NEW YORK, April 29, 2022  — Coinciding with National Mental Health Month, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT), the industry’s leading non-profit organization for the advancement of women, has announced the launch of WiT Wellness, a year-round initiative designed to raise awareness and mobilize conversations around mental health and well-being, and inspire individuals and companies to incorporate mental wellness into their daily lives.

The overall goal of WiT Wellness is to share the tools and resources women and their allies need to manage and maintain wellbeing and good mental health. Additionally, WiT will host ongoing constructive conversations focused on helping to diffuse the stigma around mental health.

During the month of May, WiT will provide a full calendar of programming, events, digital content and shared resources that kick off and support the WiT Wellness initiative.

Studies show that women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and they are also much more likely to battle eating disorders. This discrepancy may be caused by various factors, such as pay inequity, gender-based violence, and having more caregiving responsibilities. These challenges are further amplified in the workplace, where women, and especially women of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community, are confronted with sexual harassment, imposter syndrome, and more.

“My hope is that the more we talk about mental health issues, the less stigma there is attached to getting help and seeking support,” said Janice Ross, WiT President. “We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our members, and I”m excited to see how the WiT Wellness Program can make a positive difference in the lives of women in our community and throughout our industry.”

WiT Wellness events for May’s National Mental Health Month include the following.

• WiT Community Discussion - May 10, 2022, 2pm EST. WiT members are invited to an open and candid conversation about mental health issues, and ways to bring about meaningful change around the topics. Click here to learn more and register.

• Mindfulness & Meditation Casual Friday - May 13, 2022, 2:00pm EST.  Casual discussion all about mindfulness and meditation, open to all members and non-members. Attendees can share their experiences and tips, and learn from others in the WiT community. Click here to learn more and register.

• Roundtable: Supporting Mental Health & Wellness for Women in the Workforce - May 19, 2022, 3:00pm EST. Moderator Lindsey Berger from Melissa & Doug will be joined by leaders in the toy, licensing and entertainment industries for this important conversation. Topics to be discussed include specific challenges surrounding women and their mental health at work, how companies can prioritize and support the mental health needs of their employees, and how individuals can take action within their own organizations. Click here to learn more and register.

• 30 Days of Mental Health featured on WiT’s Instagram Stories, Digital content created in partnership with lifestyle brand, CupOfTherapy. CupOfTherapy, which focuses on sharing mental wellbeing resources through emotive illustrations and thoughtful text, will be sharing daily challenges recommended by psychotherapy professional, Antti Ervasti. The challenges will focus on issues prevalent to women in the WiT community and provide activities that aim to positively impact their mental wellbeing. Click here to follow WiT on Instagram.

• WiT Wellness Resource Page. Curated tools and resources on a variety of mental health and wellness topics. Click here.

WiT’s focus on mental health and wellbeing directly aligns with the organization's mission to help advance women through leadership, opportunity, connection, and education. Along with its topic-focused events and resources, WiT also offers members a wide variety of programming and ways to find new opportunities, including the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program for WiT, Webinars, Job/Candidate Board, the WiT Slack Community, and a wide range of career-development programming including resume writing, interviews, elevator pitch coaching, and more.