International Women’s Day is a great occasion to remind the world of the importance of advocating for gender equality. But once March 8 is over, what’s truly left of it? Tatler asks its editors and members of the community who work on supporting women all year round
International Women’s Day (IWD), which has taken place on March 8 annually since the late ‘70s, commemorates women’s fight for equality and liberation along with the women’s rights movement.
There is no doubt that this day serves as a great reminder of both women’s achievements and the gender gap that remains pervasive worldwide. It’s a day that offers an enormous amount of resources to raise awareness on violence and abuse against women, reproductive rights, gender equity, healthcare access and much more. It also sheds light on the local and global associations, organisations and communities empowering women, girls and queer people throughout the year—and highlights the power of well-thought-out allyship.
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However—and not surprisingly—most IWD events and initiatives are organised by women and queer people. While offering a stage to highlight crucial issues regarding gender-equality, it also leaves the same leaders, advocates and activists exhausted. Indeed, they are the ones bearing the weight of education and spreading awareness on topics that should matter to all—and all year long.
Here, the Front & Female team gathered opinions from different women from the Tatler community who work with and to support women year round on how they truly feel about International Women’s Day.
- Salomé Grouard, Digital Editor and Front & Female Lead, Tatler Hong Kong
Dr. Rica Cruz, sex and relationships therapist, CEO and co-founder of Unprude
International Women’s Day is a nice reminder, but one day of recognition doesn’t erase the daily struggles women face—at work, in relationships and even in owning their sexual selves. Women are still shamed for being sexual, denied proper sex education and forced to navigate a world where sex is weaponised against them. Real empowerment isn’t just a pink post, it’s about making sure women have real power and agency in this world.
Yes, International Women’s Day is necessary because it gets people talking, but talk isn’t enough—we need action, policies and real change. So, we celebrate today, but tomorrow and every day after, we keep pushing, keep fighting and keep reclaiming the space that is rightfully ours.
