Saturday 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD), an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all women. It aims to promote positive change by raising awareness about problems women face in their everyday lives.
About International Women’s Day
Women on all continents come together to celebrate who they are, reflect on progress and demand gender equality.
IWD began in 1908, where 15,000 women went on strike in New York City because of low pay and terrible conditions in the factories where they worked. They took to the streets in protest to demand the right to vote, better pay and shorter working hours. The first official IWD gathering took place in 1911 and was supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
Since this time, the fight for gender equality has taken many forms. Today it is a global event supported by many organisations and individuals and, in some countries, it is a national holiday.
This year’s theme
The theme for IWD 2025 is ‘accelerate action’. Accelerate action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.
It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres. Find out more about the theme on the International Women's Day website.
Importance of International Women’s Day
While in today’s world, it may appear that women have all the same rights and opportunities as men, statistics show there is still a long way to go before we achieve equity.
Despite progress in women’s experiences in the workplace, differences still exist, including gender pay gap disparities and barriers to promotions. You can watch this short video about women, unconscious bias and the workplace.
Last year, Susan Halliwell, Chief Executive of Bracknell Forest Council, and Mary Temperton, Leader of the Council talked about International Women's Day and the importance of why we should celebrate, recognise and raise awareness of it. You can watch the videos using the links below:
What International Women's Day means to you