#IWD 25

Save the date

# IWD 25

Altogether Better

Friday 14 May 10:00am to 3:00pm

At

Chester Visual Arts Exhibition Space

Grosvenor Shopping Centre

Paddock Row, Chester CH1 1ED

Join Us to Accelerate Action

International Women’s Day # IWD 2025

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is celebrated annually. Spurred by the universal female suffrage movement, IWD originated from the labour movements in Europe and North America during the early 20th century and the demand for women’s suffrage. The overarching IWD 2025 campaign theme is 'Accelerate Action'. Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres. This is particularly pertinent for health for the gender health gap.

Collaboration and partnership

Improving Me will be working with local communities to deliver some key IWD focused activity this March because we believe collaboration is key to advancing women's equality and it’s Altogether Better for everyone. This year we will be putting a spotlight on Chester and Cheshire West with a new partnership to host IWD 2025 with Chester Visual Arts (CVA) and the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. We will be taking over the former H&M unit (opposite TK Maxx ) which has been turned into a beautiful art gallery by CVA which is currently celebrating three female artists from the North West.

The gender health gap

The "gender health gap" in the UK refers to a significant disparity where women generally experience poorer health outcomes compared to men, with the UK having the largest female health gap among G20 countries, meaning women in the UK tend to spend more time in poor health than women in other major economies; this is largely attributed to a healthcare system historically designed around male needs, leading to under-diagnosis and inadequate treatment of women's health issues. 

UK gender health gap headlines

Largest female health gap in G20:

Studies show the UK has the most significant gap in women's health compared to other G20 nations. 

Under-representation in research:

Medical research often uses male bodies as the default, leading to less understanding of women's specific health needs. 

Misdiagnosis and dismissal of symptoms:

Women are frequently not taken seriously when reporting health concerns, leading to delayed diagnoses. 

Impact on quality of life:

This gap results in women spending more time in poor health and experiencing greater disability compared to men. 

 By working together we can make positive change happen and improve everyone’s lives not just women.