Celebrating International Women's Day 2025: Empowering Women and Girls for a Better Future

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The world is marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, a landmark agreement on gender equality, and International Women's Day 2025 is an opportunity to remind global leaders and activists that our shared future depends on gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The United Nations is calling on governments everywhere to act boldly and decisively for all women and girls, with a focus on closing the gender gap globally by 2030, which will require an investment of $360 billion annually. However, the cost of inaction is higher, and it is estimated that closing the digital gender divide could save $500 billion over the next five years.

There are several actions that can make a real difference in achieving gender equality, including supporting the Global Digital Compact and enacting policies that bridge the digital gender divide, ensuring equal access and leadership for all women and girls in technology. Additionally, investing in national budgets to strengthen social protection, public services, particularly care services, can give women an equal chance to prosper and fight poverty. It is also essential to adopt, implement, and fund national laws and policies that signal zero impunity towards violence against women and support local women's organizations. Implementing laws and policies to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in politics, business, and institutions can also help to accelerate gender equality.

Some of the key areas that require attention and action include the fact that nearly one in ten women live in extreme poverty, and women do at least twice as much unpaid care work as men do. Care is the backbone of all societies, and yet it is largely undervalued and unpaid. Closing care gaps could create 300 million jobs by 2035. Furthermore, one in three women experiences violence in her lifetime, and although globally we have many laws on the books, they are often poorly implemented, and investment in prevention strategies is lacking. Around the world, decisions affecting women's lives are still made overwhelmingly by men, which is not only unjust but also inefficient. Over 600 million women and girls live near armed conflict, with conflict-related sexual violence skyrocketing by 50 per cent last year alone.

Some of the ways to participate in International Women's Day 2025 include supporting women-owned businesses and services, signing up for sanctioned International Women's Day events, and making a conscious decision to step up for gender equality in our own lives. The sixty-ninth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) will review progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action and assess a series of global, regional, and national reports. The moment will inspire global media attention, discussions online, and satellite events and campaigns, opening many new opportunities to call for greater ambition and action. Here are some key policy points to consider: * Invest in national budgets to strengthen social protection, public services, particularly care services * Adopt, implement, and fund national laws and policies that signal zero impunity towards violence against women * Implement laws and policies to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in politics, business, and institutions * Support women's organizations in crises and conflict settings * Prioritize women's and girls' rights and leadership in climate action by increasing investment in and their access to green jobs, like care, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy. The digital gender divide, gender equality, and women's empowerment are critical areas that require attention and action.

International Women's Day has a rich history, dating back to the first organized strike by female labor in 1857, the founding of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903, the 1917 strike by Russian women, and the 1980 announcement by President Jimmy Carter proclaiming the week of March 8 as “National Women's History Week.” As we mark the 30th year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the world is deeply unequal, and International Women's Day is a chance to rise and demand action to make the world equal and better for everyone. By working together, we can create a better future for all, where women and girls have equal rights, opportunities, and empowerment.