The Official UN Theme for International Women’s Day 2026 Has Been Announced
On January 12 UN Women announced the official UN theme for International Women’s Day this year, which falls on Sunday March 8 2026.
Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.
Note the all caps for ALL - as a writer I can tell you this is UN women being incredibly intentional about the cross-sectionality of their support for women and girls in 2026.
In a recent release about its chosen theme, the lead United Nations entity on gender equality (and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women) stated that it:
“Marks a moment to amplify our collective determination.
No matter how deeply rooted the sexism or how discouraging the politics, we refuse to step back or abandon our mandate.
Instead, we climb together – for the rights and empowerment of all women and girls.”
What Is UN Women?
“UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
It does this by working to close gender gaps and build true equality through lobbying for change in laws, institutions, social behaviours and government services.
UN Women activism focuses on four key areas: leadership, economic empowerment, freedom from violence, and women, peace, security and humanitarian action - all while keeping the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress.
What Is International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (aka IWD) is celebrated annually around the world on March 8.
The origins of this international day begin with the North American and European labour movements around the beginning of the twentieth century.
The proposal for an annual day was first proposed in 1910 by Clara Zetkin, the leader of Germany‘s Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party. She was attending the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen and more than 100 of her peers, attending from 17 countries all over the world mind you, enthusiastically backed her plan.
The first ever International Women’s Day was held on March 19 1911.
Two years later in 1913 the date moved to March 8 where it has remained ever since. In that time IWD has evolved to become a day of action to build on the support for women’s rights in the context of the economy, politics, community and everyday life.
International Women’s Day in Australia
Australia’s first International Women’s Day was first organised by the Militant Women’s Movement in 1928 and held in Sydney.
The women who attended lobbied hard for equal pay (for equal work), an eight hour working day for shop girls (the mind BOGGLES because wtf) and paid leave.
Eventually the event spread to Brisbane and then Melbourne, with ongoing annual marches planned nationwide since 1931.
The Great Cupcake Controversy
Over the years, International Women’s Day has received criticism, particularly in corporate spaces.
It somehow became the norm to host morning teas and share images of women in the workplace on social media every time March 8 rolled around, without investing the necessary resources to facilitate real change.
”It’s giving… performative” ~ IWD critics, probably.
The ubiquitous cupcake became the symbol for this pushback, as women got vocal on LinkedIn and called out employers who would tick boxes for the sake of appearances one day a year, but still didn’t offer adequate paid maternity and paternity leave, or support women in securing executive level leadership roles, or have equal representation of women on the board. And the list goes on.
At this point in the cupcake conversation I usually dust off the frosting on the story of a former partner who worked for a prominent Australian insurer.
For International Women’s Day they held a criminally early morning tea and threw in a panel to discuss women in the workplace and how better to support them.
But only men were invited.
Yep. You read that right. I kid you not.
Not a 🧁 in sight apparently though, so that’s a win ig…
Anyway, I’ll just leave this here in the Hope that one day it gets unearthed by an audience who can’t believe this was ever our reality. And not satire in an absurd dark comedy.
How You Can Properly Support & Participate in IWD 2026
IWD Events near you
If you don’t have the opportunity to attend an International Women’s Day event through work, you should be able to find something local through either the UN websites or your local council.
For example I’m on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia and near me there’s a lunch at Long Reef hosted by the Women’s Resilience Centre, a lunch in Manly hosted by Northern Beaches Council, a walk to support women's recovery from domestic violence and trauma in Mona Vale, and a paint & sip for women’s wellbeing in Brookvale.
IWD Activities
If you can’t find anything that meets your needs you can always get creative and celebrate the day in your own unique way.
In fact the UN actively encourages community events for IWD under the banner Gather For Good where you can register yours in the lead up to March 8.
My suggestions: go for a walk with a girl friend, take your Self out on a date, watch a movie with your favourite actresses, apply for 5 better paid jobs, take your mum or daughter or niece out and talk about real shit, open a secret savings out (a fuck you fund, if you will), dump a low effort boyfriend, journal to your past and future selves, share an open letter with your thoughts on the gender equality gap, invite a man in your life to hear you out about something political that matters to you.
I could go on… But the point so many people miss about International Women’s Day is that it’s whatever We The Women make it - and unless you’re living under a rock you know we’ve got work to do.
Speak With Your Spending
I stumbled across woman-owned startup Tap The Gap recently and it’s an excellent idea that reminded me how much power we have right here in our pockets.
Because one super easy to create waves of real change 🌊 is to make small but impactful changes to how and where we spend our money.
I could talk about the damage we do with fast fashion and how those purchases are literally creating unethical billionaires, but there’s more to this than that.
For example Tap The Gap is “revolutionising superannuation” and “reframing how women build wealth for retirement” with an app that partners with brands to round up totals when we shop, and then sweep the change into our superannuation. In their words, “small change can = a big difference”.
Epic work TTG I’m a big fan.
Now if only there was some other random purchase you could make to put a PHENOMENAL feminist statement out into the world this year for IWD on Sunday March 8…
The What Charlie TOTE PHENOMENAL WOMAN Tote Bag
Heyyyy “What Is Up My Guy” (Grinch voice) (Not Nick Darnell the other one) (Yes I might have ADHD)
Anyways… Fancy seeing you here I was JUST thinking about you 👉🏿 because the What Charlie TOTE 👜 PHENOMENAL WOMAN tote bag is an ode to Maya Angelou and her writing and her activism, and the profound inspiration she continues to provide for me and so many others even after she’s passed on ☁️
It’s also a stylish fuck you to anyone who ever said we were too much, or not enough.
I launched this Maya Angelou merchandise today in the Hope that it will land where it needs to in time for IWD 2026 and event organisers who are serious about investing in more than cupcakes.
If you’ve read this far thanks & I love you for it & you can message me today for an exclusive advance IWD 2026 discount for the PHENOMENAL WOMAN tote bag 👜
Okay multiple rants over (feels great btw why did we ever stop blogging??) so let me just close this out with these powerful words from the UN:
As we begin the second quarter of the 21st century, no nation has closed the legal gaps between men and women. Right now, in 2026, women have only 64 per cent of the legal rights that men hold worldwide.
In fundamental areas of life, including work, money, safety, family, property, mobility, business, and retirement – the law systematically disadvantages women. From harmful social norms to discriminatory laws, women and girls continue to face entrenched obstacles – even pushback – to equal justice.
If progress continues at its current pace, it will take 286 years to close legal protection gaps. That is not a timeline, it’s surrender.
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