Communicating for Gender Equality

On 8 March, let’s collaborate to make International Women’s Day a great success! 

On this page, you can find:

  • A list of major global campaigns you can support, along with useful links to campaign resources and social media content
  • An overview of initiatives, campaigns, activities & events planned by the OECD DevCom community
  • An overview of how DevCom members communicate about their Gender-focus work and highlight their gender equality mission.
  • Inspiring examples on how to put into practice DevCom’s 7 Principles in Communicating for Gender Equality

We’d also like to hear from you! Please contact us to share your own #IWD2023 plans. You can share relevant links, calendars, trello boards, images, tools, social media hashtags, and more.

Global Campaigns to support for International Women’s Day ’23

UN WOMEN: “Innovation and technology for gender equality”

• #IWD2023 theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.

• Calls to Action: Close digital access gaps; Support Women in STEM; Create tech that meets women’s needs; Address online gender-based violence.

• Learn more about the issues here .

• Find UN Women’s social media package here .

OECD

• 16 March: Launch of the a href=” https://www.genderindex.org”> 2023 OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) which will gather data from 178 countries and territories, measuring discrimination in the family, restricted physical integrity, access to productive and financial resources, and restricted civil liberties. The goal of the database is to provide policy and change makers with the data they need (on laws, social norms, and attitudes standing in the way of women and girls’ opportunities) to promote stronger mechnaisms for more inclusive and sustainable growth in their regions. .

Follow @OECD_Centre and @OECDdev for more information.

• The Development Matters blog also brings interesting discussions on How to make gender equality work for everyone and on Why intersectional feminism matters for development.

Initiatives by the DevCom Community in 2023

See what DevCom members and partners have planned for International Women’s Day 2023. Contact us if you would like to collaborate with them.

Canada – #EndGenderBasedViolence and #StopDigitalViolence in collaboration with UNFPA

This year, Canada will support the UNFPA ‘Virtual is Real campaign’

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Development Engagement Lab: Public Attitudes Insights on Gender

Based on its cross-country surveys on gender and development cooperation in France, Germany, the UK and the US, DEL has put together:

• A Factsheet on how audiences react to the use of terms like “feminist” or “gender-inclusive”.

• A Press Release with data on perceptions to gender equality.

Please feel free to use it however you see fit, noting the citation requirements. If you have any questions or would like to see visualisations for any of the insights, get in touch with Molly Anders .

Netherlands – #IWD2023 Campaign

During the month of March, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs will focus on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.

• On SheDecides Day (2 March), the campaign focuses on sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR), so that every woman, girl and young person can decide what to do with their body, life and future. On International Women’s Day itself, the campaign focus is on women and girls as leaders and change-makers.

The Dutch MFA is encouraging partners to support its “#IWD2023” campaign by sharing stories of achievements, valuable contributions, and the leadership of women and girls in the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

• What to do?

1. Choose an inspiring project or person

2. Formulate a powerful message

3. Use the #IWD2023 or #InternationalWomensDay

4. Tag @NLWomensRights and @DutchMFA.

In case of women human rights defenders (WHRDs), do consider the safety risks concerning this person or organisation and request the WHRD’s permission beforehand.

SEGIB – #8M #CerremosLaBrecha #DíaDeLaMujer #DíaDeLasMujeres

This year, SEGIB is joining UN Women’s campaign “For an inclusive digital world: innovation and technology for gender equality” and invites you to hear the stories of women scientists Ana Maria Cetto (#Mexico) and Lesly Zerna (#Bolivia) in the #SomosIberoamérica Podcast . Although they are several generations apart, both have something in common: they are an exception in their field.

Global Campaigns to support for International Women’s Day ’22

UN WOMEN: “Gender Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”

• For #IWD2022 , let’s celebrate how women and girls are leading the change on environmental issues and helping build a more sustainable future for all. This will also be the theme of the 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66).

• Access the IWD 2022 brand kit and available social media banners here .

International Women’s Day: #BreakTheBias

• Strike the #BreakTheBias pose by crossing your arms in solidarity.

• Check out the resource page for social media cards, Zoom backgrounds and more, and visit the International Women’s Day for more information.

OECD: OECD #MarchOnGender “Raising the bar: Better policies for gender equality”

As every year, the OECD March on Gender will include a number of events. Follow @OECD_Centre and @OECDdev for more information.

• 7 March: launch of the #SIGI Country Report on Tanzania, looking at progress, opportunities and challenges in addressing the root causes of gender equality.

• 10 March: event on “Promoting positive gender norms in Africa: Effective approaches for development partners”.

