This International Women's Day, we must advance fairness, safety and opportunity for all women

Today is Accenture’s 18th celebration of International Women’s Day and I’m so proud of the strides we have made as an organization and as individuals to accelerate gender equality.

The origins of IWD stem back to the early 20th century with the promotion of equal rights, the right to vote and protests around sexual discrimination. In 1917, women textile workers in Petrograd began a demonstration that is said to have contributed to the Russian Revolution. In 1917, 25,000 women and male supporters marched in Guangzhou about labor conditions and in the 1970s, the movement stood for equal pay, reproductive rights and the prevention of violence against women.

During the period of the pandemic, I feel we’ve seen the best and worst of human nature, including increased levels of violence against women and a rewinding of women’s rights if we look at what has happened in Afghanistan for example. So while I am celebrating IWD, I’d like to dedicate it to all the brilliant women around the world, particularly those who have not seen equality, safety or opportunity – and to the people of Ukraine, who I stand with.