The campaign theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action’.
According to data from the World Economic Forum it will currently take until 2158 to otherwise reach full gender equality. #AccelerateAction focuses on the importance of taking proactive steps to achieve gender equality more quickly.
Why does IWD matter in the workplace?
IWD celebrations at work reinforce the importance of gender equality and diversity in the workplace. By raising awareness about gender-related issues and advocating for equal opportunities, organisations can foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment.
International Women’s Day is one of the biggest employee engagement days of the year, and organisations should get involved in because it provides a platform to publicly demonstrate their commitment to gender equality, raise awareness about issues women face in the workplace, and actively work towards creating a more inclusive and diverse work environment.
This in turn improves workplace culture, increases staff morale, reduces sickness and presenteeism, and improves staff recruitment and retention as well as creating positive business promotion to potential employees, customers, and stakeholders.
How can an organisation celebrate IWD?
The focus on women’s workplace equality and advancement doesn’t begin or end on March 8th 2025. IWD does, however, provide a significant and important moment for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to equality and inclusion.
There are many ways in which you can celebrate IWD both on 8th March and throughout the year; here are just a few examples:
- Publicity via social media channels
- Publish your commitment to women’s equality in the workplace for the year ahead
- Staff stories of women in the workplace
- A focus on women in leadership
- Celebrate achievements of female employees
- Promoting your Gender Pay Gap and its Action Plan
- Review policies that can impact women more significantly such as flexible working, home working policies and carers policy
- Consider the role of a menopause and menstruation policy at work
- Identify further areas for action
- Educate employees about the challenges women face in the workplace, such as the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and unconscious bias.
Find more information, events, stories and workplace toolkits on the website of International Women’s Day 2025.