Introduction

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global celebration held each year on March 8th to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality worldwide.

Women’s Day has occurred for well over a century, with the first gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people across Europe. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. It is not country, group or organization specific.

The day centers on unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action. The IWD 2023 campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity – focusing on creating a gender equal world by dismantling biases, broadening perceptions, improving situations and celebrating women’s achievements.

It’s important we take time on IWD to recognize and uplift the many women advocates throughout history and in present day who have made invaluable contributions to gender equality through their activism, leadership, community organizing, writing, research, mentoring and more. Their bold vision, courage and determination have challenged old stereotypes and biases, opened new doors for women, and inspired progress across many fields.

Highlighting Historic Women Advocates

Throughout history, courageous women have stepped forward to advocate for equal rights and social change. Their contributions should be celebrated and remembered, especially on International Women’s Day.

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony was a prominent leader in the women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th century. She dedicated her life to securing women’s right to vote, co-founding the National Woman Suffrage Association and tirelessly campaigning for equal voting rights. Despite facing ridicule, arrest, and adversity, Anthony never wavered in her conviction that women deserved full equality. She once proclaimed “failure is impossible” in her fight for women’s rights. Though she passed away before the 19th amendment was ratified, Anthony’s life work was instrumental in gaining voting rights for American women. She paved the way for future advocates and proved that women could be forceful, eloquent leaders capable of transforming society.

Rosa Parks

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, catalyzing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her act of peaceful resistance against racial segregation sparked a widespread nonviolent protest movement across the South. Along with Martin Luther King Jr., Parks is considered one of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement. Beyond her refusal to move seats that day, Parks dedicated her life to racial equality and served as an inspiration for activists. Her courage and conviction in the face of injustice still resonates as an example of how ordinary citizens can stand up and change the world.

Malala Yousafzai

As a young girl growing up in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai spoke out fearlessly in support of girls’ education. She gained worldwide attention after being shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for her outspoken views. Yousafzai miraculously recovered and has continued advocating globally for girls’ equal right to education. She co-founded the Malala Fund, delivered impassioned speeches before the UN, and in 2014 became the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Yousafzai’s bravery and unwavering vision for a more just world inspires young women everywhere to raise their voices. Even in the face of grave danger, she champions the right of all girls to learn and reach their full potential.

Modern Women Advocates

In recent years, we’ve seen a new wave of bold and courageous women using their voice and influence to advocate for important causes on the global stage.

One standout example is Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenage climate activist who sparked a worldwide movement calling for action on climate change. Thunberg’s Friday school strikes for climate outside the Swedish parliament catalyzed youth protests in over 100 countries. Her powerful speeches confronting world leaders about the climate crisis have inspired millions and put pressure on governments to address environmental policies.

British actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has also embraced activism, launching the HeForShe campaign for gender equality in 2014. The initiative calls upon men and boys to support women’s rights and helps achieve equality through implementing UN Women’s Empowerment Principles in the workplace. Watson’s high-profile role has amplified this message, recruiting influential male allies and raising awareness of gender issues.

In the United States, Amanda Nguyen emerged as an important civil rights advocate after founding Rise, a non-profit that works to strengthen legal protections for sexual violence survivors. Motivated by her own experience reporting sexual assault, Nguyen successfully lobbied to pass the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights. She has shared powerful stories on national platforms and continues working to expand civil rights through her viral hashtag campaigns.

These inspiring modern women advocates have used their intelligence, passion, and persistence to drive real change on urgent global issues. Their voices inspire hope that empowered women leaders can make the world a more just and equal place.

Women Advocating Locally

Local communities gain strength through the efforts of dedicated women advocates fighting for positive change. Their grassroots activism provides inspiration and models of leadership for women everywhere.

Sarah Davis

As founder of the Central City Women’s Network, Sarah Davis empowers women in business by facilitating mentorship programs, hosting development workshops, and providing access to microloans. After experiencing discrimination in her first tech job, Davis made it her mission to create a supportive community for women entrepreneurs. Over the past 5 years, her organization has assisted over 500 women in launching their own businesses.

