International Women’s Day (IWD) is the worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the economic, and the social – while calling for gender equality. The day has been celebrated since the early 1900s and is now recognised each year on March 8th.

After so many years you might think there is no longer a need to highlight the challenges so many women face simply because of their gender; but you’d be wrong. Sadly, there is still an urgent need for this day because the original aim – to achieve full gender equality for women across the world – has not been realised yet. There is still a gender pay gap, female leaders are still lacking, violence against women and girls persists, and women still fall behind men in terms of education and healthcare. In 2020, the UN reported that almost 90% of people are prejudiced towards women globally.

On IWD, we have an opportunity to come together to shine a light on these persistent inequalities, while also celebrating the achievements of women who have overcome these barriers.

International Women’s Day’s theme this year is #BreakTheBias and together across Langley we want to celebrate the environment we work in, where women are valued and supported, where our values shape the way we behave and challenge the way we think about each other.

This year, to show our support of IWD, we gathered a few of our staff across the Langley Group to create this brief video:

And our women’s service, Mariposa, has created this piece of artwork to celebrate IWD as well, sharing what it means for them.

W – Wise
O – Opportunist
M – Meaningful
E – Extraordinary
N – Noticeable

• A woman is the full circle, within her is the power to create, nurture and transform
• The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence – Beyonce
• Stay strong, Stand up, Have a voice
• I have always wanted to be a woman who isn’t afraid to tell her story – Andra Day
• Always be a first rate version of your self. Instead of a second rate version of somebody else – Judy Garland