International Women’s Day takes place every year on 8 March, with news brands marking the occasion with a host of different editorial initiatives. 2024 is no different — here is a selection of publishers’ editorial from this year’s IWD…
How can you get involved?
As the Standard reports, the theme for 2024’s event is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, inspiring others to understand and value female inclusion and fostering belonging, relevance and empowerment in communities.
If you want to get involved, the news brand has plenty of ideas, from uploading an image to social media using the hashtag and heart symbol to taking part in the many events taking place across London this week.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to celebrate in style with a night out or the best of female-fronted cinema, The Independent’s Olivia Hebert has a list of party plans to get you started.
Fighting for online safety for female journalists
On Friday morning, Reach, Women in Journalism and Reporters without Borders penned a joint open letter to police leads and policymakers calling for greater online safety for female journalists in the UK. The campaign, called ‘Stop the Cycle’, highlights the inconsistencies found in police reports of crimes raised by journalists.
The initiative comes after a Reach survey found three quarters of female journalists had faced harassment or abuse online, causing many to withdraw from the frontline or to minimise their social profiles.
The Influence List
The Independent marked the day with its Influence List, 50 of Britain’s most influential woman today. Esther Ghey topped the list, followed by Kate Garraway, Claudia Winkleman, Mary Earps and Sue Gray.
Portraits of 10 of the listees shot by Sane Seven will be unveiled later at Outernet London and later sold, with funds raised given to Refuge. Subjects include campaigner and author Baroness Benjamin, comedian Rosie Jones and MP Penny Mordaunt.
In addition, artist Tracey Emin has also donated an exclusive portrait for the auction. The image, entitled ‘The Empty Room’, shows Emin posing with one of her beloved cats and her urostomy tube. All 11 portraits will be viewable at Outernet London on London’s Charing Cross Road free of charge until the end of the month.
Making women’s voices heard
With half the world heading to the polls in 2024, women’s rights activist and former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf writes for the Guardian about the importance of female democratic participation free from intimidation, violence and threats.
Sirleaf, the first woman to be elected president of an African country, invokes IWD 2024’s theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’ to call on leaders to break down the barriers preventing women from running for election.
Out of the comfort zone, into solo travel
“Travelling two-by-two went out with the ark”, announces Metro’s Monday eight-page pullout dedicated to female solo travel. Published in honour of International Women’s Day, the news brand enlisted Tracey Davies, editor of 101 Singles Holidays, to encourage more women to see the world on their terms and take their next holiday solo.
She says: “There are many reasons why women choose to travel on their own — separation from a partner or taking a sabbatical from work — but largely it’s about empowerment, freedom and wanting to do things your way.”
Celebrating the best of the best
While the world’s female sporting stars have been inspiring fans for decades, it’s only recently that women’s sports across the spectrum have rightfully entered mainstream attention.
As part of its International Women’s Day special, The Sun on Sunday’s ‘Fabulous’ magazine celebrated 20 inspirational sporting heroes from the past two decades.
