Reflections on International Women’s Day 2026

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026 two MEAD convenors offer their reflections.

Luret Lar, PhD candidate, School of Social Sciences

As I reflect on International Women’s Day 2026, with the theme Give to Gain, I choose to dwell on the United Nations theme:  Rights. Justice. Action for all women and girls, with a special focus on resilience. Must women and girls be resilient? Resilience is the day-to-day strength found in all the women and girls, globally who endure adversity. Resilience is more than surviving, it means rising, reinventing, and leading with courage and compassion. Whether shattering glass ceilings in boardrooms or nurturing communities amidst crises, women’s resilience fuels progress and inspires future generations. As we acknowledge these achievements, we also recognise that the battle continues and we recommit to building a world in which each woman and girls’ resilience meets equal opportunities, support, and respect. Together, we honour the past, empower the present, and shape a more inclusive future.

Anna Skeels, Research Fellow, SPARK Hub

On International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on the multiple forms of violence perpetrated against women and girls worldwide and in the UK, including that which takes place on or is manifest in part online.  My current research on the online recruitment of children into criminal exploitation in the UK, involving a rapid realist review and interviews with practitioners and experts in this field, is providing important insights into how digital platforms can create risks and harm by design.  While not specifically focusing on child criminal exploitation, a great report – ‘Targeting Girls Online’ – published by the NSPCC in May 2025 maps out a fictitious girl’s ‘typical’ user journey in setting up an online service account and using a service and explores the potential each of the design features she encounters on that journey might have to enable or facilitate her being harmed.  The study takes as its starting point the fact that girls are disproportionately victimised online and that girls’ user journeys on online services deserve to be studied in their own right.