International Women's Day - 8th March 2023

What is International Women's Day?

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate and recognise the achievements of women around the world. This year, it takes place on Wednesday, 8th March and has a theme of DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. According to the UN, ‘37% of women do not use the internet, and around 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, even though they account for nearly half the world’s population... By 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to STEM areas. Yet today, women hold just 22% of position in artificial intelligence, to name just one.’

What resources are there on Purple Mash to help teach about this day?

Why not start with learning all about the purpose of International Women’s Day and the importance of a gender equal world and writing about it with this template. Or perhaps you’d like to think about your ideal female role model. Who are they? Could they be a family member, sportsperson, celebrity, or community member? What makes them a role model? What do they do? Answer all these questions and more with the My Female Role Model writing frame.

Well Known Women

You’ll also find a huge range of well-known female figures past and present within the International Women’s Day area of Purple Mash. From politicians and nurses to Olympians and scientists, we have them all.

The list begins with Ada Lovelace. Inside her folder you'll see a slideshow and a quiz, along with a factfile for children to complete. We also have resources on the incredible Rosa Parks, where you can create an interview or newspaper report about her contribution to the Civil Rights movement.

The suffragette movement pathed the way for equality regarding women being allowed the vote. One of the main leaders of this movement was Emily Davison. We have several activities that you can use to understand why Emily Davison is celebrated on IWD. Use 2Email to respond to Emily about what she has achieved and the key points about why the suffragette movement was needed.

Do you want to have a conversation with Olympian, Jessica Ennis-Hill? Use 2Email to chat to her about her successes and find out more about her. To practice your writing skills, use our writing template to write all about her and her achievements.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse during the Crimean War, in which she organised care for wounded soldiers. Our 2Email simulation allows children the chance to speak to Florence Nightingale, helping her persuade the British government to improve the conditions for injured soldiers. For your younger pupils, you can use our Florence Nightingale Mashcam and write a thought-bubble about what she is thinking. For the older pupils, use our Interview template to create a magazine article about her life, or alternatively read about her life with our Florence Nightingale slideshow.

We also have activities to use celebrating Grace Darling, an English Lighthouse Keeper’s daughter, who participated in the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838. For pupils in Year 4-6, they can write a newspaper article about the shipwreck and Grace Darling, or alternatively, create a magazine-style article about the rescue whilst testing their interview skills.

DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality

If you want to honour this year's theme of DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality, why not use some of our computing tools with your class? Encourage the girls in your class to lead a small group in creating a game in 2Code or 2DIY3D, create animations in 2Animate which highlight topics for discussion on this day, or design a new invention specifically designed for women in 2Design and Make.

Books for International Women's Day

If you've got access to Serial Mash, then we have some great books for you to read with your class on International Women's Day.

We have some brilliant non-fiction books courtesy of DK Learning:

We also have some lovely stories with girls as the main characters:

Ages 5-7:

Ages 7-9:

Ages 9-11:

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These are just some of the women celebrated within the International Women’s Day area of Purple Mash. Be sure to explore to find even more activities, quizzes and games about a diverse range of female icons.

Share how you’re celebrating International Women’s Day with us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.