International Women’s Day is an annual celebration which recognises the cultural, political and socio economic achievements of women all over the world.

The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality, with important global themes impacting women’s equality explored each year.

While most women in countries like Australia have access to community support, health initiatives and quality education, this is not the reality for many women in developing countries.

This International Women’s Day, ChildFund Australia is focused on supporting maternal and child health in those countries where women are most impacted by a lack of support services.

When is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day 2022 is on Tuesday 8 March.

Why is International Women’s Day celebrated?

International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s, but was first celebrated globally by the United Nations in 1975.

The aim of International Women’s Day is to connect women around the world and inspire them to reach their full potential, addressing any gender-based limitations that they may face in achieving this.

The day celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future, and represents and opportunity to:

• Celebrate the achievements of women worldwide
• Raise awareness of the issues impacting equality for women
• Accelerate gender equality through lobbying for change
• Support fundraising efforts for female-focused causes

With International Women’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at the issues most impacting equality for women in 2022.

What is the International Women’s Day 2022 theme?

This year’s theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

The United Nations recognises that advancing gender equality in the context of the current climate crisis and disaster risk reduction, is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability are having, and will continue to have, a deeply felt impact on those who are marginalised.

International Women’s Day 2022 recognises that women are increasingly more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, given that they constitute the majority of the world’s poorest populations. Women are therefore more dependent than men, on the natural resources which are so greatly impacted by climate change.

Solutions to this inequality focus on empowering women and girls around the world to lead the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation and response, to build a more sustainable future for us all.

What is the International Women’s Day 2022 hashtag?

Whether you’re hosting a morning tea or a Facebook Fundraiser to increase awareness, you can use the hashtag #BreakTheBias in social media posts to let your friends know that you support International Women’s Day 2022.

There are many ways that you can spread awareness of the cause to end gender bias against women. Here are a few ideas:

Host a morning tea

Whether fundraising at school or in the office at work, you can take the time to share morning tea and discuss how you can support international women’s issues. You could suggest a gold coin donation and donate the proceeds to our current appeal.

Create a Facebook fundraiser

Did you know that you can fundraise on Facebook for ChildFund Australia? Set up your own fundraiser and invite family and friends to make a donation supporting International Women’s Day. Create your fundraiser now, and help work towards empowering women on a smaller scale. 

Donate to maternal and child health care

This International Women’s Day, why not support women and children in developing countries through ChildFund? You can donate to maternal and child health, to ensure that women have equal access to vital health care services.

Together we can empower women all over the world to access the care and support needed to thrive in life, regardless of their location.