On 8th March 2025, we celebrate International Women’s Day – celebrating the role and rights of women around the world.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a century, originating in 1911. Yet, many challenges to women’s advancement remain.
This year, the theme is Accelerate Action – highlighting the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.
We are extremely proud to have women on our team at SupaLite. From breaking barriers in our industry, driving innovation and shaping the future – we’re proud to support and empower the amazing women who have helped us become the company we are today.
Increasing the Female Workforce
Six years ago, women made up just 16% of our workforce. While we’ve made progress, increasing that figure to over 23%, we recognise that this is still a significant underrepresentation of society. We still have a lot of work to do.
Our team acknowledges that certain business areas, such as manufacturing and driving, have traditionally been male-dominated. We are committed to changing this by ensuring women, and those who identify as women, are represented across all areas of our business by International Women’s Day 2027.
At SupaLite, we believe gender diversity is not just about fairness and equality – it’s a driving force for innovation and excellence. We strive to create an inclusive and respectful environment where everyone can thrive and grow.
Our team are dedicated to empowering women by offering the support, opportunities, and pathways necessary for advancing their careers and leadership potential.
The History of International Women’s Day
Thousands of suffragists, who tirelessly campaigned for greater women’s rights, including the right to vote, inspired International Women’s Day.
Early Origins
In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote.
Driven by this movement, the Socialist Party of America organised the first National Women’s Day in the U.S. on 28th February 1909.
In 1910, at the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin, a German activist, proposed an International Women’s Day to unite women’s struggles worldwide. Over 100 women from 17 countries supported the idea.
In 1917, Russian women protested against World War I and poor living conditions on 8th March (February 23rd in the old Russian calendar). This protest led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and granted Russian women the right to vote.
From that point forward, the world officially celebrated 8th March as International Women’s Day.
First Celebration of IWD
Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland officially celebrated the first International Women’s Day on 19th March 1911. More than a million people attended rallies advocating for women’s rights.
In 1975, the United Nations officially recognised 8th March as International Women’s Day during International Women’s Year.
Since 1996, the United Nations has assigned annual themes to focus on specific gender issues. The first annual theme was “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future”.
Today, we invite you to join us in celebrating our women employees and their achievements on International Women’s Day 2025.
Together, we can make a difference and create a better future for everyone.
