International Women’s Day (IWD) started as a radical act of protest and resistance in the early 1900s, led by women rallying for better and fairer treatment in society.
More than a century later, the globally observed day has evolved to become a celebration of women around the world, their achievements and progress, accompanied by corporate sponsorships and curated events. But its core mission and purpose remain centred on gender equality.
In many ways, women have more power and opportunities than ever before. At the same time, in some parts of the world, gender-based issues, discrimination and violence are more pressing than ever.
So what is the purpose of IWD in 2025?
The history of International Women’s Day
In its early days, IWD was led by the suffrage movement, fighting for emancipation, better working conditions and voting rights.
Australia’s first IWD was held in 1928, while the United Nations marked the event for the first time in 1975, formally adopting it two years later.
Today, countries around the world will be hosting IWD events to celebrate women’s achievements and collective progress towards gender equality while reflecting on the issues and inequalities that remain.
Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia, describes IWD as a time to “pause and reflect”.
“I think it’s really a moment for us to check in and look at our progress, see how far we have come and how far we haven’t come, and then put together some actions to try and accelerate our progress,” she says.
Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia, describes International Women’s Day as an opportunity to reflect on and evaluate progress in women’s rights. Source: Supplied / Irene Dowdy
Clarke says this year’s IWD has particular significance as the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The declaration is a policy framework adopted by the UN in 1995, which outlines a plan to achieve equal rights for all women and girls.
“In that declaration … there were 12 promises that were made to women, none of which we’ve been close to achieving,” she says.
So I think it’s another testament to the fact that we still have a long way to go.
Elizabeth Hill, a professor of political economy and deputy director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at The University of Sydney, believes the day remains “highly relevant” in 2025.
“It’s a day of remembering, but it’s also, of course, a day to celebrate hard-won gains and to organise against the backlash, which is such a central part of the feminist movement,” she says.
“This is especially important this year in 2025 as we see women, the rights of women and girls to education, to health, and particularly reproductive care being rolled back in, not only in the US but in other parts of Eastern Europe and different places around the world.”
Progress and relevance in 2025
In recent years, there has been notable progress made towards gender equality in Australia: the gender pay gap hit a record low of 11.5 per cent in 2024; there are currently more women in parliament than ever; and Australia has improved its global gender parity ranking to 24th — up from 43rd in 2022.
But despite this progress, many issues remain.
Australian women continue to earn less than men and retire with less superannuation on average; they perform the majority of unpaid care work and are underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Rates of gender-based violence have also in Australia and remain high globally. In 2023, a report by the UN found that around 51,100 women and girls were killed by an intimate partner or family member.
Reproductive rights have also come into focus following the in the United States and attempts by politicians in some Australian states to introduce tougher restrictions.
Clarke says these issues highlight both the need for IWD and for more regular conversations about inequality.
“When people talk to me about ‘Why do we need International Women’s Day?’ I counter that with ‘You’re right, we don’t need International Women’s Day, we need international women’s every day’,” she says.
“And by that I mean facing into those indicators: they are facts, they are statistics that are still holding women back.”
In Australia, the issue of gender-based violence is particularly stark. In 2024, 78 women were killed due to gender-based violence, according to advocacy group Destroy the Joint’s project Counting Dead Women.
This year, there have been eight gender-based violence deaths so far, according to the group’s tally.
This violence is inextricably linked with gender inequality and “emblematic of the undervaluation of women”, according to Clarke.
“I think it needs a cultural revolution for us to start talking about why violence against women is an absolute non-negotiable, it cannot continue,” she says.
And yet nowhere in the world — nowhere, in no country — are the statistics on violence against women getting better. In fact, in most cases, they’re getting worse.
“So if you add economic disparity to social marginalisation to violence, it’s no wonder that the statistics around gender equality are not even close to being achieved.”
Corporate feminism and pink cupcakes
In recent years, IWD has been increasingly embraced by organisations and businesses across the globe.
Many hold morning teas or brunch events, decorate offices and provide sweet treats to their staff, brandishing uplifting slogans and messaging.
Some critics have expressed frustration with this evolution, saying it promotes a superficial ‘corporate feminism’ and trivialises the real inequalities faced by many women, particularly those who are less privileged.
But while Clarke sympathises with these concerns, she would rather focus on positive progress.
“While we can despair in the negative sentiment around the pace [of progress] is not quick enough, I think we also need to celebrate the wins and the gains,” she says.
“So while some might dismiss those International Women’s Days about cupcakes, when you have leadership teams sitting there talking about their staff and employee resource groups about female representation … those are things that weren’t even talked about 20 years ago, 15 years ago.”
Intersectionality and Indigenous exclusion
International Women’s Day is rooted in protest. Source: AAP / Francis R Malasig / EPA
Another key criticism of IWD, and modern feminism more broadly, is its lack of discussion about intersectionality.
Research shows women from marginalised backgrounds experience disproportionate rates of violence and discrimination and face additional — or intersecting — barriers to achieving gender equality.
Hill points out that while women in countries such as Australia continue to face inequality, women in developing or war-torn countries face many additional challenges.
These include access to education, voting rights, reproductive rights and care, working rights, and the ability to make their own choices about relationships and marriage.
“Those freedoms are not available everywhere, and I think it’s worth remembering in 2025 that many countries, especially those marked by conflict and crisis — places like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza — women and girls are vulnerable to poverty and hunger,” she says.
They can’t go to school and they’re not allowed to be employed, or they find it hard to be employed; reproductive care is completely absent.
Hill views IWD as a reminder of the “global story” of gender inequality and the “work to be done” across all domains.
This is something that Ashlee Donohue, a media commentator, author and CEO of the Aboriginal women’s organisation Mudgin-Gal, has become increasingly frustrated with in recent years.
Donohue, who is a proud Dunghutti woman, says while she used to love IWD, she now believes it is primarily focused on white women and does not adequately include Indigenous women or women from other minorities.
“For me, it is very hard to even think that International Women’s Day is inclusive of every other nationality that isn’t white,” she says.
“Because in this country, I know for certain that Aboriginal women certainly aren’t equal to white women in this country, let alone white men. So, therefore, it misses the mark.”
Ashlee Donohue believes International Women’s Day does not adequately address the additional barriers Indigenous women or women from other minorities face. Source: Supplied / Ashlee Donohue
Donohue says she has routinely seen Indigenous women left out of conversations about gender equality and not featured in events or panel discussions.
Conversations about gender equality are often held through a “white lens”, she says, and fail to explore the additional barriers and challenges Indigenous women and women of colour face.
She believes more needs to be done in this space to acknowledge Indigenous women’s work and achievements and improve representation in leadership roles and decision-making.
“If our voices matter and we scream equality to every woman, we have to be in the CEO positions, we have to be at the tables making decisions and not one of us, a lot of us.
“Until that happens, then how on earth are we going to stand beside every other woman and fight for equality in this country when again, we are nowhere near equal to any other nationality.”
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