International Womenʼs Day

International

International Womenʼs Day

Thanks to all those who helped with our IWD 2021 campaign where we partnered with Westminster and Holborn Law Society

Everyday sexism wears people down – you can choose to change that by challenging stereotypes and misogyny and celebrating achievements of the women you know. This can be in every part of your life: quietly asking someone not to talk over a woman speaking, not making assumptions about the life ambitions of the women you meet, being respectful to female leaders.

All of society together can act now. International Women's Day IWD 2021 used a theme of #choosetochallenge. So, make a difference, think globally and act locally! Make every day International Women's Day.

IWD has been marked annually since 1911 on March 8th and is a day of the year to:

■ celebrate women's achievements

■ raise awareness about women's equality

■ lobby for accelerated gender parity

■ fundraise for female-focused charities

So far there is no country in the world with gender equality and yet it is often thought that the battles have been fought. Women’s rights have come a long way over the last 100 years, bringing the right to vote, enter the professions, own property and financial rights but there is still more to do. In the UK many of the relevant laws are in place but discrimination persists often due to cultural norms.

The United Nations has marked IWD since 1975. IWD is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. ■