Why we need International Women's Day

This week, in the run-up to International Women’s Day, I met women’s rights campaigners doing incredible work in Nigeria, Pakistan and Poland. They are amongst the more than 800 women’s rights organisations Britain has backed since 2022.

The challenges they face vary from country to country. But the fundamental point was the same. We all need to do much more to support women’s rights around the world.

I know a few people question this. Some even question whether we need International Women’s Day at all.

I profoundly disagree. Here are five reasons – five spurs to action for us all.

First, look around the world – at the severe challenges faced by so many women.

Globally, we are seeing push back against women’s rights. The Taliban’s mass exclusion of girls from education. Far right religious groups seeking to stop women being able to choose to use contraception or access abortion.

Horrific acts of sexual violence in conflicts. More than 200 million women and girls alive today are estimated to be victims of female genital mutilation.

Second, consider the picture here at home.

For all the improvements in my lifetime, inequality and sexism are still a feature of life for many women in Britain. And in the media we read about horrendous violence against women, such as the corrosive fluid attack in Clapham or the tragic murder of Sarah Everard.

But we can be proud of progress.

For years, there were not enough women in politics or business. At the last British election, we finally got to over a third of MPs being women. And today, Britain is second globally for the percentage of women on boards.

The measures we introduced on FGM have led to the first convictions and Protection Orders for hundreds of potential victims.

In 2012, we hosted the London Summit on Family Planning. In 2023, 92 million more women in low and middle income countries were accessing modern methods of family planning compared to 2012.

In 2014 and 2022, we hosted major international meetings on sexual violence in conflict, driving focus on preventing this scourge and holding perpetrators to account.

It was clear from my discussions this week. This work is valued. Others are looking to us to continue to show leadership on this issue. We must deliver.

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Third, this is all about potential.

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The moral case for rights and equality is clear. I have two daughters – I want them to have the same opportunities in life as my son.

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But I believe we also need to focus on why it makes sense in economic and development terms.

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Look at some of the fastest-growing economies in our world today – Bangladesh and Rwanda. Both have done a huge amount in recent years on women’s access to education, to employment and to sexual and reproductive health.

Like all of us, they could do more. But this connection between growth and rights is not a coincidence. Countries that hold back women are holding back growth, development and prosperity.

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Fourth, sexual and reproductive health and rights illustrates this perfectly.

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As I heard from partner organisations this week, our work on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights is saving tens of thousands of lives.

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Individuals do not just need freedom from. Freedom from domestic abuse. Freedom from sexual violence. Freedom from female genital mutilation.

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They also need freedom to. Freedom to access family planning. Freedom to access safe abortions. Freedom to choose whether to have children. When. And how many. ?

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When you combine these elements – freedom from and freedom to – that unlocks potential. Potential of individuals. Potential within societies.

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When either or both of these are missing, both individuals and societies miss out.

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Finally, we have so many brilliant role models.

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Take Arminka Heli? and Amal Clooney. I do not believe Britain would have achieved what we have on preventing sexual violence without their advocacy.

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They were able to have this impact having escaped war-torn Bosnia and Lebanon respectively as girls. But as their work recognises, all girls deserve the same opportunity to make such a difference.

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There are countless other examples like them around the world. Nobel prize winners like Malala and Nadia Murad. The women’s rights activists I met this week. Countless women in countries and communities around the world, who battle to make the world a better, fairer place.

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This year, on International Women’s Day, I want this message to ring out from Britain. These inspiring women have our backing. Politics must involve argument and action. We want to win the argument against those trying to roll back women’s rights – and we want to act in a way that ensures our victory in this fight.?