or advance in your career?  

During the nearly 4 years I’ve spent with SHEIN, the company has provided me a lot of opportunities to grow as an individual. For instance, when I worked in the buying department, the company invited many of experienced colleagues within the company and external lecturers to give us training to improve our working skills. 

After that, I transferred from the role of a buyer to a developer of the sustainable products, SHEIN gave me the opportunity to realize my ideas for sustainable products and gave me strong support to coordinate and promote the development of sustainable products. It’s more like that SHEIN provides me with a place where I can freely realize my potential and enthusiasm. 

Phoenix Ricks, US Director of Government Relations


At SHEIN, women make up 56% of our global workforce and represent 40% of senior management — how does that make you feel?  

In 2015, at an event at Georgetown Law, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court said, “People ask me sometimes, when — when do you think it will it be enough? When will there be enough women on the court? And my answer is when there are nine.” 

Share a moment of women’s empowerment that inspired you.  

It would be impossible to think of just one moment in women’s empowerment or one social movement for equality! I have been following the #NiUnaMenos (Not One Less) campaign in Latin America for several years. Supporters are bravely working to end gender-based violence in the region. So many civil rights movements are led by, or inspired by, women, even if the campaign is not exclusively focused on gender equity. Recent, powerful examples that come to mind are the “Bad Student” demonstrations for equality in education in Thailand and the “End SARS” protests against state-sponsored violence in Nigeria. 

Who are some inspiring women you look up to, what are the things you admire about them?  

Wangari Maathai’s legacy continues to inspire me. Her accomplishments could fill several books (and they do!), but to name a few, she founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, was a 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and in 2009 the United Nations (UN) made her a UN Messenger of Peace. She believed that systemic issues in environmental protection and gender equity are connected. To that end, she encouraged Kenyans (mainly women) to plant more than 30 million trees to combat deforestation, which can lead to soil erosion, a loss of crops, and flooding. The UN notes that “more than 900,000 Kenyan women benefited from her tree-planting campaign by selling seedlings for reforestation.” I admire numerous present-day leaders, too. For instance, I believe that Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Finland has set an incredible example for leaders around the world to embrace their own humanity and show their communities that they are people first, not simply politicians. Against unthinkable odds, while standing firm for the people of Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has become a global symbol of endless hope and boundless courage. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has redefined grace under fire and is a gold standard for servant leadership. 

Anna Beatriz Lima, Brazil Director of Government Relations


How has SHEIN provided you with opportunities to learn, grow or advance in your career?

SHEIN allows me to live in a plural environment with a vibrant culture ahead of its time. Nothing can be more valuable than fully experiencing cultural diversity and being at the forefront of fashion, in a globalized and increasingly connected world. 

How do you empower yourself and the women around you?

I am part of some women’s groups in Brazil that advocate for women’s empowerment in the professional market and political environment. Recently I wrote a book chapter about women’s participation in the political market. I also mentor young women who want to rise in the professional government relations market in Brazil. There is no greater joy for me than seeing successful women. That’s even what motivates me to build a team made up of incredible women. 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? Anything you would do today to make women around you feel special? 

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate years of struggle for social participation and equal rights. It’s a day to give thanks to all those who lived to guarantee us fundamental rights. And think about what else we need to change so that our daughters and granddaughters can live in an even more just and egalitarian society.     

Marisa Runyon, US Director of Creative Content & Production


How has SHEIN provided you with opportunities to learn, grow or advance in your career?

As the fastest growing fashion brand in the world, SHEIN affords us seemingly limitless opportunities to grow with new projects to sink our creative teeth into each day. Every day is different! 

Who are some inspiring women you look up to, what are the things you admire about them?

When I was starting out in my career, I was lucky enough to have a handful of female mentors that I leaned on for guidance and to follow their leadership example. The most valuable lessons I learned from them were how to lead with grace and humility, that kindness is not a weakness and how the best ideas come from the most unexpected places. I always admired how they made everyone on a team feel valuable in their roles.  

How do you empower yourself and the women around you?

As a leader, I believe one of the most important things you can do for your team is to take every opportunity to let them hold ownership over their projects to build the skills they need to learn and grow in their careers. In my experience, there was nothing more empowering than when a leader showed their confidence in me and my abilities by letting me take the reins. I try to remember this each day as I’m now leading an all-female team.  

1SHEIN 2022 HR Reporting