Celebrating International Women’s Day: Give to Gain

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural  and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.

International Women’s Day has been around for 115 years, as have many of the issues still impacting women’s advancement. Since 1911, IWD has been focussed on women’s equality, raising awareness about discrimination, celebrating women’s achievements and taking action to forge gender parity.

This year’s theme, #GiveToGain, calls for a mindset rooted in generosity and collaboration. It highlights the power of reciprocity – when individuals, organisations and communities give intentionally, opportunities for women expand. When women thrive, we all rise.

At a time when the world feels increasingly divided between those with far more than they need and those with far too little, the call to give is both urgent and necessary. Whether through donations, shared knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring or time, every contribution to women’s advancement helps build a more connected, equitable and supportive world.

At LAT we believe that IWD belongs to all who care about gender equality. There is still much work to be done to address the inequalities that women face daily:

Justice and Equity

In our role within the criminal justice system, we see at first-hand how a system designed to manage male offending behaviour too often brutalises the women who become caught within it. In the UK, 75% of women are convicted of acquisitive crimes, yet they are processed and punished by a system originally created to protect the public from violence.

With prisons once again nearing capacity, many in the sector remain disheartened that the recommendations of Baroness Jean Corston in the Corston Report 2007 have not led to the systemic reform that was promised. Her review recognised what we continue to see every day: abuse, trauma and deep inequity are the primary drivers of women’s imprisonment in the UK and across the world.

Addressing Violence

Violence against women and girls remains one of the leading causes of homelessness, imprisonment, poverty and addiction. Research from the University of Birmingham indicates that 90% of women in prison are living with complex trauma rooted in abuse or neglect.

At LAT, we work alongside women to help them recognise and understand their trauma, and to take practical, supported steps toward healing and recovery.

Addressing Health Inequalities

Women continue to face systemic health inequalities. They are less likely to be taken seriously when presenting with heart attack symptoms and are frequently under-supported through menstrual and menopause-related health challenges. Historically, medical research has centred around male bodies, citing the “complexity” of women’s biology as a barrier to study – a bias that has had lasting consequences.

Justice for women must mean more than equal treatment within unequal systems. It must mean equity – recognising difference, addressing harm and building systems that work for women, not against them.

Our Women RISE project supports women affected by the very inequalities highlighted on International Women’s Day – inequalities that place them at heightened risk of entering the criminal justice system.

Women RISE is working to improve the health and wellbeing of women across Lincolnshire. We support women who may be experiencing issues such as difficult emotions, isolation, challenging relationships, financial worries, exploitation, addiction and mental health issues.

Celebrating International Women’s Day: Give to Gain

This International Women’s Day, we stand for reform that is trauma-informed, gender-responsive and rooted in dignity. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the gender disparities that continue to affect women so that together we can challenge these differences.

If you are interested in finding out more about our services, please contact us:

1. hello@LATcharity.org.uk
2. 01522 806611

For details on the Women RISE project, please click here.