Calligrapher Mariam Iqbal Mirza in Pakistan created an impressive IWD design
Creatives play an important role in elevating International Women's Day (IWD) through helping amplify awareness raising. Via their creative contributions, audiences worldwide are engaged through collective action to help forge gender equality.
Each year the IWD Lettering Challenge, in association with the global Typism community, calls for creative designs that support an annual IWD focus and showcase the impressive talent of creators.
Here, we shine a spotlight on one such creative, Mariam Iqbal Mirza, and showcase her IWD 2025 Accelerate Action design.
Developing her own unique style
Mariam is from Lahore, Pakistan.
Her love of calligraphy started in childhood in her school and college assignments.
She used to decorate her writing with colorful markers and most of the time got extra marks for writing. This inspired Mariam to choose calligraphy and lettering as her hobby.
When Mariam was at university, she wanted to write some quotes in calligraphy, so she made her first pen from ice cream sticks and nibs from drinks cans, developing her own style of calligraphy.
Mariam has been doing lettering and calligraphy since 2016.
She got her Pilot Parallel pens and, through a lot of practice using them, became more professional in calligraphy.
Illustrating strength and bravery
For her IWD design, Mariam chose shades of red to reflect strength and bravery.
"I chose to write it in simple modified blackletter in one of my style," said Mariam.
Mariam used a pilot parallel pen size 4.5 mm, using Daler Downy Aqua Fine watercolours, and the two different shades of red.
Pushing herself outside her comfort zone
Mariam personally connected with the words Accelerate Action.
"I am in stage of healing process due to some trauma, so these words motivate me and make me speed up and accelerate myself out of my comfort zone," explained Mariam.
Ensuring rights and equality for women
When asked what International Women’s Day means to her, Mariam said: "International Women's Day should be celebrated to give proper rights to women, like how to deal within your relationships, abuses, the mental health of women, as well as rights to be proper citizens in their country."
Share your creative talent with the world
Post your creation on your social media feeds using the hashtags #AccelerateAction #IWDtypism for a chance to be featured throughout the year.
Together, let's Accelerate Action for gender equality.