International Women’s day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March, but do you really know its cause? Well, it aims to educate the public on issues of inequality, mobilise political will, address the injustices and to celebrate and reinforce achievements made so far. To succeed in the global aim for gender equality by 2030 we need to call for revolutionary change around the world. 

We’re all over this idea, and supporting this year’s campaign #choosetochallenge, which tagline “Let’s all choose to challenge” aims to inspire us to make the world more alert. By using our own actions and words we can make a difference and stand for what’s right.

In addition to its activism, the 8th of March is also an official holiday in many countries around the world. In Nepal, women get the full day off work and in Russia men give women flowers and gifts. Sadly, however, in Turkey and Poland where gender inequality runs thick many take to the streets each year to protest.  

Since 2020, the pandemic has not only brought distress to people health-wise but also in gender equality. Recent data by UN Women suggests that the gap is being increased by household and care-related tasks and a bigger number of women leaving the workplace entirely compared to men. Even at home, daughters are reported to help parents more than sons.

From “smashing the patriarchy” to the Women’s March, women will not stop when it comes to smashing stereotypes, challenging bias and raising awareness. So the question now remains… how will you choose to challenge?

Wondering why we need International Women’s Day?

It may be over 100 years since the first but International Women’s Day is still as important as ever. Here are 7 reasons why:

1. 9 out of 10 people hold at least one bias towards women, including women themselves.

2. There’s no country in the world that has complete gender equality.

3. The gender pay gap - in Britain women get paid 11.5% less than men and earn 23% less than men globally. 

4. #mybodymychoice - Men are still making decisions on women’s reproductive health, bodies and lives… what?

5. We need to end child marriage - 15 million children marry each year.

6. The UK conviction rate for rape is only 2%.

7. At least 25 British women have been killed by men (or a man is the main suspect) in fatally violent domestic attacks in 2021 alone.

These statistics are just a few of the reasons why International Women’s Day is so important. It’s apparent that we still have a long way to go as a global society. We need to further open the conversation of gender inequality globally for people of all ages, backgrounds and genders. 

How to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021

This year's global celebrations are taking the shape of virtual events. So we’ve rounded up some of our favourites for you to check out. 

Women of the World

The WOW UK 21 digital festival spans the whole month of March.

As We Are

Join the full-day schedule on the 8th of March calling for everyone to challenge gender inequality wherever they see it.

Museum of London

Hosting a live-streamed discussion on 31st March called “DIGITAL Herstories: women's voices in our heritage”.

CX Spotlight 2021

Hubspot’s CX Spotlight 2021 event is an officially supported event by International Women’s Day. Featuring women leaders speaking from across the world including South America, Europe and Asia.

The Rising Festival 2021

Supporting women to find their balance, wellness and full potential amidst the challenges of living through a global pandemic.

Bossing it with Fab and Emma

Join authors and entrepreneurs Fab Giovanetti and Emma Mumford as they discuss the importance of taking care of your mental health and prioritising your wellbeing.

How we #ChooseToChallenge

We are a female-founded social enterprise. We’re proud to have grown an 84% female team and get ad-hoc support from Ranwo, a fellow social enterprise that empowers single parents by educating and employing them to do virtual assistant jobs on a flexible basis. 

We are here to do more than just provide ethical alternatives. It’s time to #choosetochallenge and we want to inspire and empower women from all backgrounds and walks of life to help make the change they want to see.  From last year’s Gender Pay Gap campaign, to our female-empowering focused category – we’re working hard to drive change and build a better, more equal tomorrow.

#IWD2021 #CHOOSETOCHALLENGE

Words by Jess Morgan