Each year, International Women’s Day invites societies to pause and reflect on the role of women in public life. It is both a celebration of progress and a moment for honest examination. The theme for 2026, “Give to Gain,” captures a simple but enduring truth: societies that invest deliberately in women ultimately strengthen themselves.
The advancement of women is often framed as a question of fairness, and rightly so. Yet it is also a matter of collective well-being. When women gain access to education, leadership, and opportunity, the benefits extend far beyond individual advancement. The World Bank reports that closing gender gaps in labour force participation could increase global GDP by an estimated 20 per cent. These gains ripple outward through families, workplaces, and entire economies.
A society that expands opportunity for women expands its own possibilities.
Changing Attitudes Toward Girls
In many societies, particularly across parts of Africa, the birth of a girl has historically been greeted with mixed emotions. Cultural traditions sometimes placed greater emphasis on male heirs because of inheritance practices or lineage expectations.
Today, attitudes are steadily changing. Families increasingly recognise that daughters contribute as profoundly to family life and development as sons. Across professions and public life, women continue to demonstrate that ability is not defined by gender.
A nation’s future does not depend on how many sons it produces, but on how well it cultivates the potential of all its children. When girls receive equal opportunities to learn and lead, societies access more talent and creativity.
Faith and the Dignity of Women
Religious traditions have long affirmed the dignity and worth of women. Both the Bible and the Qur’an contain powerful examples of women whose courage, wisdom, and influence shaped the course of their communities.
In the Bible, figures such as Deborah and Esther embody leadership and moral courage in moments of national importance. The Qur’an likewise affirms the spiritual equality of men and women and recognises women’s rights to dignity, education, and inheritance.
These traditions remind us that respect for women is not merely a modern social demand. It is rooted in longstanding moral teachings that recognise the shared dignity of humanity.
Progress and Persistent Challenges
Women today enjoy opportunities that earlier generations could scarcely imagine. Research by Grant Thornton International indicates that, as of 2023, women accounted for over 40 per cent of global tertiary education enrolments, while the share of women in senior management roles worldwide reached a record 32 per cent. In many countries, women pursue higher education in large numbers, build successful professional careers, and make significant contributions to national development.
But progress does not mean the work is finished. Women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles in many sectors, and disparities in income and professional advancement continue to exist.
Earlier generations fought for the right to enter the room.
The responsibility of our time is to ensure that women are able to shape the decisions made within it.
Women at the Centre of Family and Community Life
Within families and communities, women often serve as quiet architects of stability. They organise households, nurture children, sustain relationships, and frequently play leading roles in community life.
Recognising this influence should not confine women to narrow expectations. Rather, it highlights the leadership women already exercise in everyday life. Across communities, women function as organisers, educators, mentors, and advocates for social well-being.
When societies recognise and support these contributions, they strengthen the social foundations upon which development depends.
Women in the Workplace and Leadership
Across the modern workplace, women continue to reshape institutions. In business, academia, government, and civil society, women are demonstrating leadership marked by competence, collaboration, and long-term vision.
Their presence strengthens institutions. Leadership that draws upon diverse experiences tends to produce more thoughtful decisions and more inclusive policies.
Encouraging women’s advancement is therefore not only a matter of fairness. It is also a practical investment in stronger organisations and more effective governance.
Women entering professions once considered exclusively male continue to expand what society believes is possible. Each success challenges outdated assumptions and creates new pathways for younger women who will follow.
Partnership Between Men and Women
The pursuit of gender equality cannot rest on women alone. Men remain essential partners in shaping workplaces, families, and institutions where women can thrive.
In some environments, lingering assumptions about authority and masculinity still create unease when women achieve professional success. These attitudes, often inherited rather than examined, can hinder collaboration and mutual respect.
Progress requires a different outlook. When men support women’s advancement through mentorship, fair leadership, and open-minded partnership, they help build institutions that benefit everyone.
Equality is not a contest between men and women. It is a shared project that strengthens society as a whole.
Women Supporting Women
Equally important is the solidarity women extend to one another. Research highlighted by Forbes suggests that when women support one another through mentorship, collaboration, and professional networks, they are better able to overcome barriers that might otherwise prove difficult to tackle alone. Celebrating one another’s achievements also fosters cultures of encouragement and shared progress, strengthening professional communities and opening doors for younger generations.
In this way, empowerment becomes a collective endeavour rather than an individual journey.
Giving to Gain
The theme “Give to Gain” ultimately calls for practical commitment. Progress toward gender equality grows through everyday actions taken by individuals, institutions, and governments.
We give when we educate girls, mentor young professionals, support fair policies, and recognise the contributions women make across every sphere of life. These investments may appear modest at first, but their impact grows steadily over time.
Societies that invest in women do not diminish themselves in the process. They gain stronger families, more capable institutions, and a firmer foundation for national progress.
International Women’s Day, therefore, reminds us of a simple truth: when women rise, societies rise with them.
Happy International Women’s Day to every woman.
By Dorinda Armstrong Mensah (Nana Ama Egyirba)
(The author is an award-winning media professional and broadcaster with over a decade of experience in radio and television. She holds postgraduate degrees in Communication and International Marketing and advocates for girl-child and women’s empowerment.)
Source By Aaka Nana Ama Egyirba
