International Women’s Day 2026
International Women’s Day takes place this year on Sunday 8th March 2026 and celebrates the achievements of women.
The first IWD Day took place back in 1911 supported then by over one million people. Celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, the day also marks a call to action for better gender equality.
If you are planning an event this year either on the 8th March or around that date, these are a few of the inspirational speakers we would recommend.
Anj Handa is a globally recognised speaker, changemaker, and strategist with over two decades of experience driving equity, inclusion, and courageous leadership. Her expertise spans inclusive governance, cultural transformation, and radical self-care.
Named by Forbes as one of the “10 Diversity & Inclusion Trailblazers You Need to Get Familiar With,” Anj is celebrated for her ability to blend bold storytelling, lived experience, and actionable strategy to create transformative change across sectors.
As the Founder of Inspiring Women Changemakers, Anj has cultivated an international community of changemakers that champions intersectionality, justice and collective action.
Anj’s impact reaches far beyond the stage. She has spearheaded national campaigns that have influenced UK policy, most notably a high-profile case involving a family at risk of Female Genital Mutilation, which helped catalyse reform in asylum and safeguarding practices.
Anne Wafula Strike, MBE PLY, is an inspirational and motivational speaker on overcoming adversity, diversity, inclusion and disability awareness. Anne was a fit and healthy child before polio struck when she was two years old. She was given the middle name of Olympia at birth, a title of prophetic significance for the future and prescient of hurdles she would face in forthcoming years
After completing A-levels and graduating from Moi University with a Bachelor of Education degree, Anne taught at Machakos Technical College in Kenya before meeting the man she would marry – which lead her to Britain, motherhood, wheelchair racing, disability advocacy and charity work.
Charity work is something she does tirelessly, and as well as giving her time to a wide variety of charitable organisations she set up the charity, The Olympia–Wafula Foundation, whose main aim is to empower the differently-abled (disabled) people in the developing world
Maria Conceicao is more than her description: innovator, humanitarian, the first Portuguese woman to summit Everest or trek to the North and South Pole. She’s a philanthropist, a teacher, a mother figure to dozens of successful young people – and a compelling public speaker who elevates her audience as she relates her own incredible journey.
Born into poverty, Maria began cleaning toilets. No one would have expected that she would ever rise beyond an early marriage and a life of gruelling manual labour. Through sheer force of character, however, she became an elite flight attendant who travelled the world in luxury. Most would have accepted this as a satisfying definition of success, but Maria hadn’t even begun. Her purpose became clear the day she witnessed unspeakable poverty in the slums of Bangladesh, and she vowed to do something, anything, to lift the children she saw living there out of crushing, hopeless circumstances.
Through a series of challenges designed to raise money for these children’s educations, she overcame staggering odds. Never an athlete, she trekked to the North Pole and the South Pole. With no background in mountaineering, she trained for the arduous physical task of climbing Mt. Everest. With incredible endurance and sense of purpose, she learned to swim so she could cross the English Channel, raise money, continue her philanthropic work and work toward her goal: to help transform the lives of others less fortunate.
Recognising the power of her story, organizations around the world have invited Maria to speak about the trajectory of her life and to encourage others to pursue their own goals and dreams. She has been a keynote speaker at events from small corporate events to audiences in the thousands. She has spoken for the John C. Maxwell annual event, Harvard Alumni and other top-level events in Europe, USA and the Middle East. The result is always the same: a rousing reception by an inspired and grateful audience.
Catherine Mayer is a bestselling author, journalist, speaker and activist. She is the co-founder and President of the Women’s Equality Party and co-founder of Primadonna, the festival celebrating brilliant writing, music and ideas and giving prominence to women, launched in 2019.
Her books include Amortality: The Pleasures and Perils of Living Agelessly; Charles: The Heart of a King, and Attack of the Fifty Foot Women: How Gender Equality Can Save the World! Her most recent book, the memoir Good Grief: Embracing Life at a Time of Death, includes letters written by her mother after both women were widowed at the start of the pandemic. Launched in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in December 2020, it will be published in the US and Canada in July 2021.
She has worked at The Economist, held deputy editorships at Business Traveller and International
Management magazines and spent 11 years as a foreign correspondent for the German news weekly, FOCUS. In 2004, she joined TIME as a senior editor, later became London Bureau Chief, TIME Europe Editor and, finally, Editor at Large. She was the founding executive director of the think tank Datum Future and also consults on the opportunities and challenges of data technology.
These are just a few example of speakers we work with and happy to offer more ideas but as always if we can help with you enquiry please email us on enquiries@scampspeakers.co.uk