International Women’s Day

27 February 2019

The International Women’s Day 2019 will be held on Friday 8 March and this year's campaign theme of #BalanceforBetter is a call-to-action for driving gender balance across the world.

A balanced world is a world reaching its full potential. Gender balance is essential for communities and economies to thrive, but it’s not just a women’s issue - collective action and shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key.

The 2019 IWD campaign recalls the words of world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist Gloria Steinem: “The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

Progressive companies around the world actively support women’s advancement and are working towards gender equality. Schools, sporting clubs and community organisations have planned events across the nation. Look for events in your community here.

Teachers are encouraged to use IWD as an opportunity to educate and inspire children about the role of women in society. Classroom education about gender equality is a grassroots step towards a more tolerant society of the future.

Discussions about IWD in schools might include raising awareness of gender equality, challenging stereotypes and celebrating the achievements of women.

Available resources include colouring sheets, lesson plans, role-model case studies, book study activities, IWD videos and competitions.To find out more about International Women’s Day school resources click here.

Further teacher resources, including printable fact sheets, videos and resource packs for children aged five to 12, are available here.

Students could be encouraged to enter the IWD 2019 inaugural photo competition or submit videos supporting IWD.