As International Women’s Day approaches, the news brands take the opportunity to celebrate and highlight the achievements, struggles, and resilience of women around the world
The Independent shines a spotlight on the most influential female figures shaping British society today in its Independent Women 2025: The Influence List.
The List recognises 50 women making an indelible impact on British society today from fields such as entertainment, campaigning, sport, politics, business, art, literature and fashion. Kemi Badenoch, Claudia Winkleman and Keely Hodgkinson are amongst those who are highlighted on the list.
Twelve of the women who feature on the Independents Influence List will be displayed at the Women.Now exhibition, in collaboration with Outernet and photographer Sane Seven. Outernet visitors will be encouraged to learn more about domestic abuse charity Refuge and share their thoughts on gender discrimination.
The Independent calls for urgent and transformative change, drawing attention to the lived experiences of women from all walks of life, those recognised in the Influence List, The Independent’s audience, Outernet visitors and women who are impacted by domestic abuse.
The news brand is also launching a new programme, ‘Make it in Media’, with the charity Inspiring Girls. The programme aims to inspire and empower school-aged girls by introducing them to career opportunities in the news industry via immersion sessions with The Independent’s editorial and commercial teams.
Elsewhere, new research commissioned by Metro has found a quarter of Brits know a woman or girl who has been a victim of domestic abuse over the past 12 months.
The ‘troubling’ findings come as part of Metro’s ‘This Is Not Right’ campaign, which aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
It is reported that around 100 women are killed at the hands of men each year — often killed by someone closest to them. At least 10 women are thought to have been killed by men since the start of the year.
Other areas examined by the study included what Brits thought the biggest barriers were to reducing VAWG, with 60% believing the justice system’s response to VAWG is ineffective at tackling these crimes and 55% believing the same of the police’s response.
Metro’s first-person and opinion editor Jess Austin and assistant editor Lucy Mapstone, who launched the ‘This is Not Right’ campaign in November, said: “The Ipsos UK findings demonstrate exactly why Metro is running this campaign and, considering 67% of respondents say traditional media has a responsibility to help reduce VAWG, we are determined to do all we can.”
