Navigating Uncertainty While Celebrating International Women's Day 2025

International Women's Day is a moment to honour the achievements of women, past and present. Yet, for many women worldwide, this day evokes complex emotions in today’s uncertain political climate. How do we celebrate the progress forged by our foremothers despite their immense challenges while recognizing the persistent inequalities and escalating struggles we continue to face?

How can we take pride in our victories when global unrest, threats to women's rights, and widening inequalities close to home and throughout the world cast shadows of fear and uncertainty over our personal and professional lives? In times like these, is celebration truly enough?

This post seeks to explore progress and challenges, acknowledge one woman's achievements hidden from history, and inspire actionable steps to support meaningful change in every neighbourhood, region, country, and worldwide. Together, let's celebrate, reflect, and drive forward with purpose.

Celebrating Progress, Acknowledging Challenges
Women's extraordinary stories are often excluded from history. Trailblazing female elected officials, Fortune 500 CEOs, visionary professionals and entrepreneurs, and grassroots activists have continually demonstrated extraordinary courage, often at significant personal cost, including risking their lives to shatter barriers and defy harmful traditions and injustices. Their efforts have carved out spaces of leadership and innovation for themselves and have significantly paved the way for future generations of girls and women to rise and thrive. This is why it is crucial that we continue to bravely stand for, uphold, and exercise the rights that were so hard-earned. One day, our history will be told.

Unfortunately, we are still far from achieving equality, and at times, it seems to be slipping further out of reach.
 

Persistent Inequalities and Global Crises
Women continue to face underrepresentation in local, national, and international leadership roles. Boardrooms remain overwhelmingly male-dominated, and women in executive positions still work twice as hard to receive half the recognition. Around the world, societal and systemic barriers still undervalue women's contributions in every area and phase of life and work. It's unimaginable that girls are still deprived of the right to quality education or the freedom to make choices that serve their best interests.

Unfortunately, women and girls are disproportionately affected by global crises. Political unrest, escalating wars, tariffs, and inequitable policies are hitting women and girls hard. Economic empowerment is under threat. Fundamental rights are being challenged. Growth opportunities remain scarce, and resources are dwindling further. The future feels uncertain for many, casting a bittersweet tone over moments like International Women’s Day.

A Woman Who Refused to Be Defined by Social Norms and Barriers
Throughout history, women have risen above challenges, standing strong and inspiring us to aim higher. Here is one woman amongst so many worth celebrating today. You can read about her and even watch a 2015 movie about her. Finally, her story is told after a century of silence. Yet, her story still garners far less recognition than that of her male counterpart.

Gertrude Bell was an extraordinary Englishwoman who played a significant role in shaping the Middle East in the early 20th century. Gertrude was born to wealthy British parents (modern industrialized wealth) on July 14, 1868, in Washington Hall, Durham, England. 

Gertrude Bell had little interest in London's elite social life. Seeking purpose, she joined her uncle, a diplomat, in Tehran. Following the heartbreaking end of a relationship forbidden by her parents, Gertrude dedicated her life to exploring and writing about the Near East. She used her knowledge of tribal leaders to help the British shape the Kingdoms of Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

While Bell didn’t actively defy marriage, her choices and circumstances led to her remaining unmarried, an unusual path for a woman of her social status in Victorian and Edwardian England.

Bell’s achievements spanned multiple fields:

• Writer and Traveler: She wrote extensively about her Middle East travels.
• Archaeologist: She led excavations and was later Honorary Director of Antiquities in Iraq.
• Political Officer: During World War I, she worked for the British, helping establish modern Iraq.
• Arabist: Her fluency in Arabic and understanding of local cultures made her vital to British policy.
• A first-class Modern History graduate from Oxford, Bell was among the few women of her time to excel in political and academic circles. Her work included British intelligence, attending key conferences like the 1919 Paris Peace Conference and 1921 Cairo Conference, and mediating between the British and Arabs as Oriental Secretary. She wrote the first "white paper" for Parliament on Mesopotamia’s situation from 1914 to 1920.

