International Women's Day (IWD), celebrated annually on 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 advancing gender equality.

IWD has been around for well over a century, with the first IWD marked in 1911.

In 2026, IWD marks an extraordinary milestone: 115 years of collective action, advocacy, and progress toward gender equality.

For more than a century, IWD has helped drive transformative change - with each generation building on the courage of those before it, pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible.

IWD is a specific day dedicated to the advancement of women worldwide and provides an important platform to engage with communities, reflect on progress, and commit to positive action.

IWD can mean different things to various groups, yet the overarching aims of IWD are to:

- Celebrate women’s achievements through recognising 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.

- Mobilise 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.

Join online event this Sunday

Alpine Shire residents can join this year's Step Up International Women's Day 2026 Event online this Sunday morning from 10am to 11.15am.

The event is bringing amazing women and organisations together to empower female educational and aspiring leaders.

Sunday's online event will be exploring how to make work environments more female-friendly and flexible for all women, and hearing from and connecting with organisations that are doing great work for women in leadership.

Event co-hosts are Mubina Husein - an assistant headteacher for raising standards who has taught in London secondary schools for 18 years; and Claire Platt - a coach, leadership consultant and SIAMS inspector who had a career in education of more than 30 years and is a former headteacher.

The panel for empowering women in (educational) leadership includes: Christalla Jamil - MAT CEO, primary executive headteacher, trustee and global strategic leader of WomenEd; and Joanna Tompkins - secondary associate assistant headteacher, drama teacher, associate and head of EDI at EduPulse.

The panel for championing women in the workplace includes: Helen Claire, founder of Menopause in Schools; and Nadirah Khan, secondary assistant headteacher for staff and student wellbeing.

To join the event online go to https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EventSearch