Controversy Surrounds Ownership of International Women’s Day Website

International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on March 8, is widely recognized as a global event promoting women's rights and equality. However, the ownership of the website “internationalwomensday.com” has sparked controversy. The site is owned by IWD Support Ltd, a London-based marketing firm led by Glenda Slingsby. While the United Nations has played a significant role in popularizing IWD, it has distanced itself from this website, clarifying that it is not affiliated with the themes or merchandise promoted by the site.

The Guardian

The website has been operational for over two decades and has evolved from a not-for-profit initiative aimed at raising awareness about women's equality to a commercial entity selling merchandise and promoting corporate partnerships. Notable UK organizations, including Sainsbury’s, Barclays, and the University College London, have utilized themes from the website in their marketing campaigns, mistakenly attributing them to the UN.

The Guardian

Each year, the website selects a theme for IWD, such as "Make it Happen" for 2015 and "Accelerate Action" for 2025. These themes have been referenced by various corporations, leading to confusion regarding their official status. For instance, the BBC and the Evening Standard cited the website's theme for 2025 as if it were sanctioned by the UN. In contrast, UN Women, the UN entity responsible for promoting gender equality, confirmed that its official theme for 2025 was "For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment."

The Guardian

In response to inquiries from the Guardian, both the University of Warwick and UCL’s School of Management removed references to the website's themes from their publications, acknowledging their lack of awareness regarding the site's unofficial status. Sainsbury’s also stated that it had no relationship with Aurora Ventures, the parent company of the website.

The Guardian

Financial records indicate that Aurora Ventures had assets of approximately £940,000 in 2023 and 2024, with no charitable contributions reported over the past decade. The website's ownership is mentioned only in its privacy and terms of use pages, raising questions about transparency. The spokesperson for IWD Support emphasized that the website is one of many entities that commemorate IWD, asserting that it does not belong to a single organization.

The Guardian

Critics have raised concerns about the commercialization of International Women’s Day and the potential for misrepresentation. UN Women has reiterated that its themes and colors—purple, green, and white—are determined by a group of global experts and communicated through official channels. The spokesperson for UN Women stated, “We encourage all partners to adopt the United Nations theme,” highlighting the importance of clarity in messaging surrounding IWD.

The Guardian

• “Your inquiry provides an important opportunity to clarify that UN Women and the United Nations are not affiliated with the website referenced.” — UN Women Spokesperson

The Guardian

• “A spokesperson for the university said: “We were not aware of this PR firm or the unofficial capacity of its website.” — University of Warwick Spokesperson

The Guardian

• “The website is one of many groups that now mark the day worldwide. IWD is not owned by one body. The IWD website explains the history of this day and the many groups who are involved, including UN Women, which was established in 2010, nearly a decade after the IWD website was launched.” — IWD Support Spokesperson

The Guardian

This situation underscores the complexities surrounding the ownership and representation of International Women’s Day, as well as the need for clear communication regarding its themes and affiliations.

The Guardian