Accelerating Action: International Women's Day 2025 at UEL

Published on 06 Mar 2025

5 min estimated read time

March is here, and you know what that means—it's time to celebrate International Women's Day! This year, the theme is Accelerate Action, and it's all about moving beyond words and taking real, meaningful steps toward gender equality. At UEL, we're all about making a difference, so let's dive into what this day means, why it matters, and how we can all be part of the change.

What is International Women's Day?

First things first—what is International Women's Day? It's a global celebration held every year on March 8. It's a day to honour the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while also shining a light on the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.

It's also about recognising how far we still have to go. From the gender pay gap to underrepresentation in leadership roles, there's still a lot of work to be done. And that's where the theme Accelerate Action comes in. It's a call to move beyond words and take concrete steps toward a more inclusive world.

International Women's Day at university: UEL's approach

International Women's Day at university settings like UEL offers unique opportunities to connect academic learning with real-world advocacy. Universities have historically been both centres of progressive thought and sites of gender inequality, making them ideal spaces to examine gender dynamics.

What makes International Women's Day at university particularly powerful is the opportunity to bring together diverse perspectives. UEL's international student body means our campus celebrations include voices and experiences from dozens of countries, each with their own relationship to gender equality movements.

Megan Tarajcak, studying for a BSc in Marketing said International Women’s Day is a chance to acknowledge and celebrate all of the progress that has been made for women’s rights, but it is also a day to shine a light on all the injustices women still face all over the world.

Equity to me means to level out an unlevel playing field for women and to bring resources to disadvantaged women and to hopefully have an equitable world where everyone has a seat at the table regardless of economic background or ethnicity or where you are. Everyone has the chance to succeed.


Tien Cin Yong, studying Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, added,

This day is very meaningful to me because we get to celebrate gender equality and remind the world that we are awesome. Equity is giving everyone a fair shot to dance, whether you are really good at dancing or you’re really horrible at it, whether you are a man or woman, whether you are tall or short – everyone deserves a fair shot.

International Women's Day at university hits different. We're in this unique space where we're not just learning about the world—we're figuring out who we want to be in it. That makes it the perfect time to engage with ideas about gender equality and social justice.

Shaherah Jordan, a Research Fellow at the Sustainability Research Institute, said,

International Women’s Day is for me a marker of progression, but it still symbolises the need for further progression where women and equity are concerned. Equity to me is about fairness and a level playing field, but in order to achieve this, I am beginning to understand we need to open up the dialogue much, much more. Equity is a shared responsibility.

International Women's Day as a learning opportunity

International Women's Day offers us an amazing chance to expand our horizons and challenge our thinking. It's like a built-in reminder to stop and consider perspectives we might not normally encounter in our day-to-day lives. 

At university, we're already in learning mode, right? So International Women's Day fits perfectly with what we're here to do. It gives us a chance to connect classroom concepts with real-world issues. Whether you're studying business, healthcare, engineering, or the arts, understanding gender dynamics will make you better at what you do.

Even if you've never thought much about gender issues before, International Women's Day 2025 is the perfect time to start. There's no judgment, just an invitation to listen, learn, and maybe even share your own experiences.

Making International Women's Day 2025 meaningful for you

International Women's Day 2025 can be whatever you want it to be—a chance to celebrate, to learn, to connect, or to take action. Here are some ways you can engage with it on your own terms.

  • Educate yourself

Take some time to learn about women's history and the ongoing struggle for gender equality. Our library has some great resources, or you can find tons of information online.

  • Start conversations

Talk to your friends, classmates, and family about International Women's Day and why it matters. Sometimes the most powerful changes start with simple conversations.

  • Use social media

Share posts about International Women's Day 2025 using the official hashtags. Amplify voices and stories that inspire you.

  • Reflect on your own experience

Take some time to think about how gender has shaped your own life experiences—in both limiting and empowering ways.

  • Support women-owned businesses

Put your money where your values are by supporting women entrepreneurs, both on campus and in the wider community.

The global impact of International Women's Day

While we celebrate International Women's Day here at UEL, it's worth remembering that this is a global movement. Around the world, people are marking this day in different ways—from protests and marches to celebrations and educational events.

International Women's Day 2025 reminds us that the struggle for gender equality looks different in different contexts. What feels like progress in one place might be just the beginning in another. But there's something powerful about knowing that on March 8 people all over the world are united in their commitment to building a more equitable future.

East London itself is such a vibrant, diverse community, and International Women's Day gives us a chance to connect with the amazing women's organisations doing important work right on our doorstep. From grassroots community groups to established non-profits, there's so much we can learn from and contribute to.

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