• 15 March: joint event with Global Affairs Canada on “Development finance for gender equality and climate action”.

• 16 March (tbc): CSW-66 side-event with Ireland & Colombia on “Promoting gender-equitable norms to advance women’s empowerment in the context of climate change”.

Project Everyone: #FivecomesFirst

• Project Everyone’s Campaign #FiveComesFirst will explain how SDG 5 on Gender Equality is crucial for achieving all other SDGs.

• Access #FiveComesFirst toolkit here .

• Find more guidance in this google document and follow updates on twitter .

World Bank Group

Women, Business and the Law 2022 Launch

• Women, Business and the Law 2022 report will be published on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 8:00 AM, Washington, DC time. The report and accompanying data will be available here.

• Join us on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM, Washington, DC time for a live launch event at World Bank Live. The event will open with a pre-recorded keynote address by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in her capacity as UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

• Women, Business and the Law 2022 is the eighth in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The study makes the case for reform toward gender equality and highlights the way toward a more equitable and prosperous world.

• Promotional material, social media package and dissemination toolkit to be shared in the coming days.

• To stay in touch and always be up to date with upcoming events, sign up to the Women, Business and the Law newsletter here.

Gender Equality and Development +10 #AccelerateEquality

• The World Bank Group’s year-long #AccelerateEquality initiative explores the important progress made and lessons learned over the last 10 years in closing gender gaps and promoting girls’ and women’s empowerment and drives for transformative change in the future.

• It provides an opportunity to showcase successes, learn, and develop ideas and further momentum for the future of gender equality and women’s leadership, while taking stock of remaining challenges and strengthening partnerships in the quest to #AccelerateEquality .

• Learn more here and visit the Calendar of Events.

• To stay in touch and always be up to date with upcoming events, sign up to the Women, Business and the Law newsletter here.

CSW66: Accelerating Equality to Build Women’s Resilience

• The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law is hosting a session during the upcoming 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) as part of the World Bank Group’s #AccelerateEquality initiative.

• Join us on Thursday, March 24 at 8:00 am EST, Washington, DC time for a discussion on how closing long-standing gender gaps and adopting data-driven policy .

Initiatives by the DevCom Community in 2022

See what DevCom members and partners did for International Women’s Day 2022.

Australia: Events & Social Media

Events

• Ms. Christine Clarke CSC, Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, will deliver high profile speeches at a nation-wide UN Women event (4 March) and an Australian Volunteers’ event (10 March).

• A Follow @AusAmbGender for information and resources on local initiatives supporting women’s leadership and participation in climate change and disaster risk reduction.

• Check out a feature interview with Dr Jane Goodall, celebrated scientist, conservationist and human rights activist.

State-level activities

• Australian states and CSO partners will be hosting a number of IWD events (e.g. in Melbourne).

• Western Australia is sharing a IWD 2022 Toolkit with key messages, important facts and statistics, social media resources and ways to get involved.

Canada: Women Inspiring Women

• Celebrate the women and girls demonstrating leadership in their day-to-day lives.

• An IWD 2022 digital toolkit will be available soon.

• Follow Women and Gender Equality Canada on Twitter to get involved.

France (Afd): Gender in Climate Change Adaptation: Event & Exhibition

Gender in Climate Change Adaptation

• Promote the link between gender and climate on March 8 with AFD’s event focusing on challenges, current issues, solutions and responses existing in development projects, particularly in the agricultural and rural sector. Access program description and register here.

• Find out more about Afd initiatives that analyses the connection between gender inequality and climate change:

• “Quand le genre rencontre le climat, de Nouvelles perspectives pour le développement”.

• “Lutter contre les changements du climate en promouvant l’égalité femmes-hommes: un nouveau défi”.

• “L’eau, promesse d’émancipation”.

• “Maroc: Photographie et reconnaissance du role des femmes dans la pêche artisanale”.

Exposition Women’s Voices

• Tell inspiring stories: Discover the “Women’s Voices” exhibition that brings together inspiring stories of Cambodian women involved in AFD projects, their initiatives and the challenges they face.

• Check out the podcast Women’s Voices: les inégalités de genre au Cambodge on Youtube and Vimeo.

• Learn more about it in the article Afd & La Voix des Femmes: So Chan Leakhena, “soyez courageuses et ayez plus confiance en vous”.

Germany (KfW Development Bank): SDG Portal Relaunch

• The KfW Bank will re-launch its dedicated  SDG 5 page.

• This will include an interview with new KfW board member Christiane Laibach, along with project examples and success stories.

