For the London-based World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, International Women’s Day—celebrated on March 8—highlights an issue that is already a priority to WAGGGS: gender equality.

“Gender equality work is central to our mission at WAGGGS,” said Communications Manager Megan Hunt. “Celebrating achievements on IWD is important to show where progress is being made.”

The organization, representing 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 150 countries, was designated as the “charity of choice” for IWD 11 years ago.

“The two organizations formed a partnership, which has been extremely successful and has continued for over a decade due to common goals around gender equality,” Hunt said. “The event is also important to take stock and identify the areas where we must continue to #PressforProgress.”

#PressforProgress is the theme of IWD 2018. WAGGGS, along with other organizations, charities, and educational institutions around the world, will participate and share the campaign on their social media channels. WAGGGS will also hold its own country-specific events and activities.

In a press release [Word doc], Hunt said WAGGGS is celebrating those involved with Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in rural communities by encouraging them to share their stories, as well as a photograph of themselves, in their social media channels about what they are doing to press for progress.

“We are profiling what guiding is like in their communities, but also how they #PressforProgress locally,” she said. “We have also been asking girls to share a pledge of how they will help #PressforProgress.”

WAGGGS is far from alone in celebrating IWD. Organizations worldwide have a range of events planned in IWD’s honor.

For instance, the United Nations, which will observe the day with a speaking event at its headquarters in New York City, defined IWD 2018’s mission as “an opportunity…to empower women in all settings, rural and urban, and celebrate the activists who are working relentlessly to claim women’s rights and realize their full potential.” Then there’s the U.S. Green Building Council Minnesota, which will celebrate with a “Women in Green Power Breakfast.”

The IWD website says the daylong celebration is just a start.

“March 8 sees the annual IWD campaign theme kick off for the year ahead … The IWD campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize collective action,” the website said. “The campaign theme does not end on International Women’s Day.”

(Handout photo)