by Mike Hardy, ILA Board Chair; Founding Director, Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK & Cynthia Cherrey, ILA President
- 6 March 2025
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Imagine a world that is inclusive, fair, and above all, transparent. This would be a world where all have equal access to public leadership roles, and leadership teams would reflect the diversity of the population, corralling and mobilizing a wider range of perspectives and experiences. In this world, policies would prioritize equity, social justice, and sustainable development — addressing issues that have historically been overlooked. Society would be experiencing a profound transformation from where we still are today!
Workplaces would be embracing inclusive practices, fostering environments where collaboration and empathy thrive. Education systems would have evolved, inspiring girls to aspire to leadership from an early age. Representation in politics would be rousing increased civic engagement and trust in government, leading to more effective and responsive governance.
Culturally, media portrayals would have shifted, importantly celebrating women in leadership and dismantling stereotypes. Communities would be benefiting from policies addressing healthcare, childcare, and family leave, promoting a work-life balance that supports all citizens. Overall, this world would foster innovation, resilience, and harmony, reflecting the strengths of a truly equitable society.
Some world!
Inspired by the 1909 demonstrations in New York City, the vision German activist Clara Zetkin and others proposed in 1910 was that every country on the same day should have a “Women’s Day’’ to create a rallying point for the rights of women. The first year of International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. On that day more than a million women and men attended International Women’s Day rallies for a woman’s right to work outside the home, to vote, and to hold elected office. International Women’s Day gained momentum spreading to more countries, and in 1975 the United Nations began acknowledging and celebrating it (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Timeline). For over one hundred years IWD has both celebrated the achievements of women and advocated for a more equitable future. However, while progress has been made in the boardroom, governance, and policies, the inequities remain. Women are not paid equally nor are they represented in equal numbers in the board room or in politics. Women’s education and health are lagging, which was exasperated by the pandemic.
Now it is even more critical that we celebrate the resilience, innovation, and leadership of women worldwide and #AccelerateAction, this year’s IWD rallying theme.
Loudly celebrating International Women’s Day is crucial for several reasons. It centers the inequalities that persist in education, employment, healthcare, and politics; it honors the contributions and achievements of women both in our history, and now, in our modernity, exhorting younger generations to build and pursue their aspirations; it amplifies women’s voices, fostering solidarity and support among diverse communities. Ultimately, International Women’s Day advocates for systemic change and encourages social solidarity with gender equity initiatives. It promotes a culture of respect and self-efficacy, essential for building inclusive societies with leadership that helps everyone to thrive.
Members of the International Leadership Association continue to make significant contributions to advancing equity for women around the world through their diverse research and advocacy work. Whether it is conducting groundbreaking studies on gender and leadership, creating leadership development initiatives that support women and individuals who are gender-minoritized, or implementing mentoring and coaching programs, these leadership scholars and practitioners are addressing systemic barriers with evidence-based approaches. By analyzing challenges, highlighting success stories, and developing practical frameworks for change, our members are not only expanding the academic understanding of gender equity but also creating tangible pathways forward.
There are many illustrations of ILA members working in this leadership space of gender equity. Mike’s recent work with women scientists in India is one such example. We invite ILA members to share on the HubILA listserv in Intersections, their work in this area. Keep scrolling to see two upcoming events and find links to some of ILA’s resources, co-created with ILA members, in this area.
Spotlight Story
Last month (February 2025), I had the privilege of working in India with more than two hundred women scientists from the Space Industry. I often approach my work with ILA’s purpose in mind and the project supporting access to public leadership for women professionals who are already outstanding leaders in their respective fields felt like just the right thing to be doing. Co-created with India’s Department of Science and Technology, the Women in Space and Allied Sciences Leadership Programme (WiSLP) is working with the best Indian women scientists within a framework that resonates and responds to contexts, challenges, concerns, and opportunities for women’s academic leadership in space and allied sciences in India. Grounded in contemporary realism, the WiSLP has set out to define what might be possible to change. It is looking at the networks and institutions that need to be involved and committed to that change and, importantly, is examining the competences and the skills that need to be strengthened in order to make progress. The high energy sessions from early until late, taking small steps to a big goal, have focused on creative and clear communications and on extending participants’ confidence in areas outside their excellence in science.
Upcoming Opportunities & Additional Resources
Celebrate with us on 8 March with a webinar at 11am EST (UTC-5) featuring four dynamic African women leaders who will share their stores of resilience and successes. ILA members, be sure to register (free) to attend live or watch later on-demand. Non-members are also welcome for a small fee.
Mike and I also encourage you to participate in the upcoming ILA Women and Leadership Conference 11-13 June at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.
We leave you with some of ILA’s recent work in this area co-created with ILA members.
Podcast: The Power of Latino Leadership
ILA’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Juana Bordas talks about her life’s work and The Power of Latino Leadership ¡Ahora!
Podcast: Conscious Objectivity
ILA’s 2023 Distinguished Leadership Award Winner, The Right Honourable Beverly McLachlin, former Chief Justice of Canada, discusses conscious objectivity and the work leaders need to do to actually hear opposing viewpoints through the noise of built in cognitive biases.
Podcast: Persistent, Patient, and Creative H.E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Croatia’s 4th President (2015-2020) and first female President share her story. She is an expert on international diplomacy, security, and human rights.
Video: Accelerating the Path to Corporate Leadership for All Women- A Conversation with Stella Nkomo
There is still a long journey to transform the face of senior leadership in corporate America and achieve racial and gender equality in organizations. ILA Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Stella Nkomo, shares her insights into what leaders can do.
Book Buzz – Pathways into the Political Arena: The Perspectives of Global Women Leaders (Members Only)
Authors Chrys Egan and Dionne Rosser-Mims discuss their book Pathways into the Political Arena: The Perspectives of Global Women Leaders.
Blog: Leaving Leadership
ILA Fellow Richard Bolden delves into what the surprise resignations of Nicola Sturgeon and Jacinda Ardern reveal about today’s toxic leadership contexts, what it means to be a “strong leader,” and how leaders transition out of their roles.
Blog: Leadership Concerns Us in the Plural
In honor of International Women’s Day, Dr. Rita A. Gardiner reflects on suffrage movements around the world, the need for camaraderie and abiding friendships to help propel social movements forward, and how social movements demonstrate that leadership concerns us in the plural, not I in the singular.
Webinar: Nerve: Remaining True to Yourself When Leading (Members Only)
Martha Piper and Indira Samarasekera share personal stories and lessons learned while serving as the first women presidents of two major Canadian universities. The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, 19th Prime Minister of Canada, moderates.
