A Day To Remember, Celebrating Women And Accelerating Action!
By Oluchi Obiahu
Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, strap in, because International Women’s Day 2025 was nothing short of a global fiesta of empowerment, inspiration, and action! This year, the world didn’t just celebrate women; it amped up the fight for gender equality with the United Nations’ electrifying theme: #AccelerateAction. And let me tell you, the energy was contagious!
30 Years of a Promise: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at 30
Thirty years ago, world leaders made a promise at the Fourth World Conference on Women – equal rights, opportunities, power, and safety for women and girls everywhere. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action enshrines that promise. It remains the world’s most comprehensive and visionary plan ever created to achieve gender equality. But the world cannot wait another 30 years to fulfill this commitment.
The ongoing 69th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) at the UN HQ is a milestone moment for women’s rights. The commission is reviewing the progress made on implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which remains the most revolutionary plan on gender equality to date. However, as UN Women states, “Progress is possible, but it has been far too slow, uneven, and fragile.”
The UN Summit: Where the Magic Happened
Picture this: the UN Headquarters in New York, buzzing with energy as female leaders, activists, and policymakers took the stage. But for gender equality, UN Secretary-General António Guterres kicked things off with a mic-drop moment, declaring, “The world cannot afford to move at a sluggish pace when it comes to ensuring equal opportunities for women.” Preach, António!
The summit wasn’t just about speeches (though there were plenty of inspiring ones). It was a call to action. Leaders outlined bold strategies to fast-track gender parity, from closing the pay gap to smashing systemic barriers. And guess what? The world was listening.
Africa: Leading the Charge
Across Africa, Women-led initiatives took center stage, tackling everything from education and healthcare to economic inclusion. Imagine women in tech hubs coding their way to the future, farmers breaking barriers in agriculture, and young girls stepping into classrooms with dreams as big as the sky. Powerful!
Social Media: The Global Megaphone
If you scrolled through social media on March 8, you probably felt the electricity. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok were flooded with #AccelerateAction campaigns. Women from all walks of life shared their stories, real, raw, and powerful. From CEOs to stay-at-home moms, the message was clear: We’re here, we’re fierce, and we’re not backing down.
And let’s not forget the memes! Because what’s a global movement without a little humor? One viral post read: “Gender equality is like Wi-Fi, it should be everywhere, and it’s frustrating when it’s not.” Touché.
