Is International Women’s Day actually changing anything?
Every year, International Women’s Day rolls around with its breakfast panels, power-dressing luncheons, and cringy hashtags. The room fills with well-heeled professionals clapping for each other while sipping bubbles and nodding along to keynote speakers who preach empowerment – usually to an audience that’s already pretty empowered. And while IWD should be a moment for genuine reflection and action, you have to ask – are we actually pushing for real change, or just blowing sunshine up our own arses?
The roots of International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day didn’t start as an excuse for corporates to bang on about how great women are and call it a day. It began with working-class women, many of them migrants, demanding fair wages, safe working conditions, and basic rights. The early 1900s saw factory workers marching in the streets, refusing to be exploited. It was raw, urgent, and uncomfortable – the kind of activism that rattled the status quo and made for real change.
Fast forward to 2024, and we’re watching brands cash in on IWD while still underpaying women or failing to offer real support like paid parental leave. We see a lot of talk about ‘smashing glass ceilings’ while single mums, women in trades, carers, First Nations women, and those in regional areas being left out of the conversation entirely. And instead of meaningful discussions about the issues that still hold women back including domestic violence, reproductive rights, the gender pay gap, and unpaid labour – we get a parade of LinkedIn posts about how ‘inspiring’ it is to be a woman in business. Pffft – do me a favour.
Who is this day for?
Before anyone clutches their pearls in disgust, let’s be clear – there are women in privileged positions who are doing the right thing. They’re lifting others as they climb, creating opportunities, pushing for policy change, and making a genuine difference. This isn’t about them. It’s about the empty gestures that hijack the day’s real purpose.
If IWD is truly about progress, then let’s see more of the women not in the boardrooms. Let’s see the single parents juggling work and kids with zero support. Let’s hear from country women who don’t have easy access to health services. Let’s talk about the domestic violence crisis that sees women leaving abusive homes with nowhere to go. Let’s acknowledge that empowerment means something very different when you’re living paycheck to paycheck.
Less champagne, more change
So, what should IWD actually look like? It should be uncomfortable. It should push people – especially those with power – to listen, learn, and act. It should go beyond the Instagram posts and into real-world action like creating policies that close the pay gap, legislation that protects women, and investment in communities that need it most.
By all means, celebrate the progress we’ve made. But if we’re serious about change, then International Women’s Day can’t just be a feel-good event for those already at the top. Because if we’re only celebrating privilege, we’ve missed the point entirely.
