Tomorrow is International Women's Day!

Tomorrow (Saturday 8 March) is International Women's Day, and this years theme from the UN is "For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment".

Collectively for International Women's Day we can all #AccelerateAction and forge gender equality.

The day started in 1911, and belongs to all who care about women's equality, to:

• celebrate women's achievement;
• raise awareness about discrimination; and
• take action for gender parity.

For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment

This year's theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation - youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls, as catalysts for lasting change.

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was the most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint from women's and girls' rights worldwide that transformed the women's rights agenda in terms of:

• legal protection;
• access to services;
• youth engagement; and
• change in social norms, stereotypes and ideas stuck in the past.

The UN is calling on governments everywhere to act boldly and decisively for all women and girls. Closing the gender gap globally by 2030 will take an investment of $360 billion annually, but the cost of inaction is higher.

There are six actions governments could make to achieve a real difference, while placing the leadership of young women and adolescent girls in the centre of all efforts:

• a digital revolution - back the Global Digital Compact so that everyone can benefit from technology and its potential;
• zero violence - invest in women's rights organisations already working to prevent and end violence;
• freedom from poverty - invest in social protection systems and public services to give women an equal chance to thrive;
• peace and security - invest in women's leadership to build peace;
• decision-making power - adopt laws that support women's participation in politics and business;
• climate justice - prioritise women and girls in climate action by boosting their leadership and access to green jobs.

Accelerate Action

At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

Focusing on the need to #AccelerateAction emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing systematic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

It is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.

#AccelerateAction resonates so well because:

• progress is too slow - despite decades of effort, gender inequality remains deeply entrenched in many societies;
• addressing global setbacks - in recent years, events like the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women, particularly in terms of job losses, increased unpaid caregiving burdens, and heightened domestic violence;
• inspiring momentum for change - the campaign encourages activism and engagement at all levels, political, corporate and grassroots, motivating individuals, governments and organisations to take concrete steps toward gender equality;
• tackling structural inequalities - pushing for the dismantling of systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality, such as unequal pay, limited access to education, and under-representation in leadership;
• focus on impactful solutions - with the rise of global movements like #MeToo and women's advocacy around climate action, the world is more aware of gender injustices;
• inclusivity and intersectionality - accelerating action means recognising that gender inequality affects different women in different ways, whether due to race, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status or further aspects;
• a timely call for accountability - the campaign focus serves as a powerful reminder that time is running out to meet global gender priorities.

Progress on women's rights

In knowing and pushing forward for progress, there is hope:

• for 89% of governments, ending violence against women is a top priority today, and 193 countries have legal measures against it;
• data shows that countries with domestic violence laws have seen less cases of violence against women;
• most of the world has reached parity in education - by bringing the gender gap in accessing and shaping science and technology, we clear the remaining bottlenecks to equal opportunities and create technology that serves more people and the planet;
• more States have strengthened care services and 32% of countries globally now promote better pay and safe working conditions for care workers;
• there are 112 countries with a national plan to engage women in peace and security processes - a significant increase from 19 countries in 2010.

Get involved this International Women's Day

Ways to get involved in the day include:

• step up for gender equality in our own lives - where we work, in our communities, and in our own families and relationships, by calling out stereotypes, challenging discrimination, questioning bias and celebrating women's success;
• follow UN Women for updates and connect with fellow change-makers;
• engaging with media, corporate leaders, governments, community leads, civil society and youth, and others with influence to take action in your communities;
• ask leaders to take action and invest in promoting women's rights and gender equality;
• share International Women's Day stories and messaged on digital platforms, using the hashtags #ForAllWomenAndGirls and #AccelerateAction to share dialogue and inspire action.