International Women’s Day (IWD)

What is the day about?

International Women’s Day is a united day of celebration to focus on women’s history, the struggles women have been through and how women are still overcoming barriers across the world.

When does the day take place?

Each year, this event is globally celebrated on March 8th.

When did this event start?

Although the day has gained prominence in recent years because of events such as the #MeToo movement, the history of International Women’s Day dates back to the early 1900s.

As far as we know, the first “National Woman’s Day” was observed in the United States on February 28th, 1909. The day was inspired by the labour movement in 1908, when 15,000 female garment workers went on strike in New York City in protest of poor working conditions. The event was organised by a Ukrainian suffragist named Clara Lemlich.

After a German women’s rights activist, Clare Zetkin, proposed it at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910, the day became internationally recognised. On March 19th, 1911, the day was declared an international celebration for the first time.

It wasn’t until 1996 that themes were assigned to the day, with the first being “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future.” Since then, the dates have changed, but it is now always celebrated on March 8th.

Why is it important to celebrate this day?

You may be wondering why you should celebrate International Women’s Day. Well, that’s because although a lot has changed for women, we still need the day to celebrate women’s achievements and recognise that we need to take further action towards gender parity. For example, research finds that Gender pay gap will ‘take 45 years to close’ in the UK.

All over the world, the rights women have are different. This awareness day stands for issues on a global scale. It raises awareness, unites the world and gives women a voice.

What is the theme of this year’s celebration?

The International Women’s Day theme for 2025 is #AccelerateAction

The goal of this theme is to call for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

An office worker flexing their biceps for International Women’s Day 2025 theme, #AccelerateAction against a pink background

To participate in the campaign, the campaign’s organisers are encouraging everyone to take a photograph of themselves flexing their bicep (or biceps) and post it on social media using the #AccelerateAction hashtag.

How to celebrate this event at work

There are plenty of ways to celebrate International Women’s Day this year. Take a look at the suggestions below to start the conversation and celebrate the day.

Resources

Share this Awareness Page with your colleagues, who can use this resource as a guide to help shape their activities.

The International Women’s Day website also has a selection of resources for you to choose from. You can use these resources to plan your activities and effectively raise awareness.

Share knowledge

Undertake some research and find some facts about women’s history to share with those around you. Whether you have a story of your own to tell or have some useful information, it will benefit others to hear more about the day and why it happens.

Consider what the day means to you

Consider what you want the day to mean to you. Recognise why you want to spread the message and why you want to be a part of it. The fact that you’re reading this is a great place to start when it comes to making a difference; small steps like these can have the greatest impact.

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