on international women's day 2026

it's international women's day and, as is my wont, I've been reflecting on what it means for me, for other women, for feminism, and for communities more broadly. over the last couple of years, to help recognise, untangle, acknowledge and understand these things, i've started being more intentional about embracing and acting on my desire for social justice.

(i wanted to say 'call to social justice' here, but it sits weirdly. it feels like a calling at times, but i think there's too much association with my (largely rejected, but not completely) christian upbringing. it seems to centre individual responsibilty alone and ignores the systems that create and reinforce social injustice, inequality and inequity (this is true for both my largely-rejected-but-not-completely christian upbringing and the word 'call' in this context)...but i digress (another of my wonts)...)

as part of this embracive action, i've taken to sending reflective emails to my team at work on these social justicey red letter days. on friday, i sat down to do this and thought i'd start by reflecting on some past reflections to, i guess, get my thinking brain facing the right direction. i found the email i'd sent in 2024 and realised that any 'new' reflection that i might write would most likely sound the same. i thought i'd share them here, too - slightly edited mainly for confidentiality.

before i get to that, though, i want to say to you all: happy international women's day. may we recognise, acknowledge, lift up, and celebrate the wonderful women (and - in case it needs to be stated - this includes trans women and non-binary people) in all our social spheres. those that came before us, paving the way and advocating for the changes we already enjoy. those that continue to recognise and advocate that it's not enough. those that have taught us that white feminism is not enough and helped us understand intersectionality and reminded us that we (i'm white, so we includes me) must elevate the voices of all women. that (here in australia, as well as in other places where white people set up the systems and structures, and continue to hold the majority of power) women of colour, women with disabilities, folks who are not cis-gendered...those who sit at more intersections of oppression than they do of privilege...have have more than than just sexism to contend with when moving through their communities - their world - this world. these folk have unique and nuanced experiences that, if we're willing to listen...to share/to concede the power we (i'm talking to white women again) hold in this space...we can move closer to equity for all women/folk.

i encourage you all (and remind myself) to keep asking whose voice is missing from this conversation? what is my privilege and how can i use it to elevate or centre those voices in a way that also does not expect them to do all the labour?

as it turns out, it seems that i did have more to say. here is the original reflection, along with my intro to resending it this year. i'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, wonderings, noticings, or (indeed) any different/new/contradictory perspectives this might have sparked in you. i am still learning - i hope i will still be learning for as long as i'm able to think. yours, in solidarity and hope. 💜💚🤍

(this bit written on friday 6th march 2026)

It's International Women's Day on Sunday and, while it might be a little lazy, I want to re-send the message I sent to our team 2 years ago...I'm mostly recycling it because sadly it still stands (so why give myself some extra labour, lol!). Anyway, I hope you'll take up the invitation to reflect on what IWD means to and for you / your intersections of privilege and/or power / your intersections of oppression as well as those intersections for the young people and families we work with. I hope we'll all also reflect on what's within our power to change. xx

(this bit written on friday 8th March 2024)

Happy Friday, and Happy International Women's Day, Team 💜💚🤍

I've been thinking about how to acknowledge and mark this day this year, and in reality, I'm struggling a little. I wish that I could say that, in 2024 (and 2026), IWD is only needed as a reminder to reflect on how far we've come and to celebrate all our achievements as an equitable, diverse, open, fair and safe society. But alas.

There is, of course, much to celebrate. And, we still have a long way to go. Women are still being killed by a current or former intimate partner at an average of one (or a little over) per week - and they are the ones that are documented. Women continue to be harmed, and then blamed for that harm. Media continue to run narratives that hide perpetrator responsibility or find the story of the "good guy who snapped" - completely ignoring the evidence that violence is a choice, that perpetrators have attitudes and actions that align with violence, and beliefs that they are entitled to women's time, labour, love and affection (and also beliefs that this is somehow 'normal'). Many of these beliefs are built into our collective societal thinking - in other words, we have all absorbed some of these ways of thinking because they are seen as normal in our broader world (things like "she was asking for it"; "what was she wearing"; "she must have been nagging"; "what was she doing alone / out / in that place / at that time?"). Some of these, of course, are being challenged - but I want to encourage you all (and remind myself) to continually check those automatic thoughts that come up when we hear stories about women and violence / safety and risk. It's the only way to undo them.

This, like so many things in Australia, is exacerbated amongst Aboriginal communities - whose knowledges and ways of being, knowing and doing (particularly around parenting) are not valued in mainstream society. As well as migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women.

I truly believe that Intersectional Feminism underpins so much of the work we do in this space - that is we need to remember that there are many ways of seeing and being in the world - and many factors that influence how easily people move through the world. I, obviously, can't speak for all of you, but for me I want to continually acknowledge and remember how my intersections allow me to move fairly easily through this world - I have very few obstacles. I am a White, able-bodied, educated, heterosexual, cis-gendered woman (who probably holds other privileges that are unseen to me). And so, today I am reflecting on how non-White, disabled, less educated, queer, non-binary or trans people need their voices heard. . Their obstacles made clear. Their needs attended to. Many people still don't enjoy the freedoms that International Women's Day celebrates. An equal society might seem so far away (or even impossible) to them. And it may not look how we think it should look.

And so, I'd like to invite you to reflect on not only what IWD means to you and all the Intersections you bring to your work and your personal life, but also how it might look to other people who might not share the same privileges you do.

I think this quote from Audre Lorde is as relevant today as when it was written in 1981:

I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.

If you've read this far - thanks! I truly wish you a happy IWD - celebrating what's already been done alongside advocating for what still needs doing.

Warmly and in solidarity,

ali 💜💚🤍