International Women's Day (IWD) is a global observance that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions and achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. IWD has been observed for more than a century, with the first IWD gathering occurring in 1911. IWD is more than just a day; it's a global movement for gender equality. Originating from grassroots activism, it has evolved into a day of collective action, uniting people worldwide in the fight for women's rights. From marches to advocacy campaigns, IWD serves as a reminder of the progress made and the work still to be done.

Australia's first IWD was held in 1928 in Sydney. Organised by the Militant Women's Movement, women called for equal pay for equal work, an eight-hour working day for shop girls, and paid leave. The next year, the event spread to Brisbane.

Inspiring Action for Inclusion

“Inspire Inclusion” is a call to action. It sets a challenge to question inequalities, advocate for change, and create inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. Whether it's breaking down barriers in the workplace, promoting diversity in leadership, or supporting marginalised communities, inspiring inclusion requires deliberate effort and commitment from all.

From individuals to organisations, everyone has a role to play in inspiring inclusion:

• In the workplace, it means implementing policies that promote diversity and equity.
• In communities, it means advocating for equal access to opportunities and resources.
• On a personal level, it means challenging biases and stereotypes and embracing diversity in all its forms.

As we commemorate IWD 2024, let's recommit ourselves to the values of equality and inclusion. Let's use this day as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead. Let's challenge ourselves to be agents of change, to speak out against injustice, and to strive for a future where every woman and girl has the opportunity to fulfil her potential.

Women’s Empowerment Principles

In 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, we outlined the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), established by UN Women and the UN Global Compact Office. The WEPs can be used as a tool to help guide organisations on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. We believe it is timely to revisit these highly recommended principles and actions that organisations can take to demonstrate their commitment to gender equality:

Principle 1 – Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

Support for this principle could be demonstrated by establishing organisational goals and targets. Consideration could also be given to including goals and targets in performance plans for managers of an organisation.

Principle 2 – Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination

Actions could include offering flexible working arrangements and leave. Reviewing policies and practices to ensure they are inclusive could also foster an inclusive workplace culture.

Principle 3 – Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers

A zero-tolerance policy against all forms of violence and harassment at work could be used to demonstrate support for this principle. Further, organisations could also acknowledge the right for all staff to have time off for medical care and counselling for themselves and their dependents.

Principle 4 – Promote education, training and professional development for women

Organisations could demonstrate support for this principle by ensuring equal access to and participation in internal education and training programs. Training offerings about sexual harassment and unconscious bias could also be considered.

Principle 5 – Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women

In support of this principle, organisations could leverage their procurement activities to ensure that their suppliers adopt policies and practices that support equality and are consistent with the WEPs.

Principle 6 – Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy

The promotion and recognition of women’s leadership and contribution by ensuring their active participation in consultation processes, is a suggested action for support of this principle.

Principle 7 – Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality

This principle could be supported by organisations benchmarking their achievements by collecting, analysing and using gender statistics to measure and report improvements over time.

At CourtHeath, we are heartened to see IWD evolve beyond just a single day. We have proudly and publicly supported the WEPs since 2018 and have been a participant in the UN Global Compact since 2016. We are dedicated to promoting gender equality and inclusion. Through our work with business and government organisations in Victoria, we endeavour to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and inspire meaningful change. From the development of policies to the implementation of training programs, we work collaboratively with our clients to foster inclusive environments in which everyone can flourish.

• For more about IWD 2024, visit International Women's Day Theme
• Visit here for details about UN Women Australia's 'Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress.'
• On 7 March 2024, the Australian Government's Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality was launched by the Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher. Read and download a copy of the report here.

Resources

• UN Women Australia
• WEPs
• WEPs Gender-Responsive Procurement Assessment Tool
• WEPS Deep Dive into Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
• WHO IWD 2024: “Invest in women – accelerate progress”
• The Australian Government's Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality report

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Image: IWD

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A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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