Women’s Day 2025 Highlights Persistent Gender Inequalities and Global Activism

Activists worldwide mark the day with marches, reflections on progress, and calls for renewed efforts toward gender equality.

International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, continues to serve as a platform for recognizing women’s achievements while addressing ongoing gender inequalities worldwide.
Major marches and events took place globally, including in Bangkok, Berlin, and across the U.S., where Women’s March groups organized actions to foster unity and resistance during Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
The day’s origins trace back to early 20th-century socialist movements, with the first official observance in 1911 advocating for women’s suffrage and labor rights, later formalized by the United Nations in 1977.
Critics argue that modern observances risk being co-opted by superficial ‘corporate feminism,’ while others emphasize the importance of intersectionality and addressing barriers faced by marginalized women, including Indigenous and minority communities.
Despite progress in areas such as political representation and narrowing wage gaps in some countries, activists highlight persistent issues like gender-based violence, reproductive rights rollbacks, and global disparities in education and employment opportunities.