The year 2158. 132 years away. Five generations from now. That is when the World Economic Forum estimates that we will reach gender parity.

International Women’s Day, an annual celebration of the social, economic, and cultural successes of women, will be held on Saturday 8 March. This year’s themes of Accelerate Action and For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment draw more attention than ever to the need to rally together to challenge systemic barriers and biases that women face in all aspects of life and become catalysts for lasting change.

Recently, progress towards gender parity seems to be slowing, or in many cases backtracking. According to a report published by United Nations (UN) Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs last year, one in five girls are still married as children, while trans women feel more threatened than ever. The 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index also revealed that nearly 40% of countries stagnated or declined on gender equality between 2019 and 2022.

With that in mind, I’d like to share some practical ways we can all empower ourselves and those around us to take steps towards breaking down barriers and challenging biases. Gender parity is not a women-only problem, it’s an issue for everyone and hopefully, by coming together, we can contribute towards increasing the rate at which we reach gender parity.

Celebrate women’s successes

Take every opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, and cultural successes of women. Celebrate loudly, proudly, and publicly. Share stories of women’s successes and inspire colleagues, students, and others to know that they, too, can achieve incredible things despite the barriers that still exist.

Use your voice

Every voice is valuable and should be shared. Do not be afraid to speak up as an individual or as part of a network (such as the Women’s Staff Network at Leeds Trinity) or the local community. Whether online, written, verbally, or otherwise – use your voice to share your experiences, discuss the challenges that you face, and start conversations about how we can foster change.

Advocate for policy change

Much of our work and personal life is managed by policies. There has been so much progress towards gender parity at Leeds Trinity, but progress is not parity. Everyone should try to get involved in advocating for continuous improvement and change.

At work, people can reach out to a manager, collaborate as a member of a women’s staff network, or speak up directly (if they feel able) in order to advocate for policy change where potential barriers to gender parity are identified.

Socially, it’s important to challenge those in positions of power, such as MPs, and encourage them to push for change. Supporting female authority figures, amplifying female voices and engaging with positive social movements are also empowering ways to making a meaningful difference.

Educate ourselves and others

Education is power that drives change. Reading books, visiting local museums to learn about women’s history, or researching intersectionalities of gender inequality are all examples of how we can educate ourselves on the barriers and biases that women face in the workplace and in everyday life.

By working collaboratively, we can become agents of change and speed up the process of achieving gender parity. It is time to take bold and decisive steps to make change, together.

Indica Norcup is a Money Advisor and Chair of the Women’s Staff Network at Leeds Trinity University.