Bell faced immense challenges during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of colonial powers. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she struggled to gain respect from British officials and Arab leaders. Despite this, she played a critical role in shaping Iraq, advising on borders and governance. She supported a unified Iraq under King Faisal, believing it would bring stability.

A Woman's Contribution and Legacy Hidden From History
Gertrude Bell's contribution and legacy have been overshadowed by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). During World War I, Bell and Lawrence collaborated on strategies to weaken Ottoman control and draw post-war boundaries. However, Lawrence's fame, especially after publishing Seven Pillars of Wisdom, often eclipsed Bell’s contributions.

Gertrude's life ended tragically on July 12, 1926, in Baghdad, from an overdose of sleeping pills, thought intentional. Though her work remains controversial, she is remembered as a key figure in shaping Iraq during a pivotal historical moment.

The Importance of Sharing and Celebrating Women's Stories
From pioneering trailblazers to modern-day innovators, women's stories, whether within the home or on the global stage, in peace and wartime, are powerful reminders of their unwavering strength, compassion, and vision. Time and again, women have stepped back to reflect and evaluate and then stepped up and forward to lead, especially in moments of uncertainty. Take a moment today to share and celebrate the stories of women who have ignited change in your community, workplace, or life. 

The Personal is Political. What Can We Do to Support Women?
"The personal is political" highlights how women's personal experiences, such as those related to sex, childcare, dissatisfaction with domestic life, and self-actualization, are inherently political. It emphasizes the need for political action to address these issues and drive meaningful change.

While celebrating women's achievements is crucial, we must turn admiration into action. Here are some practical steps you can take to support and empower women in your life, work, and around the world:

Mentorship and Sponsorship: Support women in your workplace by mentoring junior colleagues or advocating for women to take on leadership roles. Younger women are hungry for wisdom and experience.
Challenge Bias: It's blatant and insidious. Speak up against gender bias, stereotypes, and ageism that affect women in your community and workplace. Conversations are powerful tools for change.
Support Women-owned Businesses: Use the power of your purse! Buy from women entrepreneurs and women-owned and operated businesses. Look for the labels "Women-Owned". Using positive recommendations to amplify their ventures has never been easier in this digital world.
Advocate for Policy Change: Get involved in local, regional, national, and worldwide campaigns that combat inequality and demand policies that empower women economically, socially, and culturally.
Be an Ally: As a friend, family member, or colleague, ensure that every woman in your life feels valued, respected, supported, and empowered.

Validate her choice and amplify her voice. Listen to her and let her know that her voice has been heard. Change starts with small actions, but those actions can spark movements.

Holding Space for Complexity and Optimism
On this International Women's Day, it’s okay to feel conflicted. It’s human to hold space for celebration and frustration, optimism and uncertainty. What matters is that we don’t lose sight of the belief that progress is possible. Gertrude Bell crossed deserts on camels with all her finery in a trunk. She sat with leaders to bring peace in conflict areas. The belief that progress is possible starts with self-trust and grows stronger when we remember that, as individuals and communities, we hold the power to drive the change we wish to see.

Wherever you are in your personal or professional life, know that your voice matters. Whether you lead boardroom discussions or challenge outdated societal norms, your efforts are part of a broader push for equity and respect.

Empowered women empower the world. Educate a girl and empower a nation. Today, let's honour all that women have achieved while committing to a future where sticky floors dissolve and glass ceilings shatter more easily, opportunities abound, and equality is the norm, not the exception.

Your Call to Action
This International Women's Day, take a step back from your busy life to reflect, or step forward with personal resolve to remaster your life and work and inspire women and girls around you.

Explore books of historical fiction or non-fiction based on women's lives in uncertain times.

Every action counts, whether donating to a nonprofit that advances women's and girls' rights, mentoring or sponsoring a colleague, or amplifying women's voices in your network.

Let’s not allow the uncertainty of these times to distract us from our true potential and the positive impact we can have in making the world a better place.

Who inspires you this International Women’s Day? Drop a name and a story in the comments. We all need to know her and celebrate her impact on our world!

Resources:

The Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach - includes historical illustrations and photos

Queen of the Desert - 2015 American epic biographical drama film starring Nicole Kidman as Gertrude Bell