Amanda Wong

A high school teacher for over a decade, Amanda Wong noticed a lack of STEM programming aimed at young girls in her district. She created the Code Girls program to provide free after-school computer science classes to middle school girls. By making technology education accessible in a fun, collaborative environment, Wong has helped spark a passion for coding among hundreds of girls. Many Code Girls alumnae go on to pursue STEM degrees in college.

Dr. Angela Kim

As a family physician at Central Health Clinic, Dr. Angela Kim witnesses the healthcare access barriers facing low-income women daily. She co-founded the Women’s Health Equity Coalition to advocate for policy changes around reproductive care, family medical leave, and coverage for preventative screenings. Dr. Kim also regularly speaks at public hearings and lobbies representatives to improve legislation impacting women’s health. Her advocacy is creating lasting change.

Contributions of Women in STEM

Throughout history, women have made significant contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, they have often faced barriers and discrimination in these male-dominated fields. Fortunately, the tide is starting to turn.

More women are pursuing STEM education and careers than ever before. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, women now earn nearly 40% of STEM degrees in the United States. While women remain underrepresented in fields like physics, computer science, and engineering, their numbers steadily rise.

Several pioneering women scientists and engineers stand out for their groundbreaking contributions:

Marie Curie (1867-1934) was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel. Her experiments with radiation led to the development of X-rays in surgery. Curie discovered two new elements, radium and polonium, and championed using portable X-ray machines during World War I.

Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) was a brilliant mathematician at NASA. She calculated orbital mechanics for the first U.S. manned spaceflights, including John Glenn’s orbit of the Earth. Johnson’s computations were critical to the success of the Apollo moon landing program. She broke barriers for women and African Americans in science.

Mae Jemison (b. 1956) became the first African American woman in space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992. She holds degrees in chemical engineering, African American studies, and medicine. Jemison leads 100 Year Starship, a program seeding technologies for interstellar travel and seeking to make life multi-planetary.

The contributions of Curie, Johnson, Jemison, and so many others have opened doors for women in STEM. While challenges remain, the future is bright for women to invent, discover, and innovate.

Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs are a growing economic force, yet they continue to face unique challenges in starting and scaling their businesses. Recent statistics show the enormous potential of women entrepreneurs:

• Women-owned businesses account for 42% of all businesses in the U.S.
• Between 2014 and 2019, the number of women-owned businesses increased 21%, while men-owned businesses increased only 9%.
• If revenues generated by women-owned businesses matched those of men-owned businesses, it would add $3 trillion to the U.S. economy.

To realize the full economic potential of women entrepreneurs, targeted support is needed. Programs that provide access to capital, training, and networks have proven effective.

For example, Sara Blakely’s experience illustrates how access to education and mentorship can enable entrepreneurial success. Blakely founded Spanx, the women’s shapewear company, in 2000. As she developed her million-dollar idea into a business, Blakely benefited from taking continuing education classes at her local community college. She also attributes her success to guidance from mentors and friends who encouraged her budding entrepreneurship.

Today, Spanx is valued at over $1 billion, demonstrating the heights women entrepreneurs can reach with the right support systems. Blakely aims to pay it forward by investing in and mentoring young women entrepreneurs. Her story shows how supporting women-owned startups yields both individual and collective economic gains. With increased backing, women like Sara Blakely can drive growth while inspiring future generations of women business leaders.

Overcoming Bias & Discrimination

Gender bias and discrimination remain major obstacles that women must overcome. Though tremendous progress has been made, we still have work to do before women achieve full equality. Some examples of the types of bias women continue to face include:

• Unequal pay – The gender pay gap persists, with women making only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. This gap widens even more for women of color.
• Lack of representation – Women remain underrepresented in positions of power and leadership across many industries like business, academia, and government. They hold only 27% of S&P 500 board seats and just 5% of CEO positions.
• Minimization of accomplishments – Women’s achievements are often overlooked or attributed to luck rather than merit. Their hard work and talent are minimized while men’s are amplified.
• Maternal wall bias – Working mothers face assumptions that they are less competent and committed. They are held to higher standards while fathers often get a boost.
• Harassment and threats – Many women face sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and even threats of violence in workplaces and online.

