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our reflections on INTERNATIONAL women's day 2025
our reflections on INTERNATIONAL women's day 2025
"I was 13 when a classmate was abducted into a forced marriage. At 15, I lost a childhood friend to the same fate. As a child, I witnessed the collapse of everything familiar - safety, stability, and certainty. I remember many things, but above all, I remember fear - constant, unrelenting fear. My parents, protective but afraid themselves, tried to keep me and my sister safe - knowing that as girls, we were especially vulnerable in a world of displacement and lawlessness.Years later, as an aid worker in conflict zones, I was no longer the one in need of protection. But the fear never left me. As a woman, I had to navigate risks my male colleagues never considered. I planned my own escape routes, knowing that my concerns would be dismissed by those who never had to think about such things.Later, as I became a mother, I struggled to reconcile my professional ambitions with my desire to raise my own family. While my husband’s career continued uninterrupted, I had to put mine on hold. I know I am just one of many, many women in this world who have faced the same reality.Today, watching the world unravel once more, I wonder what kind of future awaits my daughters. So for me, International Women’s Day is not just a celebration – it’s a reckoning. A reminder of how far we’ve come, how fragile progress remains, and how much work is still ahead to build a world where my daughters, and millions of other girls, grow up with choices, safety, and futures that are not determined by their gender."Keti Khurtsia Co-founder of Learning Community for Change
"International Women’s Day makes me reflect on the women who have personally shaped who I am — my nan, my mum, my sisters, and my feminist friends. I think about their strength, their kindness, and the way they have inspired me to become the person I am today. I also honour the fierce and fearless women who continue to fight for gender justice, whether that is working in the realms literature, academia, humanitarian, sport, climate change, eco-feminism or art – important activism continues to take place in all domains, being led by incredibly resilient women. Today is also a day to reflect on the work still ahead, this year more than many. Violence against women remains devastatingly common, with 30% of women aged 15 and older experiencing physical or sexual violence. Women’s sexual and reproductive rights are under attack. And aid cuts threaten to disproportionately harm women across the world, with devastating consequences.
For me, March 8th is a time to come together, to act in solidarity for a more just world for all women. It’s a moment to celebrate progress, honour those who paved the way, and recommit to the fight ahead. We draw inspiration from the women close to us and activists shaping a better future.
Now is the time to stand up, be loud, be bold, and be clear.
We will rise — again, again, and again. Kate DenmanCo-founder of Learning Community for Change
For me, March 8th is a time to come together, to act in solidarity for a more just world for all women. It’s a moment to celebrate progress, honour those who paved the way, and recommit to the fight ahead. We draw inspiration from the women close to us and activists shaping a better future.
Now is the time to stand up, be loud, be bold, and be clear.
We will rise — again, again, and again. Kate DenmanCo-founder of Learning Community for Change
If you are interested to read about some of the women we feel are making an impact take look at IRC's article: 12 women activists and leaders making the world a better place
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