See how groups worldwide mobilized last year's call to #BreakTheBias through 2022

Last year all around the world, millions of people stepped forward to show solidarity supporting the International Women's Day (IWD) 2022 call to #BreakTheBias.

IWD is marked in many different ways, and all are OK

One of the very best things about IWD is that the day belongs to everyone, everywhere. Groups choose to mark IWD in whatever manner they deem most relevant, engaging, and impactful for their specific context, objectives, and audiences.

IWD is about women's equality in all its forms. For some, IWD is about fighting for women's rights. For others, IWD is about reinforcing key commitments, while for some IWD is about celebrating success. And for others, IWD means festive gatherings and parties. Whatever choices are made, all choices matter and all choices are welcome and OK. All choices of activity actively contribute to, and form part of, the thriving global movement focused on women's advancement. IWD has transformed considerably since 1911, and today is en entirely inclusive, diverse and eclectic moment worldwide.

As Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."  

Be inspired by impactful IWD 2022 activity

Street artists worldwide created fabulous IWD #BreakTheBias murals to spread the message across their communities. The one pictured above is in Belfast, created for Children in Crossfire charity by artist Dean Kane from Visual Waste.

Manchester City Football Club amplified the call to #BreakTheBias

In celebration of International Women's Day 2022, the UK's Manchester City Football Club painted the #BreakTheBias campaign theme onto a training pitch at the City Football Academy. Using 80 cans of white paint, a programmed robot emblazoned the powerful tagline onto Pitch 14 over the course of four hours. Manchester City's trailblazing women's team then trained upon the grass to create an iconic image in which their professional female athletes play the sport they love within the state-of-the-art facilities, upon IWD's key messaging, and with the backdrop of the Academy and Etihad Stadiums. Watch the video. Plus catch the #BreakTheBias podcast with Manchester City footballers Karen Bardsley and Esme Morgan and Head Coach of Manchester City Women, Gareth Tailor.

Community engagement, locally and globally, is key

On Puri Beach in Odisha in India, on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, the talented sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo created an impactful reminder for his local community - and for the world to see - sharing his call to #BreakTheBias. 

Venus Williams explained what #BreakTheBias has meant for her

"Breaking the bias has been my life...breaking the bias is living your dream and not letting any stereotype or any perception stop you from doing that," said iconic athlete Venus Williams. Pfizer invited Venus Williams as guest speaker for their PWR global employee resource group IWD event.

Hear Venus share her point of view on what #BreakTheBias means to her.

Schools across the world showed learnt how to #BreakTheBias

Educating younger generations about the need to #BreakTheBias is key, and across the world many schools planned important and impactful activity around what they could do at home, in their communities, and in their school to identify, call out and challenge bias.

Above is Ignatius Park College in Townsville, Australia showing their support to #BreakTheBias.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe hosted a #BreakTheBias exhibition & mural

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe hosted a #BreakTheBias Exhibition featuring 48 works of art celebrating the achievements of women and women artists in Zimbabwe.

Over 500 #BreakTheBias videos were created

From groups right across the world, #BreakTheBias videos were created to help forge the #BreaktheBias message. You can see just some of them here.

Students across the world made #BreakTheBias posters

Students around the world made posters to reinforce their #BreakTheBias message, like these students from Tamalpais High School in California, USA who displayed their #BreakTheBias posters to passing traffic. 

BBC Radio hosted an IWD all-female creative perspective

BBC Radio London presenters Carrie and David Grant hosted an International Women's Day playlist packed with fabulous music from women artists.

Richmond Tigers rallied together to #BreakTheBias

Joining many sporting teams across the world, Richmond Football Club in Australia joined the #BreakTheBias movement, advocating for a more inclusive world.

Creatives worldwide shared their talent to #BreakTheBias

Worldwide, a vast number of talented creatives launched #BreakTheBias creations ranging from typography, spoken word poetry, street art, dance, sculptures and songs, to theatric performances, paintings, and more. 

Dubai Expo hosted a #BreakTheBias Assembly

Dubai Expo 2020 with its special Women's Pavilion, marked International Women’s Day with a #BreakTheBias Assembly that saw world leaders from across technology, business, politics, and culture gather to focus on the 2022 theme of #BreakTheBias to highlight women's achievements and spotlight further areas for change. Celebrities such as Academy Award-winning actor, Rami Malek, also attended the IWD festivities.

Zepeto helped #BreakTheBias among its 300 million users

Within the metaverse, where identity and self-expression are central to the experience, 3D avatar platform ZEPETO collaborated on the #BreakTheBias theme by launching a raft of action across its platform to help raise awareness among its audience of over 300 million users, predominantly Gen Z.

10 Million Girls, 152 Countries - World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts helps #BreakTheBias

Knowing that teachers, parents and caregivers play a key role in raising awareness about barriers that impact the advancement of women and girls, WAGGGS provided an IWD #BreakTheBias Activity Pack.

Illustrators worldwide used creativity to #BreaktheBias

Across the world, illustrators and designers created impactful designs to help spread the #BreakTheBias message. Additionally, it's fabulous to hear about the women creatives approached for commissioned work as a direct result of their being promoted via the IWD channels.  

FM96 Fiji radio station's #BreakTheBias TikTok dance challenge went viral

Calling on their local Fiji listeners, FM96's #BreakTheBias dance challenge competition with $500 in prize money, went viral across TikTok. Plus many further groups and individuals got behind the #BreakTheBias theme.

Millions of people across the world heeded the call to #BreakTheBias

Governments, companies, charities, networks, sporting groups, community bodies and more all rallied and mobilized their stakeholders to step forward and commit to action that will help #BreakTheBias.  

Worldwide many millions of people want to see, and be part of, positive change for women.

Further notable IWD #BreakTheBias activity

Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, Rania A. Al-Masha, offered her advice for how women can #BreakTheBias.

Tech news website IT Wire that sees almost 330,000 visitors per month, called for submissions from tech leaders to explain how they #BreakTheBias and work to take action for equality. The group featured the #BreakTheBias statements of 45 tech leaders.

Significant fundraising was achieved for the IWD Charity Alliance. 

So much further great IWD activity

Around the world, IWD 2022 #BreakTheBias activity prevailed on mass - and continues all year - as the fight for women's equality doesn't start and stop on one day alone. 

Thank yoluo to all those who sent in a round up of their IWD 2022 #BreakTheBias activity complete with information, images and its impact.

Reflect on previous activity

Step back in time and see a round up of previous IWD activity from around the world.