“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
March 8, 2025, is not a celebration. It is a call to war against complacency.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) – "Accelerate Action" – is a direct challenge to a world that has stalled, stagnated and, in some places, actively reversed progress toward gender equality. The only way forward is with deliberate, uncompromising action that dismantles systemic barriers and builds a world where competence, not gender, determines success.
Yet despite all the discussions, all the reports, all the so-called "commitments," the fundamental issues remain unchanged. Women in emerging economies struggle to access capital to launch businesses. Women in the West cannot secure venture funding at the same rate as men. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) consistently highlights that women of colour are more likely to start businesses than their white counterparts—yet they face the highest levels of systemic barriers.
So let’s stop pretending the solutions don’t exist. Here’s what we need to do in order to see change in six critical areas:
1. Leadership & Meritocracy – The Corporate Glass Ceiling
Less than 10 women hold CEO positions in the FTSE 100.
Women are excelling academically, yet they remain underrepresented in corporate leadership. This is not a pipeline problem—it’s an institutional choice. The McKinsey Report on Women in the Workplace (2024) confirms that women are hired and promoted at lower rates than men, despite having the same qualifications.
For women of colour, the situation is even worse. They are more likely to be stuck in entry-level positions and less likely to receive mentorship or sponsorship opportunities. Why? Because bias—both conscious and unconscious—still dictates hiring and promotion.
Strategic Interventions:
Blind recruitment and promotion processes—remove gender, race and name from applications. Let merit speak for itself.
Mandatory rotational leadership programmes—women must gain cross-functional experience that prepares them for executive roles.
VC-backed leadership acceleration funds—corporations must invest in female entrepreneurs rather than paying lip service to equality.
2. The Dismantling of DEI – A War on Progress
Recent political shifts—particularly in the U.S. under President Trump —have labelled DEI programmes “illegal and immoral,” leading to their systematic removal from federal agencies and private corporations. This is not just a rollback—it’s a direct assault on fairness, inclusion and meritocracy.
For years, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report consistently shows that women, particularly women of colour, are more likely to start businesses. Yet they face the most barriers—cultural and structural. As well as access to contracts and favourable start up loans.
Removing DEI initiatives does not create equality—it reinforces existing hierarchies.
Strategic Interventions:
Companies must embed DEI into business strategy—not as an initiative but as a non-negotiable function of leadership development.
Mandatory bias training for venture capital firms—if women receive less than 2% of VC funding, the problem is not their ideas—it’s the bias of investors.
Regulatory intervention—governments must enforce fair access to funding and promotion opportunities.
3. The Financial Exclusion of Women – The Silent Barrier to Economic Power
Women globally still have less financial access than men.
In emerging economies, women are denied bank accounts, credit and investment capital—cutting them off from economic independence. In the West, the numbers are equally damning:
Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to female-led start-ups.
For women of colour, that number is less than 1%.
The McKinsey Report confirms that women-led businesses outperform male-led businesses in revenue and return on investment. Yet institutional bias keeps female founders locked out of funding.
Strategic Interventions:
Microfinance institutions must prioritise women in developing economies—the data shows that women repay loans at higher rates than men.
Regulatory mandates for VC firms—if women outperform men in entrepreneurship, investors must be held accountable for their biases.
Governments must introduce financial incentives—tax breaks and grants for companies that invest in female entrepreneurs.
4. Gender-Based Violence – A Weapon of Control, Not Just a Cultural Issue
Violence against women is not just a cultural issue—it is a weapon of control, of power, and in many cases, of war.
We are witnessing a global epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) that has intensified post-COVID, as economic instability, political uncertainty and weakened social structures have created a breeding ground for increased domestic abuse, sexual violence, and systemic oppression. Let's explore this further:
UN reports confirm that domestic violence cases skyrocketed worldwide during COVID-19 lockdowns—what was called the “Shadow Pandemic”.
In conflict zones, rape is used as a weapon of war—from the atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (where an estimated 40% of women have experienced sexual violence) to the mass abductions and systemic abuse of women in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan.
Strategic Interventions:
Weaponised gender-based violence must be recognised under international law as a war crime.
Mass investment in survivor protection—governments must expand safe housing, trauma support, and financial independence programmes.
AI-driven tracking and prevention of digital gender-based violence.
Community-based surveillance networks—train and fund local women-led organisations to monitor, report and prevent GBV.
Law enforcement overhaul—police forces must treat gender-based violence with the urgency of terrorism and organised crime.
Gender-based violence is not a women's issue. It is a human rights crisis. A war tactic. A deliberate attack on stability and progress.
The Cost of Inaction
If these solutions are not implemented, the consequences are inevitable:
The world will continue to operate in economic inefficiency, losing trillions due to the exclusion of women from leadership, finance and STEM industries.
The hypocrisy of big corporations dropping DEI initiatives will create a hostile environment for future female leaders and entrepreneurs.
The digital and AI revolution will leave women further behind, as they remain underrepresented in the industries shaping our future.
Enough Talk. Now, Action.
International Women’s Day 2025 is not a time for empty slogans and ceremonial panels. The demand is simple: Accelerate Action.
The world does not transform itself; it responds to the pressure of those who refuse to accept mediocrity. A society that excludes women from financial power, leadership and innovation weakens itself. The way forward is clear and the time for action is now. It’s time for:
Financial inclusion for women in emerging markets & venture capital
Structural change in corporate leadership pipelines
Enforcement of pay transparency & salary equity
Protection of DEI initiatives from political interference
Global action against gender-based violence
Progress does not happen by waiting. It happens when we refuse to accept the status quo.
If this message resonates with you, ask yourself: What are you willing to do to be part of the change? Challenge outdated norms, demand accountability and ensure that progress is not just discussed but enforced. Engage in the conversation, amplify these demands and push for transformation in the spaces where decisions are made. The world changes when enough voices demand it.
This is the year we move forward—not cautiously, not gradually, but with full force!
What's voiced in the article, the very core of the article, is accurate - Time for action. Things don't just "magically" change.