International Women’s Day: What does it mean to you?

At ACH we celebrate this day as we honour the fight for women’s equal rights, gender equality, the gender pay gap, and violence against women.  On this day in 1914, the women’s suffragette movement held a march in London advocating for women’s right to vote. This is why International Women's Day is held every year on the 8th March. 

The organisation International Women's Day describe the day as a time to:

'Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.'

At ACH, we continue to carry on the legacy of the pioneering women who came before us, and advocate for the women we support who face intersecting biases and barriers. 

We asked our staff at ACH a simple question to mark International Women's Day this year...

What does International Women's Day mean to you?

‘For me, International Women’s Day is a day for women worldwide to join together to call for continued action on gender equality and equal rights. It is a day to remember how far we’ve come, but also how far we have still to go.’

- Rosie McLellan, Marketing and Communications Team Leader

‘For me, International Women’s Day is about honouring women - the ones that paved the way, the ones that are in our lives, and the ones that we’re paving the way for.’

- Mary Unsworth, Support & Integration Team Leader

A day when women are recognised for their achievements and encouraging everyone to stand up for women’s rights and gender equality.’

- Dina Elzain, Community Engagement Officer

‘EVERY DAY is international women’s day.’

- Robert Pope, Tutor for ACH/Himilo

‘Our mission is to empower women and girls from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to settle in new communities through access to quality education to transform their lives and exit poverty for good. We partner with local, women-led organisations around Birmingham to build a future where women are empowered, educated, and valued. Educating women can help give women and girls from refugees and asylum seeker backgrounds the tools they require to make progress, empowering them to settle in with the community and provide them independence.’

- Ashraf Shah, Support Worker

For more information on International Women’s day click here.

Read about what International Women's Day means for one of our incredible clients, Neelam, here.