Women advocates are critical to overcoming these biases by:

• Creating awareness and calling out discrimination when they see it. Staying silent allows biases to persist.
• Pushing for policy changes like pay equity legislation, flexible work options, and mandatory paid family leave.
• Organizing mentorship and leadership programs to empower more women.
• Speaking out against biases and microaggressions through social media campaigns.
• Funding legal challenges to discriminatory laws and corporate policies.
• Role modeling success and amplifying other women’s voices and achievements.

There is still a long way to go, but women advocates are committed to the fight for full gender equality. By supporting and electing more women leaders, securing policy changes, and transforming corporate cultures, we can eliminate the biases that have long held women back.

Amplifying Women’s Voices

A diverse range of women’s voices and perspectives leads to better ideas, solutions, and leadership. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s important that we make efforts to amplify women’s voices – not just today, but every day.

There are a few ways we can help amplify women’s voices in our own lives and communities:

• Support women in leadership roles. If your workplace or community lacks gender diversity in leadership, advocate for qualified women leaders to have a seat at the table. Diverse leadership leads to better discussions and decisions.
• Listen more. Make a conscious effort to hear out the women in your life and value their perspectives. Avoid talking over them or dismissing their ideas. Listen and respond thoughtfully.
• Share helpful resources. If there are women around you looking to grow their skills or confidence, share books, podcasts, networks and other resources that could aid their development as leaders.
• Promote their work. Make introductions that could help build a woman’s network. Recommend female colleagues for media interviews, panels, speaking engagements or awards when you see a good opportunity.
• Believe in them. Sometimes women just need to hear “You should go for that promotion” or “You have my full support if you want to start that business.” A little encouragement goes a long way.

Amplifying women’s voices takes active effort and intention. This International Women’s Day, think about the women in your life and how you can better support them in speaking up and rising up. The entire world benefits when women are heard.

Looking Ahead

While we’ve made great strides toward gender equality thanks to the efforts of women advocates and allies, there is still progress to be made. Women and girls around the world continue to face challenges like:

• Workplace discrimination and pay gaps
• Violence and harassment
• Lack of access to education
• Healthcare disparities
• Underrepresentation in leadership roles
• Biases and stereotypes that hold women back

To create a more just and equal future, we need to keep advocating for women’s rights and opportunities. Here are some ways we can all contribute:

• Support organizations that empower women and girls
• Speak up against sexism and discrimination when you see it
• Encourage young girls to pursue careers in male-dominated fields like STEM
• Share stories of inspirational women advocates and role models
• Mentor and sponsor women in your workplace
• Help close the gender pay gap by negotiating fair salaries and compensation
• Vote for political candidates who prioritize women’s rights
• Challenge traditional gender roles and norms that limit women
• Amplify women’s voices and perspectives

The work of pioneering women advocates has given us so much, but our work is not done. As we celebrate their legacy this International Women’s Day, let’s renew our commitment to making gender equality a reality.

Conclusion

On this International Women’s Day, we’ve highlighted many important women advocates, past and present, who have fought tirelessly for equal rights and opportunities. While tremendous progress has been made, there is still more work to be done.

Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles, face discrimination in the workplace, and earn less than men for doing the same work. Structural barriers and unconscious biases persist. The journey towards true gender equality is far from over.

But the indomitable spirit of the women advocates we’ve celebrated today keeps hope alive. Their stories inspire us all to raise our voices in support of women’s empowerment worldwide. Each one of us can make a difference by mentoring and sponsoring women in our lives, calling out injustices when we see them, and advocating for family-friendly policies in our workplaces.

Together, through solidarity and persistent action, we can create a more just and equitable society for women everywhere. The torch is passed to a new generation. Let’s carry it forward, advocating for women’s rights and inclusion at every step, until the work is finally done.