Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025

International Women’s Day (IWD) occurs annually on 8 March and honours the achievements of women across all aspects of life whilst calling for gender equality. To celebrate IWD 2025, this blog post takes a look at how Mercia and Wilmington PLC champion and celebrate the women who help our customers do business in the right way.

IWD: a background

Since 1911, IWD has celebrated and highlighted women’s achievements; raised awareness about discrimination and gender inequality; and taken action to forge gender parity. IWD celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, whilst acting as a call to action for achieving gender equality.

In 2025, IWD aims to ‘accelerate action’ to help create a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. IWD’s Accelerate Action campaign represents a worldwide call to ‘acknowledge strategies, resources and activity that positively impact women’s advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation’.

A wide range of effective strategies exist to help to accelerate action in a variety of areas. IWD highlights many of these, including supporting women into leadership and decision making; providing women with access to quality training; forging women’s economic empowerment; and designing and building infrastructure that meets the needs of women

Supporting and championing women at Mercia

Here at Mercia, we champion and support women to achieve their full potential and be the best they can be. Mercia’s culture values individuality: we take great efforts to allow employees to be themselves, and we invest in our employees’ career development.

Victoria Kelly, Mercia’s Managing Director, comments:

‘Whilst I have faced barriers, I am glad to have led and experienced positive change throughout my career to help overcome those. At Mercia, we aim to promote inclusion and diversity. I am passionate that we continue to create a culture that supports and champions all people to pursue and achieve their potential regardless of their gender.’

Lynn Radose, Mercia’s Product Director, says:

‘Mercia and Wilmington value equal opportunities for all. Everyone is encouraged to be themselves, to grow and develop. At Mercia we have a strong leadership and management team comprised of both genders; recognising the skills and experience each individual brings to their role, the business and to our clients.’

Emily Ellison, Technical Services Director at Mercia, comments:

‘IWD is a celebration of equality, strength, and progress – honouring not just women but all individuals who uplift and support one another. It’s a day to champion inclusivity, empowerment and us all being the best we can be.’

Michelle Syson, Mercia’s Client Success and Operations Director, states:

‘IWD is a celebration of the diverse journeys and experiences of women, underscoring the collective efforts of individuals around the world in fostering inclusivity and progress. While IWD may hold different meanings for each of us, it stands as a powerful reminder that together, we can create positive change.’

Wilmington PLC is also celebrating IWD, and as a PLC it is committed to collaboration and taking action for a positive change agenda. Wilmington has a dedicated diversity and inclusion community and champions gender and gender equality, including menopause and wellbeing. Wilmington aims to bring uniqueness to life at work and empower everyone on their journey: it recognises that people’s strengths lie in their different experiences, skills and perspectives.

Mercia and Wilmington PLC are companies with rich diversity, experience, knowledge and perspectives which power innovation and creativity to help their customers to do business in the right way.