International Women’s Day: A Celebration of Women in Business

International Women’s Day (IWD), marked each year on 8 March, is a day when the achievements of women across the world are acknowledged and celebrated. Campaigns, events and festivals take place globally to help raise awareness about women’s equality.

A notable date

IWD has become a notable date on our calendars, but its roots stretch back to the early 20th-century labour and suffrage movements. The very first National Women’s Day took place on 28 February 1909 in the United States and was organised by the Socialist Party of America. This was followed by the inaugural International Women’s Day, which took place on 19 March 1911 across various parts of Europe. Reportedly, over a million people marked the occasion with parades and demonstrations calling for radical reforms of women’s rights.

Symbols of female strength

In 1977, the United Nations officially recognised IWD, and the date of 8 March was set in place. Today, it is celebrated in different ways around the world. In Italy, for example, women are given bunches of mimosa flowers. Despite their delicate appearance, these yellow blooms are able to grow on the most difficult terrain, making them an apt symbol of female strength. In China, many businesses mark IWD by giving their female employees the day off or presenting them with small gifts. In the UK, IWD is marked through a combination of celebratory events and educational initiatives.

Making great strides

According to the FTSE Women Leaders Review, the UK has made great strides in terms of the representation of women in business. Its findings revealed that women now hold 43% of board positions with the FTSE 350. And, according to the Rose Review, one in three UK entrepreneurs are women, which is an increase of 36% since 2015. Furthermore, 1.8 million UK women now run self-employed businesses, which is the highest figure on record.

Leading the way

A number of UK women have been leading the way in the business world and rightly deserve recognition on IWD. One such example is the leading entrepreneur and investor Deborah Meaden, famed for her longstanding role on the BBC show Dragons’ Den. Meaden, who launched her first business at the age of 19, has reportedly invested more than £3.3 million into 63 businesses on the show. Jo Malone CBE is another highly influential British businesswoman. Beginning her career as a facialist, creating bespoke fragrances from her home treatment room, she went on to build Jo Malone London into a globally recognised luxury brand. Also worthy of recognition is the digital pioneer and philanthropist Martha Lane Fox (Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho). Having co-founded the digital platform lastminute.com in the late 1990s, she is now a crossbench peer and has received numerous accolades for entrepreneurship and public service.

This year, as we mark the 115th anniversary of International Women’s Day, it is a time for celebrating past achievements whilst also looking forward to the future successes of female entrepreneurs around the world.