International Women’s Day 2026: Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls
Every year, International Women’s Day invites organisations to pause and reflect on progress.
And if we are honest, many workplaces are still caught in a familiar rhythm. A panel discussion. A breakfast event. A well-designed graphic shared on LinkedIn. A few inspiring quotes. Then Monday arrives, and very little changes.
That is why the official International Women’s Day 2026 theme, set by UN Women, feels different:
Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.
It is simple and direct, and that is precisely what makes it powerful. There is nowhere to hide behind vague commitments or good intentions. This theme does not ask us to celebrate women. It asks us to look closely at the systems women are navigating every day and decide what we are genuinely prepared to change.
A question worth sitting with
If a woman in your organisation is struggling, being overlooked, being harassed, being underestimated, or quietly managing a health issue that affects her confidence and performance, what happens next?
Not what should happen in theory.
What actually happens in practice.
That space between intention and lived experience is where this theme really comes to life.
What does “Rights” look like at work?
Rights are not abstract concepts. They show up in the everyday moments that either protect people or leave them exposed.
At work, rights can look like being taken seriously when you raise a concern, being believed when something does not feel right, or having policies that reflect real life rather than a narrow ideal of who a “good employee” is. That includes menstrual health, fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, menopause, and mental health, not as afterthoughts, but as normal parts of working life.
It also looks like not having to earn flexibility by burning out first.
This matters more than ever. We know that women are significantly more likely than men to manage long-term health conditions while working, and many still choose not to disclose for fear of being seen as unreliable or difficult. When rights are unclear or inconsistently applied, the people who pay the price are usually those who already feel least safe.
A simple litmus test helps here. Do your policies work best for people who already feel confident, healthy, and supported at work? Or do they also work for women juggling symptoms, stigma, caring responsibilities, or a lack of psychological safety?
What does “Justice” look like at work?
Many organisations have policies. Far fewer have justice.
Justice is revealed in what happens when something goes wrong. When someone experiences harassment, discrimination, bias, or exclusion, justice is not the existence of a policy document. It is the response. It is whether the process feels safe, fair, and human. It is whether the person who raised the issue is supported, or quietly sidelined.
This is especially important when it comes to women’s health. Too often, health-related disclosures are minimised, met with discomfort, or treated as an inconvenience rather than a legitimate workplace issue.
Justice at work means having reporting pathways that people genuinely trust, managers who know how to respond without minimising or deflecting, consistent consequences when behaviour crosses a line, and follow-through that goes beyond carefully worded statements.
If you find yourself thinking, “We have a zero-tolerance policy,” a gentle challenge is worth considering. Based on what your employees have seen, do they believe it?
What does “Action” look like at work?
Action is the hardest part, because it costs something.
It requires time, leadership attention, budget, and a willingness to change how things have always been done. But it is also where progress becomes visible.
Action looks like measuring what is actually happening for women in your organisation, rather than relying on assumptions. It means setting clear goals for progression, retention, representation, and pay equity, and returning to them regularly. It means funding women’s networks properly, with time, influence, and senior sponsorship, rather than expecting unpaid emotional labour to do the heavy lifting. And it means designing support that goes beyond one-off awareness sessions.
A helpful question as you plan for International Women’s Day is this: if you did nothing to mark the day at all, what would you still be doing to improve women’s experiences at work?
If the answer is “not much,” that is your sign.
Why “For ALL Women and Girls” matters
These words are not an add-on. They change the conversation entirely.
When we talk about women at work, it is easy to default to a single story. But women’s experiences are shaped by race, disability, class, sexuality, caring responsibilities, health conditions, neurodiversity, and more. Inclusion means designing policies, support, and culture with that full reality in mind, not just the experiences of those who already sit closest to power.
So another important question to sit with is this: whose experience of work do we centre when we talk about gender equity? And who is still being asked to adapt, cope, and stay quiet?
How employers can get behind the theme in a meaningful way
If you want to show up for IWD 2026 with substance, here are a few options that actually build momentum:
Run a simple listening exercise - Pulse survey, focus group, or anonymous feedback. Ask women what is making work harder and what would genuinely help.
Audit one policy area and improve it - Pick one thing you can change quickly, like menopause or menstrual health support, flexibility, manager training, or reporting pathways.
Invest in manager capability - Most harm happens in the grey areas where managers do not know what to say or do. Equip them.
Give your women’s network real power - Budget. Time allocation. Senior sponsorship. A direct route into decision-making.
Share what you are committing to next - Make it visible. Make it measurable. Make it more than a moment.
Final thought
International Women’s Day 2026 is not asking organisations to fix everything overnight. It is asking for honesty, intention, and movement.
As you plan for March, consider this:
Pick one thing that will still matter in June.
Pick one change women will still feel in September.
Pick one commitment you can look back on next year and say, with confidence, “We meant it.”
Over to you
We’re See Her Thrive, and we spend our days helping workplaces build cultures where women can thrive across every life stage. If you’re planning your 2026 calendar and want help shaping an IWD moment that makes a lasting impact, get in touch at hello@seeherthrive.com.