Welcome to Women’s History Month 2026. While I celebrate a dedicated month—and, of course, the dedicated International Women’s Day, to champion women—there’s no denying that Women’s History Month has lost steam over recent years. Journalist and TEDx Talk speaker Chloe Laws spoke of her own scepticism when we chatted for this piece: “[International Women’s Day] was born from radical action, socialism, and women protesting, but that past is often not present nowadays.”It’s something I’ve bristled with myself, especially at a time when activism burnout is on the rise. Then I read the headlines: Shein is under investigation for selling childlike sex dolls—just the latest example of the sexualisation of young girls that has been normalised for decades. Then there’s the news that the gender pay gap isn’t set to close until 2056, meaning generations of women will spend their entire working lives earning at least 50 days of unpaid labor each year. That’s just a snapshot. There’s also the slew of image abuse festering on Grok and revelations that the ADF—the group who helped overturn Roe v. Wade—has its sights set on England.I don’t want to dwell on the negatives. As a woman, if you’re reading this, you already know in your bones the dangers we face. But when it feels harder than ever to muster the strength to rally, protest, and take action—and with misogyny on the rise and violence against women and girls remaining shamefully prevalent—it’s worth touching on the many reasons we need to stay engaged and activated. As Deborah Frances-White said—also for this story: “It’s easy to feel exhausted and defeated. What we must remember is they [the patriarchy] don’t do this when we are quietly falling behind.”We need voices like Deborah’s, Ashley James’, and Alex Light’s, who all gave their time to speak about the importance of International Women’s Day and the critical need to fast-track progress in achieving gender equality and empowering women across the globe.Yes, strides have been made, but the pace of change has often been slow—a “long and winding road,” as Baroness Floella Benjamin described it—leaving many women and girls still facing significant barriers in education, employment, health, and political representation. In other words, there is much work to be done.So, if, like me, you’re struggling with activism fatigue, I hope you’ll find strength and solidarity in the speeches below. Bookmark and save for later, share it with your community, and—as Deborah says—meet up with each other.Happy International Women’s Day—today and every day.
