International Women’s Day is a global celebration dedicated to the advancement of women worldwide and belongs to all who care about gender equality. This year marks 115 years of collective action, advocacy, and progress towards gender equality with the theme #GiveToGain. Building on the foundations laid by those who showed courage before us, this year’s theme focuses on giving women the necessary resources to advance without bias or barriers. When organisations and communities give generously, opportunities for women increase – not by taking from others but intentional multiplication. For me, Give to Gain means offering women the space and grace to flourish in areas where they haven’t always had the opportunity to thrive.
Wangari Maathai exemplifies this year’s theme Give to Gain through her Pan-African Green Belt Movement, and her persistent struggle for democracy, human rights, and environmental conservation. Born in 1940, Maathai was the first woman in central and eastern Africa to obtain a doctorate degree and played a leading role in the National Council of Women in Kenya. During her service, Maathai introduced the idea of planting trees with women’s groups to simultaneously conserve the environment and improve their quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement, launched in 1977, she mobilised thousands of women and men to plant tens of millions of trees throughout Kenya, replenishing streams, providing food and fuel and sustaining community livelihoods at a time when many women lacked legal protection and struggled to access natural resources.
The Green Belt Movement, together with Maathai’s tireless work in male-dominated spaces helped liberate women through the provision of free lessons to rural communities, helping women support their families. Maathai chose to give her time, knowledge, and compassion to women who needed it most and in turn communities gained stability, dignity, and compassion. Since starting the Green Belt Movement, more than 51 million trees have been planted, and more than 30,000 women have been trained in forestry, food processing, beekeeping, and other skills, allowing them to generate income while preserving their lands and resources.
Inspired by Wangari Maathai’s work empowering women across Africa, I have gathered examples of how we can bring this year’s Give to Gain theme to life in our communities and workplaces. Her work reminds us that where women are nurtured, entire communities thrive.
- Give a shy colleague the space to share her ideas to gain better collaboration
- Speak up when something is not right to gain a stronger workplace culture
- Support participation to gain broader leadership
- Celebrate differences genuinely to gain trust
This International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating the achievements of women everywhere and reflecting on the trailblazers who paved the way toward a more equal future. How will you #GiveToGain?