IWD: Be inspired by previous examples of great IWD activity

Be inspired by previous examples of great IWD activity

International Women's Day provides an important and exciting opportunity to celebrate women's achievements and elevate visibility, while amplifying a call to action to everyone everywhere to do what they can to help build an inclusive world - a world where diverse backgrounds, perspectives and talent are sought, valued and embraced.

While International Women's Day is 110 years old, it's the large-scale global collective action that makes IWD truly effective and impactful. It's YOU who makes IWD successful. It's YOU who forges enduring change. It's YOU who chooses to challenge while others stay silent. The IWD website mobilizes the mobilizers, and supports the supporters, but it's YOUR deep widescale collective action that drives positive change. World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist Gloria Steinem 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." So make International Women's Day YOUR day and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women.

Let's reflect on how millions worldwide mobilized in 2021 to #ChooseToChallenge

See how groups marked International Women's Day in 2021 and engaged their communities.

A special #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge postmark was applied by the UK's Royal Mail's to millions of stamped mail items over three days of the International Women's Day period to drive awareness raising ... more

#ChooseToChallenge 3D avatar activity for the masses

Avatar-based social network Zepeto engaged its 200 million registered users around the world to #ChooseToChallenge via its 3D avatar platform ... more

Spoken word poets called to #ChooseToChallenge

Be engaged, inspired and mesmerized by the power of the spoken word that was used as a call to action to #ChooseToChallenge ... more

Groups called for action via #ChooseToChallenge videos

While there were hundreds of videos from around the world, here are just a few to take a look at.

An IWD rap unpacked what it meant to #ChooseToChallenge

The power and pertinence of rap powerfully rallied those who heard the call to #ChooseToChallenge ... more

IWD street art uplifted and unified communities

Community engagement forms a key part of IWD activity around the world ... more

Companies created #ChooseToChallenge microsites

In addition to extensive internal IWD activity across their regions of presence, industry leading companies devoted whole #ChooseToChallenge sections on their website, like AECOM.

Sporting bodies amplified a #ChooseToChallenge call to action

Leading sporting teams engaged their fans and communities to #ChooseToChallenge, so check out some of the action:

Creative typography aimed to write a new future

Thought-provoking clever design was used to inspire new thinking, supporting the call to #ChooseToChallenge ... more

#ChooseToChallenge campaigns drove considerable engagement

The World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts mobilized its 10.2 million girls and young women across 152 countries to #ChooseToChallenge, while leveraging fundraising efforts via considerable support and great resources ... more

Women launched passion projects to #ChooseToChallenge

From harnessing the power of women's stories to using videography to challenge stereoptypes, women used their skills, talent and passion to delve deep into what it meant to #ChooseToChallenge.

Infuencers and iconic brands engaged their largescale social media communities

Manchester United rallied its massive 40 million followers and calls for its supporters to rise to the challenge and share their #ChooseToChallenge stories.
Indian actress Samantha Akkineni urged her 15.4m followers to #ChooseToChallenge and "never settle for less than what we deserve."
Indian cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues put the call out to millions of fans to #ChooseToChallenge as they inspire self-belief in girls.
5x Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers asked its fan base of millions to engage with the #ChooseToChallenge theme, enlisting support from sportscaster Erin Andrews.
Indian actress Namrata Shirodkar encouraged her fans to "#ChooseToChallenge every barrier, every bias that holds women back from realizing their worth."
The UK's Arsenal Women's Football Club called upon its 16.7 million followers to forge a more inclusive world and asked them to stand together and #ChooseToChallenge.
West Ham United blazed IWD over the London Stadium ahead of its game, calling for fans to #ChooseToChallenge.
Australian Open mobilized its community to #ChooseToChallenge featuring Serena Williams, Ash Barty, Ons Jabeur and further women.
UK's Premier League Liverpool Football Club marked IWD with a range of activities supporting the #ChoosetoChallenge theme.
Actress, singer and content creator TV host Azza Zarour in Palestine raised her hand in solidarity against discrimination and inequality.
Leading fashion designer and lifestyle brand icon, Kendra Scott chose to challenge the idea only 17% of venture capital goes to female entrepreneurs.
Sitara Ghattamaneni, daughter of Indian actors Namrata Shirodkar and Mahesh Babu, celebrated the #ChooseToChallenge call with her followers.
AJ Clementine used her platform as a trans women to rally her fans to #ChooseToChallenge saying "we all have a choice to do better & help create an inclusive world."
Writer Naomi Davis, known as Taza, asked followers to #ChooseToChallenge and kindly support IWD Charity of Choice WAGGGS.
Snapchat asked its global community to "Raise your hand to pledge and support closing the gender gap! #ChooseToChallenge."
5x world record holding powerlifter Dr. Stefanie Cohen called on her followers to "challenge biases, question stereotypes and celebrate the achievements of women around the world."
Garnering almost half a million likes, NASA kindly gave a big #ChooseToChallenge amplification as it celebrated women past and present whose grit and talent propel us forward.
Many further iconic social media influencers and media outlets lent their support to mobilize and engage their sizable communities to #ChooseToChallenge.