Explore some of the ways our publishers are recognising the day.
On 8 March every year, we come together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). The theme for 2021 is ‘choose to challenge’ with the message: stand up and call out gender bias and inequality because together we can make a difference and create an inclusive world.
The concept of togetherness was echoed in an article for Business Live published today by Reach plc’s new head of diversity and inclusion Julie Humphreys. In her piece, she quoted Marie Curie – the only woman to have won the Nobel Prize twice – “You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity”.
At News UK, the team has been raising money for Women’s Aid and coming out in support of IWD by wearing purple. The publisher’s paper The Sun invited women to #RiseUpandShine, an initiative that celebrates those who have risen to the challenge in this incredibly testing year. And at The Times, the news brand has focused its latest edition of ‘The Children’s Times’ on exploring the role computer sciences play in children’s education and the prospects that it can bring. It has also done a great piece on the women shaping the arts world today.
On The Telegraph’s site, its dedicated IWD section features a study commissioned by the news brand that looked at the mental health of working mums during the pandemic – you can read the findings here.
In other news brands, the Daily Mirror featured the stories of 100 incredible women including cancer survivors, NHS heroes and foster mothers, click here to read them. And if you are a lover of poetry, take a read of a Daily Express article that invited poets to share their top 10 literary quotes to celebrate IWD.
On Sunday, the Observer launched its ‘End Femicide’ campaign to highlight “the hidden scandal of older women killed by men”. According to data, the number of recorded domestic abuse-related crimes has increased by 63% since 2016 and the campaign hopes to raise awareness of this issue that is often overlooked.
And in the i newspaper, associate editor Siobhan Norton wrote openly about getting the gender balance right when deciding who to feature on the paper’s front cover. For IWD, today’s paper features incredible women such as Oxford vaccine creator Professor Sarah Gilbert who pays tribute to the women behind the research team.
In today’s paper, Norton finishes her column with: “We will continue giving a voice to the change-makers and history shapers in our society, whatever their gender, no matter what day of the year it is. Isn’t that what balance is all about?” You can read the text in full here.
It is not just in the UK where people from all walks of life celebrate IWD, the Daily Mail and The Guardian have put together impactful photo galleries featuring images of how people from across the world recognise IWD. From women lying in mock coffins in Israel to demonstrate against femicide, to women in Bangladesh calling for equal rights and freedom of speech, explore the Mail’s gallery here and The Guardian’s gallery here.
Happy International Women’s Day!
