International Women's Day 2026
It’s International Women’s Day on March 8th. We are Girls in Sport may have girls in the name, but we are doing our best to support, inspire and campaign for women and girls, and those who identify as such Every. Single. Day.
The problem with International Women’s Day
Bear with us.
There’s always a lot of noise around International Women’s Day itself. Well-meaning brands jump on the bandwagon to celebrate women and whilst it might make us feel good on the day, the sentiment often doesn’t last much longer. The promises that they make don’t become reality and women and girls across the globe are left with an empty, disappointed feeling. It’s all too familiar.
There are also those brands who ask women to participate in panel events without paying them which laughs in the face of the equality and equity for which we’re ‘fighting’ on IWD. Sure, exposure on a panel event can pay dividends in different ways so it’s down to the individual but for some more established women who’ve seen it all before, it’s nothing short of ironic.
This International Women’s Day, how far have women come in reality?
And this International Women’s Day, many of us will be thinking about how far women have come in reality.
Within sport, at the Winter Olympic Games, despite the organisers claiming that it was the most equitable games, there wasn’t equity in the Nordic combined event where men competed, but a women’s event was not offered. Female athlete skiers were understandably angry that in today’s world, this can still happen. Up until recently women were deemed too fragile to compete with claims that their uterus might fall out or their ovaries explode. We’re not joking. We heard that the Olympic Committee said it was because there weren’t enough competitors, but the sport is a regular on the international stage – there are World Championships! - so, how does that work?
And then we have the USA women’s ice hockey gold-medal winning team. After handling President Trump’s snub with such grace, they are receiving the attention they deserve but the fact that a world leader can be so disrespectful of their achievements, reflects the tone of many. He is not alone in how he speaks of women’s sport; just check out women footballers’ socials on the weekends to see how men perceive them.
But.
What can we do to show our support to women this International Women’s Day?
There is always something that can be done. This International Women’s Day, if you’re not attending an event for IWD26 and are a little disillusioned, we invite you to do as many of the following as you can. And we would recommend these any day of the year – show your support for women in your actions. Here are some ideas:
Watch live women’s sport
Check out where you live and see what’s on in your local area. Sunday is a good day for a women’s rugby or football match if you live in the UK but wherever you are, get involved. The more unusual the sport, the more they’ll appreciate you showing up! Show your support for women’s sport by being there in person.
Watch women’s sport on TV
This could be watching legacy media like ‘traditional’ TV if there’s women’s sport on (eye roll) or finding women’s sport on YouTube and watching that. If you’re watching it on YouTube, like it, subscribe if you like but show your support.
Support athletes on social media
If you’re old enough and you’re able, check out the social media channels of your favourite female athletes and give them a follow. Comment your support on a post or two – we all love it when we get a nice supportive comment! Your follow might help them receive better sponsorship deals or opportunities to supplement their incomes. Remember, many female athletes still need to have other jobs or an extra job to live; only the very successful ones receive exciting deals from luxury brands.
Buy merch
These days there is so much merchandise available for women’s and girls’ sports clubs. It could be that you support your local club and buy a pin badge to show your support or you could go all out and buy your favourite team’s shirt. There is a huge range of merchandise between a badge and a shirt or top from the team you support so you must work within your budget, but even small purchases are important.
Buy from female-founded businesses
And another one for your wallet, buy from female-founded businesses! There are so many independent (that means not a big chain) female-founded businesses out there and they need your support. These businesses are often started because, as women, they’ve identified a gap in the market, something that they need or their daughters, teammates or students need. They often start with very little and so every sale is important. In our online pop-up shop, we stock brands that have been started by women for women and girls including Hapola, Maiden and NIXI Body. Go check them out!
Sometimes, the world can seem like a very unpleasant place for women and girls but there is plenty of hope and optimism out there, often ignited by women who are fighting for other women’s rights, needs, respect and stories.
Tell us what you end up doing for International Women’s Day – we’d love to hear from you! Hello@Wearegirlsinsport.com Happy International Women’s Day and remember that actions speak louder than words.