Fifty years after the United Nations first recognized International Women’s Day in 1975, significant progress has been made in advancing women’s rights, but this year’s theme of “Accelerate Action” points to the need for continued forward movement.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has a rich history of women’s efforts, by countries and organizations all over the world. Over the years, it has evolved into a globally recognized movement with widespread mainstream awareness. Today, IWD is celebrated across the world in diverse and impactful ways, and is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and highlight important efforts to achieve equality between men and women.
The Clock is Ticking
Time waits for no one, least of all those fighting for equality between men and women. The World Economic Forum’s projection that full parity won’t be achieved until 2158, a staggering five generations from now – has underscored the need for continued progress in a world that continues to evolve at breakneck speed.
“Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve … equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres,” International Women’s Day advocates.
Breaking Down Barriers
In line with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, organizations like Our Secure Future (OSF) are leading the charge in advancing women’s roles in peace and security. OSF’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan Academy is a prime example of accelerating action, focusing on engaging countries and key policymakers to create and implement high-impact Women, Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plan.
WPS NAPs are instrumental in advancing the WPS agenda through tailored programs, policies, and practices. Through close cooperation between governments, multilateral organizations, and civil society, these NAPs create inclusive, context-specific strategies that promote equality between men and women in peacebuilding and protect individuals from conflict-related violence.
© UN Women and Our Secure Future
Furthermore, the IWD campaign recognizes that economic empowerment is essential for advancing women’s progress. The World Bank’s estimate that closing the gap in employment and entrepreneurship could boost global GDP by a whopping 20 percent underscores the economic imperative of women’s full participation in the economic life of their countries.
Various initiatives are springing up worldwide to address this challenge. In Kenya, the women-led fintech company Tala is revolutionizing micro-lending, providing crucial access to credit for underserved communities. Meanwhile, Brazil’s PretaLab is breaking down barriers in the tech industry, empowering more women to pursue STEM careers.
Complementing these efforts, OSF’s Project Delphi applies the Women, Peace and Security framework to the emerging digital ecosystem – identifying systemic problems in technology, analyzing implications for peace and security, and developing more inclusive approaches to technology norms and policies.
Be a Catalyst for Women’s Leadership
This year’s theme also emphasizes the critical role of education and leadership in advancing women’s rights. Programs like Technovation Girls are leading the charge, having trained 150,000 young women over the past 15 years to become technology entrepreneurs and innovators.
In the political sphere, OSF has spearheaded the establishment of a bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Congressional Caucus in the United States Congress. Launched in 2020, the Caucus aims to ensure that WPS goals are actively considered as national security and foreign policy priorities for the United States. Such efforts demonstrate the importance of political engagement in accelerating action for women’s rights and representation.
As International Women’s Day 2025 approaches, the call to “Accelerate Action” echoes worldwide. Achieving equality between men and women is about taking bold, tangible steps to turn them into reality. The moment for protecting women’s rights from harm isn’t in the future — it’s now.
