Happy International Women’s Day 2025: A Call for Rights, Equality, and Empowerment

Today, March 8, 2025, marks another chapter for the global celebration of International Women’s Day, centred on the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.

According to the United Nations’ statement, the focus this year is to continue unlocking equal rights, power, and opportunities for all women and girls, with particular emphasis on empowering youth, especially young women and adolescent girls, to drive long-lasting change.

This year holds significant weight as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark document that revolutionised the global women’s rights agenda, driving legal protections, expanding access to services, and challenging outdated social norms. The United Nations (UN) continues to champion this cause.

According to the UN, the origins of International Women’s Day trace back to the Russian Revolution in 1917, with the first known campaign against female genital mutilation emerging from the Egyptian Society of Physicians in 1920. Notably, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation to grant women the right to vote.

Since its recognition by the UN in 1977, International Women’s Day has evolved into a global movement, calling for women’s equality across all sectors—political, economic, and social. The UN adds that the celebration of women’s voices reminds us that gender equality is not just an aspiration but a pressing necessity.

The UN said, “It is a day to honour trailblazers who have broken barriers, empowered communities, and continue to shape the world with their courage and vision.” It added, “From political leaders to activists, artists to entrepreneurs, their voices inspired change.”