Women’s Equality Day 2025: Celebrating Progress, Inspiring Change
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every year on August 26. The observance is both a celebration and a reminder of the long journey towards gender equality. It also reminds us that there is still so much work needed to be done to reach real equity. It’s a day to reflect on what has been achieved so far and what is still in the waiting.
Tracing The Origin of Women’s Equality Day
The Roadblocks Ahead
All the efforts and dedication toward achieving gender equality for decades has still not bore fruit. A few of the most rampant issues include:
1. Gender Pay Gap
- Women earning much less than men for performing the same job is a situation prevalent in nearly all parts of the world. Women are being paid 20% less than men in every field of work. ( International Labour Organization, 2023 ).
- The ILO 2023 report, cited by the IFJ (International Federation of Journalists), notes that women make about 80% of what men do and that, given current trends, wage equality may not be reached until 2086..
- If the current trends do not change, we may need to wait up to 130 years to achieve gender equality ( World Economic Forum, 2023 ).
- Women still earning 77% the salary of men marks a stark contrast toward what women in India are paid for similar jobs. The gap is far worse in the informal sectors too..
2. Representation in Leadership And Decision-Making
- Women hold only 26.7 percent of parliamentary seats across the globe. (UN Women, 2025).
- Women constitute a mere 6.2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. (Fortune, 2024).
- Even though women’s representation in the Indian parliament achieved a record 15% in 2024, it remains significantly below the global average.
3. Safety & Rights
- Based on the WHO's 2023 report, globally, 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetimes. ( WHO, 2023 ).
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 70% of the world’s maternal deaths, illustrating a stubbornly high maternal mortality rate in economically disadvantaged regions. .
- According to the NFHS-5 2021 report, over 30% of Indian women aged 15 to 49 years report having experienced some form of domestic violence. ( NFHS-5, 2021 )
- Countless women face significant barriers in accessing safe maternity services, contraception, and reproductive healthcare.
Women’s Equality in 2025
This year, we are focusing on celebrating achievements while working on future goals. Education, healthcare, opportunities, and safety must be universally accessible for women and girls, regardless of where they live or their social and economic background. This goal is critical to achieving genuine equality. It seeks to address negative stereotypes and engages men and boys to foster an inclusive society.
What Role Can You Play?
Foster and Defend: Take action to promote equal rights for all and women in particular.
Support Women-Led Initiatives: Your encouragement matters for local programs and businesses.
Confront Prejudice: Take action against stereotypes, discrimination, and sexism in everyday situations.
Empower Girls: Teach, mentor, and inspire young girls to pursue their dreams without boundaries.
A Future of Equality
In addition to being a celebration, Women's Equality Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility. Making equality the norm rather than the exception is something that each of us can contribute to.So, let's commit to establishing equality as a norm in our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities.
At the Spreading Bliss Foundation, we believe that gender equality is not merely an ideal but rather the foundation of a just, caring, and progressive society. On Women's Equality Day, we invite you to join us in building a future where every woman and girl has the chance to achieve, the liberty to pursue knowledge, the right to take charge, and the confidence to dream big!