International Women’s Day happens on 8 March every year, highlighting and championing the rights of women and girls everywhere.
What is the theme of International Women’s Day 2024?
The UN theme for 2024 #InvestInWomen highlights how achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is crucial to creating prosperous economies and a healthy planet. One aspect of this is supporting feminist change-makers. In the UK charities supporting women and girls are vastly underfunded, receiving just 1.8% of charity grants in 2021.
How does GFS support gender equality?
Girls are facing a self-esteem crisis. As they grow up this contributes to the absence of women in leadership positions and from careers that are seen as for men.
It may start with feeling unable to put a hand up in class, not feeling good enough as their handwriting is slow, or not wanting to play sports after being told she is bad at them. At the age of just six girls are avoiding subjects they see as needing them to be “really really smart”.
GFS works with girls aged 5 to 12 to prevent this degradation of self-esteem. We run groups and workshops where girls can have fun, make friends and develop the life skills needed to handle the pressures and challenges that so many girls and women still face. One GFS girl talks about GFS as being “brighter inside here where you can be yourself, be comfortable and shine”.
How can I take part in International Women’s Day?
Send an e-card
Everyone can make a lasting impact this International Women’s Day by sending empowering e-cards to women and girls. Whether you send one or 100 it’s a single donation of your choosing to GFS. Every card sent has a double impact… a massive self-esteem boost for the person it’s sent to AND the same again for a girl at a GFS group.
Book a speaker
Would you like a GFS speaker at your International Women’s Day event? We have speakers available for both in-person and online events. We book up quickly so get in touch to reserve a speaker today.
We request a minimum donation or commitment to fundraising. Talk to us to find out more.
Fundraise
Do ANYTHING as a fundraiser for GFS and receive a free Girls Can Run Anything t-shirt! Whatever you do have fun and fund GFS sessions that will give girls the skills, self-belief and confidence to achieve her dreams.
Have a look at our Girls Can Run page for ideas and to sign up now.
Surely empowering girls and women isn’t just one day a year?
International Women’s Day is often a trigger for people and organisations to get more deeply involved in supporting a charity that increases outcomes for girls and women. You will find more about businesses partnering with GFS on our partnerships page, and more about helping out on our volunteering page. Or get in touch with Laura for a chat about how you could partner with GFS.