• Check out the KfW’s SDG portal with webpages on all 17 SDGs.

Germany (BMZ): Joint initiative of the German Government with female ministers Reception of petition on the campaign #WomenBeatHunger

• The German Government will issue video statements by female ministers of the German government on Youtube, Social Media and Government websites.

• Svenja Schulze, Minister for Development and International Co-operation, will support the #WomenBeatHunger campaign.

• There will also be a Movie Launch on women in the coffee sector.

Iceland: Seminar – Digital sexual violence and the participation of men and boys in preventing gender-based violence

• Linked to the Istanbul Convention, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise an event on digital sexual violence and the participation of men and boys in preventing gender-based violence. The Ministry will promote materials on related government projects on social media.

Spain (AECID): #SOMOSCOOPERACIÓNFEMINISTA

• The Feminist Cooperation webpage brings together concrete initiatives focused on participation of women in decision-making in the political, economic and social spheres, as well as in the establishment of support and advocacy networks around the world.

• AECID has turned March into “international women’s month”, organising a special programme of events in its 31 co-operation offices and knowledge centres around the world.

Communicating Gender-focus work: Examples from the DevCom Community

ORGANISATIONGENDER FOCUS WORKKEY QUOTES FROM MISSION STATEMENTS & LANDING PAGES
Asian Development Bank (ADB)> Gender and Development“Gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for meeting Asia and the Pacific’s aspirations of inclusive and sustainable development. ADB recognizes that to reduce poverty rates, helping women and girls must be a priority in its work.”
African Union > Women, Gender & Development (WGDD)
>  AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment		“If we don’t put women in history books, they get edited out of history.”- Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former chairperson AUC
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeGender Equality“The Gender Equality Branch supports Australia’s leadership on gender equality and women’s empowerment across foreign policy, economic diplomacy and development programs.”
Austrian Development Agency (ADA)ADA: Gender Equality“Gender equality and the empowerment of women are major preconditions for poverty reduction, economic growth and social development.  This is why the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) requires all its project partners to make a contribution towards gender equality.”
Global Affairs Canada> Gender Equality: Tools & Resources  
> Priorities & Initiatives		“Canada helping women & girls around: Our work to empower women and girls and promote gender equality in all our international development.”
European Commission Gender Equality“Promoting equal economic independence for women and men, closing the gender pay gap, advancing gender balance in decision making, ending gender-based violence and promoting gender equality beyond the EU.”
European Investment Bank (EIB)Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment“As the EU bank, it is our duty to ensure that the projects we finance protect all parts of our communities. Women, men, girls and boys must have the opportunity to benefit from them equally and equitably.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland > Ministry of Social Affairs & Health: Gender Equality  
> MFA – Generation Equality		“The promotion of gender equality is one of Finland’s foreign policy priorities. The Generation Equality campaign offers Finland an opportunity to reinforce its role as a frontrunner in advancing gender equality.”
Agence Française de DéveloppémentAFD and Gender: Working Towards More Equal Development“Women are discriminated against in all areas: employment, education, health and governance. Gender inequality causes both injustice and poverty. It hinders economic and social development.
The reduction of gender inequality and education, and the empowerment of women and girls are central to our strategy. We take gender issues into account in all the projects we support and we are a resolutely feminist institution.”
Germany (GIZ)GIZ: Gender & Development“Gender equality is an essential precondition for a human rights-based, socially just, economically and ecologically sustainable development of democratic societies. Yet people around the world are still affected by gender-specific discrimination and excluded from equal participation in public and political life. In order to actively combat this, German Development Cooperation is actively engaged in promoting gender equality.”
Iceland> Directorate of Equality – Iceland  
>Government of Iceland – About Gender Equality  		“Important steps have been made towards gender equality in Iceland in past decades. Among achievements is the increased participation of women in politics, both at the parliamentary and municipal level. Important legislation has been passed to ensure a more equal society, such as legislation to increase the number of women in leadership positions, and to combat gender-based and sexual violence and harassment.”
Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)> AICS: Gender Equality Page“The Italian strategy on gender issues and development aims in particular to strengthen collaboration with national and decentralized institutions, with Italian universities and NGOs to define a specific approach that takes into account the experiences made by Italian women in participating in life.”
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs> Women’s Rights and Gender Equality“The theme ‘Women’s rights and gender equality’ is about equal rights and opportunities for all. These are essential for peace, prosperity and development. The world cannot prosper if half the population is disadvantaged. In the reporting period, the Netherlands supported more than 68,000 women and strengthened 882 civil society organisations working to achieve gender equality. We also contributed to better legislation and changes to norms and values to better protect women’s rights.”
OECD> OECD – Gender Equality  
> Gender and Development		“Economies are more resilient, productive and inclusive when they reduce gender inequalities and actively support the equal participation of women in all spheres of life”
Portugal Camões Institute> CIG Gender Page   “Women Create Value” – IWD 2022  
> Camões: Gender page		“Gender equality is particularly relevant to the coherence of development policies, so it is important to strengthen the transversality of the gender equality dimension in Portuguese cooperation, bilaterally and multilaterally, and in partnerships with civil society actors and the private sector, in order to ensure the full realization of women’s human rights.”
SEGIB> Gender Equality“In accordance with the binding mandates of the Ibero-American Summit and recognizing its centrality to the achievement of sustainable development in the region, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) promotes gender equality as a strategic axis of Ibero-American cooperation.”
Spain (AECID)> Por Una Cooperación Feminista webpage“Defending the rights of women and girls means moving forward on the path to a more just, prosperous, sustainable and peaceful society”
The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)> Sida: Gender Equality“Gender equality is about the equal rights of all people. No one should be discriminated because of their gender. Gender equality is not only a goal per se, it is also a prerequisite for the elimination of poverty. Global gender equality is a priority issue for Sida that permeates most of our development cooperation efforts.”
The World Bank Group > The World Bank in Gender “The World Bank Group takes as its starting point that no country, community, or economy can achieve its potential or meet the challenges of the 21st century without the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys.”

