International Women’s Day is a rallying call for action
On International Women’s Day, the bold call for action for all women and girls worldwide is: Equal rights. Equal opportunities. Equal power.
The 2025 theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.
"As the first female Secretary-General of WMO, I am leading initiatives to prioritize the inclusion of women,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“We know that extreme weather disproportionately impacts them, so our services must be designed to meet their unique needs. Women and girls bring vital perspectives to disaster risk reduction and climate action. They make a real contribution to economic prosperity,” said Celeste Saulo.
“We're promoting their roles in science, ensuring access to technology and education, and collaborating globally to enhance early warning systems. At WMO, we’re building a future where women and men alike thrive."
This year’s International Women’s Day marks the 30th year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was considered the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action transformed the women’s rights agenda in areas such as legal protection, access to services, youth engagement, changing social norms, and women’s participation in peace.
WMO is deeply committed to advancing gender equality, recognizing that extreme weather events, water-related disasters disproportionately impact women and girls worldwide.
The WMO Gender Action Plan strives to ensure that women are not only beneficiaries of our policies but also active leaders in shaping resilience, disaster risk reduction and the early warning systems.
WMO supports better access for women to technology, information, science education and technical training to strengthen the voice of women scientists and technologists and to ensure that the weather, water and climate services provided by WMO and its Members serve the global community – men, women, boys and girls.
- For example, in 2024, WMO worked with UNWOMEN in developing a curriculum of a Women Leadership Training for Climate and Disasters, which was rolled out with WMO Members from Africa during the Africa Regional Multi Stakeholder Forum for Early Warnings for All. This training will be used by WMO in empowering women scientists and professionals from the various National Hydrological and Meteorological Services, not only in Africa but worldwide.
- Starting this year, in East Africa, WMO will work with UN Women to strengthen the strategic plans of institutions involved in climate action, reinforce regional strategies among Members, and promote partnerships with organizations working on gender at local and national levels.
To mark the day, WMO will host an art exhibition demonstrating both the women affected by environmental disasters and the women scientists advancing weather, water and climate services globally, highlighting women’s diverse roles and participation in climate action.
By visualizing these diverse impacts, the exhibition seeks to spark discussions and emphasize the essential role of women in strengthening environmental services.
