International Women's Day 2026
On International Women's Day, I want to recognise and celebrate the vital contribution women make every day across the financial services, fintech and technology sectors.
Women’s skills, leadership and innovation are helping to shape the future of these industries, and through their collective voice in the Financial Services Union and the wider trade union movement in Ireland, they have also driven important progress in the workplace.
Over many years, trade unions have played a key role in securing fair pay, stronger protections and more family-friendly policies, and women have been central to those achievements. As we mark this day, we recognise both the progress made and the importance of continuing to build workplaces where women are supported, valued and able to thrive.
John O Connell, FSU General Sercretary
2026 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY EVENTS:
Republic of Ireland:
The National Women's Council have a list of events to mark International Women's Day across Ireland including, full list available here
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 7th March |  Survivor's Stories: Mother and Baby Institutions Ireland and Britain Time: 2pm Where: Druid Theatre Galway |
| 8th March |  Women’s Wellness Event @ Rocky Fitness with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services Time: 10.00am-12.30pm Where: Rocky Fitness, Unit 3, Beechlawn Industrial Complex, Greenhills Rd, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 |
 March at Rosie Hackett Bridge Soal Project Time: 11:00am and ending at 13:00 Where: Rosie Hackett Bridge, Dublin
| |
IWD 2026 - ‘LEAD-HERS’ for Amber Time: 13:00am and ending at 15:30 Where: Langtons Hotel, Kilkenny | |
Special Screening Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dervla Murphy (1931-2022) Time: 14:00am and ending at 17:00 Where: SGC Cinema, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
| |
Rebels and Heroines - A Celebration of Women in Opera Time: 17:00am and ending at 19:30 Where: RDS Concert Hall, Merrion Road, D04 AK83
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For details of events continuing until the 13th Marchsee the full list available here |
Northern Ireland:
On International Womens Day, the trade union movement calls on MLAs to support the Good Jobs Bill.
Polling shows major support for new Employment Rights laws from NI Assembly
As International Women’s Day approaches on 8th March, the ICTU has written to every MLA to urge them to get behind a bill which will benefit workers in Northern Ireland, particularly women workers.
The Good Jobs Bill will introduce important rights such as getting rid of exploitative zero and low hour contracts in all but limited circumstances as well as ensuring that every worker can access the support of a trade union in their workplace. The Bill will also regulate for basic work life balance measures such as carers leave, more flexibility for fathers and parents when taking paternity leave, introducing neonatal leave and pay and making the right to request flexible working a ‘day one right’.
A poll conducted by LucidTalk shows that most people in Northern Ireland support improving employment rights, with women even more likely than men to agree to improvements.
‘The results of this poll show how much these rights matter. All parties and all MLAs need to listen to the people and recognise that this Employment Bill offers the best chance to start delivering much needed employment improvements to their constituents. The Assembly has an opportunity to show the people of Northern Ireland that they can pass important legislation, we know the mandate for the Executive is tight so this will only be done if parties cooperate and work together to get this through’ Clare Moore, Equality Officer, NIC-ICTU
International:
BARGAINING FOR EQUALITY ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY - Uni Global Union
The launch of Negotiating Collective Bargaining with a Gender Perspective – A Manual for Union Delegates.
On 8 March, UNI Global Union marks International Women’s Day by highlighting the vital role of unions in advancing gender equality at work, with a new manual on Negotiating Collective Bargaining with a Gender Perspective.
Progress towards equality in the workplace remains uneven. Current estimates indicate that it could take 140 years to achieve equal representation in workplace leadership. Globally, women earn on average 20–30 per cent less than men and women leave the workforce nine times more often than men due to care responsibilities.
At the same time, the backlash against gender equality is expanding. Disinformation campaigns, anti-feminist rhetoric and attacks on women’s rights defenders are escalating, normalizing new forms of discrimination and risking hard-won protections at work.
When unions integrate a gender perspective into negotiations, collective bargaining with employers not only determines wages and conditions – it can also be a transformative tool for equality and social justice.
“More women need to be at the bargaining table to ensure that collective agreements address structural inequalities in the workplace. It’s not just about wages, it’s about issues like protections against violence and harassment, work life balance, parental rights and provisions for women’s health that will help women remain and thrive in the workplace,” said Veronica Fernandez Mendez, Head of UNI’s Equal Opportunities. “This manual is designed to put women’s needs at the centre of collective bargaining to drive out inequality.”
Collective bargaining with a gender perspective can:
• Reduce gender pay gaps through transparent wage structures and pay audits;
• Establish protections against workplace violence and harassment aligned with ILO Convention 190;
• Address unpaid care work through co-responsibility measures and flexible arrangements;
• Create pathways to leadership for women and marginalized groups;
• Strengthen union membership, representativeness and democratic processes.
Gender-responsive collective bargaining that reflects workers’ needs can increase participation in unions and membership, thereby making unions stronger. The manual includes real-life examples collective bargaining wins for women from UNI affiliates in Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Morocco and Sweden.
UNI Global Union General Secretary, Christy Hoffman, said:
“This year we celebrate International Women’s Day in a context of increasing attacks on women’s rights across the board and the growing normalization of sexism in public spaces and in our workplaces. And so it is even more important that unions step up to demand progress on the issues that women care about. Issues like parental leave, protection against sexual harassment and others highlighted in this manual must be front and centre at the bargaining table. We can never forget that a woman’s place is… in her union!”
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Download Manual
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