When is International Women’s Day, what is this year’s theme, and why do we celebrate?

From highlighting the successes of girls to calling for consciousness of gender inequality, the annual occasion appears to deliver folks collectively.

Here’s every part it is advisable find out about International Women’s Day 2026.

International Women’s Day will probably be celebrated on Sunday, March 8 2026.

This yr, the theme for IWD is “Give To Gain”.

The marketing campaign is aimed toward encouraging generosity and collaboration, emphasising the general significance of reciprocity and assist for each other.

The official occasion web site reads: “When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.”

As such, they name on people to offer their assist in a lot of methods, from difficult discrimination and questioning bias to calling out stereotypes, celebrating girls’s success, and sharing information with folks.

International Women’s Day is marked by hundreds of thousands of individuals world wide, celebrating the various achievements of girls and appearing as a name to motion for advancing gender equality.

IWD was first noticed in 1911, with this yr’s occasion marking 115 years of motion.

The precise vacation itself is a means for folks to interact with totally different communities and to replicate on progress made over time, in addition to serving to drive change worldwide.

The goals of IWD are as follows:

• Celebrating the achievements of girls in numerous fields, or highlighting the affect and successes of girls each in historical past and within the current.
• Raising consciousness of gender inequality, by drawing consideration in the direction of persistent points such because the gender pay hole, illustration in management roles, entry to schooling and alternatives, and one thing which has been a lot mentioned within the UK not too long ago, gender-based violence.
• Mobilising motion for equality by calling on people, communities, organisations and extra to take steps towards an inclusive and equitable world for girls.
• Donating and fundraising for women-focused charities, to assist elevate their platforms.
• Fostering solidarity amongst folks of all genders in assist of girls’s rights and gender parity.

It is not a vacation that is particular to anyone nation, however a collective drive in the direction of equality.

While some could query the necessity for such a vacation or attempt and undermine the occasion by asking when International Men’s Day is (it’s on November 19), IWD strives to make sure a extra equal world for many who come after us.

Despite nice strides which were made in the direction of equality for the reason that day was first held in 1911, there is nonetheless some strategy to go in addressing systemic points such because the gender pay hole, girls’s well being, or gender-based violence in international locations such because the UK.

Essentially, it is a day centered round celebrating girls in addition to campaigning for long-lasting advances in equality worldwide.

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As for methods to mark International Women’s Day, there are numerous occasions being held across the nation.

For instance, JA Mar Hall close to Glasgow will mark IWD with a day leisure in assist of Glasgow Women’s Aid. There will probably be afternoon tea, in addition to performances from the likes of Michelle McManus, Natalie James, Cassi and a choir.