Inspiration and 7 principles in Communicating for Gender Equality

How can we communicate better to help achieve gender equality? In 2020, we proposed 7 PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNICATING FOR GENDER EQUALITY, based on advice from experts in communications, campaigning and gender norms. Below, we have gathered some of our favourite initiatives, showing how our principles can be put into practice on International Women’s Day and beyond! 

Principle 1: DO NO HARM!

As we promote online debate, we need to be vigilant about cyberbullying and other forms of online violence against women and girls. We also need to be careful not to reinforce stereotypes with our campaigns. This also means using more gender-inclusive language.

Promundo has also put men at the centre of its work, breaking stereotypes about masculinity and showing how men can help reduce disparities.

Principle 2: ENGAGEMENT > LIKES

Real impact requires deeper reflection, dialogue and commitment; it goes beyond counting “likes” on social media.

 #HeforShe has generated more than two billion social media conversations and encouraged thousands of men to commit to gender equality. 

Check out ‘The Mirror’  by FCB India and UNAIDS promoting the hashtag #SeeMeAsIAm on LGBTQI+ inclusion and on breaking gender stereotypes. A simple yet powerful video that invites deeper reflection and relatability. 

Principle 3: EMPOWER & ENABLE

Instead of “broadcasting” or “preaching” at people, we should aim to build communities and interactive platforms where people can share their own stories, ask questions and propose answers. For inspiration, check out initiatives like Springster, Voices 4 Change (V4C) or Safecity.

The poetry and human-stories by International Women’s Day (see videos below) and We Are Unity’s: Choose to Challenge  are good examples of empowering individuals to tell their own stories.

Principle 4: DON’T DO IT ALONE

Whom do our audiences trust most? Who is best at campaigning and marketing? Who has the most powerful stories to tell? If it is not us, then we need partners. There are thousands of collaborators out there, representing all sectors and skill sets. Strategically choose collaborators that suit your campaign needs and audience best. Cross-promotion of campaigns & information within your networks is also an effective way to boost your own’s reach. 

Check out the Spotlight Initiative, led by the European Union (EU) and UN.

Principle 5: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

If your target audience is on TikTok, then forget Facebook. If they watch sports, then find an athlete. Our campaigns will have more impact if we begin by listening. We can learn a lot through social media analysis, policy consultations, opinion polls, focus groups and other sources of audience insights.

Principle 6: WIN HEARTS & MINDS

Many campaigns for gender equality are full of emotion, with relatable stories and inspiring role models. To reach government and business leaders, we also need to convey the facts, for example on how gender equality helps achieve their policy and business goals.

UN Women’s #ActForEqual video presents a balanced combination of facts, figures and emotional appeal and is an effective way of encouraging people to act. 

Principle 7: GO MULTI-CHANNEL 

Some of the best campaigns are transmedia. They combine online and offline formats, resonating with audiences in different places at different times. In this ODI panel debate, experts from Girl Effect, the Population Foundation of India and BBC Media Action discuss the pros and cons of different formats.