The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (Saturday 8 March) is “March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls.”
Why do we need to march forward? Because in the 30 years since the Beijing Declaration was made by 189 countries to fight gender inequality and make the world fairer (and therefore safer) for women and girls, we’re still nowhere near where we need to be.
Apparently, last year 612 million women and girls were living in the middle of armed conflict, a 50% increase in just a decade. In Australia, 78 women (that we know of) were killed due to gender-based violence during 2024: the worst year on record.
As women and girls, we shouldn’t have to count ourselves ‘lucky’ to be living in situations where we are free to move around, to study, love who we want to love, to work and be financially independent. And yet, when we know of women and girls who do not have these freedoms—and they could easily be living in the same street as us—‘lucky’ is exactly how we feel, despite these so-called privileges being a basic human right.
According to UN Women Australia, “countless women and girls are denied their fundamental rights, opportunities, and safety. In every corner of the globe, women and girls face barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential.”
At Koala Eco, we are proud to walk the talk when it comes to gender parity. Our team is 90% women, and we genuinely believe in equality—not just in theory, but in practice—because we live and breathe it every day. This commitment to equality is not only part of our ethos but also a tangible reality in our workplace.
To push at those barriers, let’s defend and celebrate opportunity for our sisters, our daughters, and ourselves. Let’s honour the determination and strength of the women who came before us, who raised and inspired us. Because it’s not just about us: actions taken now will affect the lives and futures, positively or otherwise, of all the wonderful girls not yet born.
We know that there are many, many incredible women and girls in our Koala Eco community who prioritise generosity, kindness and clear thinking in order to create the conditions for contentment, health and prosperity, not just for themselves, but for their families, friends, environment and communities. We say a heartfelt thank you. Let’s all keep going, keep marching forward for all women and girls.
Happy International Women’s Day: to everyone!
Sources:
https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf
https://www.iwd.net.au/resources
https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/is-2024-australias-worst-year-for-violence-against-women
