International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.
Embracing Equity
This year's theme for International Women's Day is "For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment." Equity is a fundamental concept in disability rights and women's rights.
Sometimes, people might use the words equity and equality interchangeably, but they mean very different things.
Treating people with equality, means treating them all the same. So if you give something to or make an allowance for someone, to treat everyone with equality, everyone else should have that same thing or allowance made avaialble to them.
Equity, on the other hand, acknowledges that everyone doesn't start at the same place or have the same privileges or access needs, and that some people's needs are different than others. Treating people with equity means working out what changes, adaptions or inclusions can be made to enable fair and equitible access for everyone. This might mean giving more to some than others, or not even giving to some people at all in order to "balance the scales" and make society fair, inclusive and accessible for all.
"Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits." - Susan K Gardener
For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment
The theme for the UN International Women’s Day, 8 March 2025 (IWD 2025) is, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”. The theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. The UN is focusing on a central vision that empowers the next generation.
Along with empowering the next generation, 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform Form for Action. The Form of Action document will be the priority of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “promoting women's and girls' rights, documenting the reality of their lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls."
The United Nations Observances of IWD recognise the vital role of media, corporate leaders, governments, community leaders, civil society, and youth in taking action for your communities to provide equal rights, equality, and empowerment.
For more information visit unwomen.org
