International Women’s Day 2025 (IWD) is an annual event that has celebrated the social, economic and political achievements of women for more than a century. It also shines a spotlight on the call to action for accelerating gender equality that still remains today.
In 1911, German labor leader Clara Zetkin proposed March 8th be proclaimed International Women’s Day, in recognition of U.S. women workers who led a movement for decent working conditions. Since then, the day has manifested itself in many forms. From campaigning for women’s suffrage in earlier times to equal representation in politics, and highlighting violence against females in the 21st century, the aim has been to push governments to recognize the necessity of sex and gender equality in law.
Around the world, IWD is an important catalyst and vehicle for driving greater change for women and moving us closer to gender parity.
The 2025 Theme for IWD
The 2025 theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) is #AccelerateAction and it is forging global conversation and even more importantly, action to achieve gender equality.
Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women’s advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.
And it is NECESSARY. Significant barriers to gender equality remain and although this has always been the case, the impact of the pandemic made it clear that women, girls, and gender-diverse people were disproportionately impacted.
Even the limited gains in the past decades were rolled back and at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now and well over a century, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
Please – let that sink in. None of us will see gender parity in our lifetime, and nor likely will many of our children.
The Overarching Aim of IWD
Although that is a daunting statistic, we can make a difference. And, while that can mean different things to different people and various groups, the overarching aims of IWD are to:
- Celebrate women’s achievements through recognizing and appreciating the contributions of women in various fields, highlighting their influence and successes throughout history and in the present day.
- Raise awareness of gender inequality through shining a light on persistent issues like the gender pay gap, lack of representation in leadership roles, gender-based violence, and unequal access to education and opportunities.
- Mobilize action for equality through encouraging individuals, communities, and organizations to take steps toward creating a more inclusive and equitable world for women.
- Donate and fundraise for women-focused charities, and elevate the visibility of their work.
- Foster solidarity among people of all genders in support of women’s rights and gender parity worldwide.
Collection Action Every Single Day
Clearly, massive change is still needed and we can either turn our backs, or come together to fight it because this battle must be fought by everyone. As writer and activist Gloria Steinem once said:
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
With all that in mind, we must commit to act beyond March 8th. It’s not just one day but rather, an ongoing reminder that everyone—whether female, male or non-binary—can take pragmatic action to accelerate gender equality. From personal mindsets to grassroots activism to worldwide action, we can pledge to move from talk to action within our own spheres of influence.
Call to Action – What Can You Do?
One of the best things that has come out of the annual IWD campaigns is that everyone can get involved in the way that is most meaningful to them. But one commitment we can all make is to start impactful and open conversations with others about what it means to truly close the gender gap and how to accelerate action.
Remember, all IWD activity is valid so check out these ideas from International Women’s Day that offer a wide range of impressive support and collaborative participation.
Collectively, we can all help forge positive change for women. And not just today, but everyday.
TELL ME: How will you choose to mark March 8th?
Note: If you would like to learn more about International Women’s Day and the impact, Lighthouse’s Founder, Cathy Goddard wrote a feature story for Pique Newsmagazine in 2019 that shared in-depth information into the impact of gender and wage disparity in Canada’s film industry.