Why this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Give to Gain doesn't sit quite right.

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I can’t help but wonder: haven’t women already given enough?

When I first heard this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain, my heart sank a little. It made me think about all the things women already give and how much we are still waiting to gain.

Women give time, labour, care, and emotional energy, often without recognition or reward.

Women give:

• Unpaid working time – because of the gender pay gap, the average working woman effectively works around six to seven weeks of the year unpaid compared with men.
• Care – women still carry the majority of caring responsibilities, whether for children, relatives, or through paid caring professions.
• Domestic labour – housework, planning, organising and the invisible work that keeps households running.
• Emotional support – being there for friends, family, colleagues, and communities.

And that’s only the beginning.

So what do women gain in return? Often far less than we should.
Persistent gaps in pay and opportunity. Inadequate support for reproductive health. Systems that still fail survivors of sexual and domestic violence. And increasingly, a resurgence of misogynistic rhetoric online and in public life.

Perhaps the intention behind Give to Gain is different. Maybe the call is for communities, organisations, and institutions to give; to invest in women’s services, support equality, and champion change. But even then, the reality is that many people are already stretched. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, giving more isn’t always possible.

Maybe what International Women’s Day really needs is not another reminder of what women should give, but a moment to recognise what women have already given and to push for what we truly deserve to gain.

Because women’s contributions shouldn’t be conditional. Recognition, safety, equality and opportunity shouldn’t have to be earned through endless giving. 

This International Women’s Day should be about acknowledging women’s labour, resilience and achievements while also renewing our commitment to real change. Celebrating progress matters, but so does recognising the work still ahead. If the day reminds us of anything, it’s that women have already given so much. Now it’s time for a world that truly gives back.