International Women’s Day 2025: #AccelerateAction – Beyond Recognition to Real Change on Gendered Violence
International Women's Day (IWD) has, to an extent, become a corporate formality—a morning tea or panel discussion that can feel disconnected from the reality that many women face in Australia amongst growing rates of gendered violence and discrimination.
At the Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ), we recognise that the theme for IWD 2025, #AccelerateAction, demands more than symbolic recognition; it requires a commitment to tackling the systemic failures that continue to place women, gender diverse communities and children in danger. Decades of progress on gender equality are being eroded worldwide, from the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion measures in privileged spaces to the eradication of aid that once supported women, gender diverse people and children in vulnerable communities. In Australia, echoes of this regression are evident in political rhetoric that sidelines women’s safety and wellbeing, as well as their economic progression.
Gendered violence remains a national crisis. In 2024, 78 women in Australia were murdered as a result of gendered violence, as reported by Counting Dead Women—a sharp increase from 44 in 2021. By March 7, 2025, eight more women have had their lives taken. For First Nations women, trans and gender-diverse people, older women, and women with disabilities, the risks are even greater, with the numbers of missing and murdered Aboriginal women also untold.
This IWD, we must also recognise that the fight for gender equality cannot be separated from broader human rights struggles. First Nations children are being removed from their families and incarcerated at increasing rates. Trans and gender-diverse people are being told their lives and wellbeing do not count. Women from marginalised communities, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, continue to face heightened discrimination and violence. Young people are facing homelessness in growing numbers, fleeing unsafe environments as a result of family violence, in search of safety and stability.
The theme #AccelerateAction calls on us to push forward, but it also requires us to resist regression. We cannot accept a future where the rights and safety of women and marginalised groups are deprioritised. Gender equality cannot be achieved in isolation; it is tied to every other struggle for justice.
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect, but more importantly, it must be a moment to demand change. While governments, corporations, and institutions participate in IWD events, they must also be held accountable for the actions they take beyond this specific day.
This is not just about increasing the pace of progress but ensuring that we do not lose the hard-fought gains of the past. Solidarity is more vital than ever—because every woman and every marginalised person deserves to live without fear.
This IWD, commit to action. Support organisations doing the work, challenge harmful narratives, and demand that those in power prioritise the safety and rights of women. #AccelerateAction is not just a slogan— Let’s make it happen.