International Women’s Week: Progress, Voice and the Work Still Ahead
- Shane Warren
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
MEDIA RLEASE / AWARENESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
2 March 2026
International Women’s Week is a time to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of women in leadership, education, health, business, family life, and community.
It is a moment to recognise the progress made over generations: expanded rights, greater representation, stronger protections, and a growing recognition of women’s voices across every sector of society. But celebration must sit alongside honesty.
While we honour how far we have come, we must also acknowledge that the work of equality is not complete. Around the world and increasingly in online spaces, we are seeing the rise of movements that diminish, distort, or actively undermine women’s rights and dignity. The growth of misogynistic rhetoric within certain digital “manosphere” communities is not simply a cultural trend; it has real-world impacts on safety, mental health, and social cohesion.
VMHPAA Chair Shane Warren said:
“International Women’s Week is both a celebration and a call to responsibility. Progress does not maintain itself. Respect must be actively upheld. When narratives emerge that devalue women or normalise hostility, we must respond not with silence, but with clarity, equality is not negotiable.”
Gender equality is not a zero-sum game. Advancing women’s rights does not diminish men. In fact, healthier, more respectful gender dynamics benefit everyone by reducing violence, improving relationships, strengthening families, and supporting better mental health outcomes for all.
As mental health practitioners, we see the consequences when disrespect and inequality are normalised. We also see the transformative power of empowerment, education, and early intervention.
International Women’s Week invites us to:
Celebrate women’s leadership and contribution
Challenge misogyny wherever it appears
Support respectful conversations about gender
Promote healthy models of masculinity
Invest in education and prevention
Protect the mental wellbeing of women and girls
Progress is real. But progress requires guardianship.
This week, VMHPAA stands with women and girls, not only in celebration of achievements, but in commitment to the ongoing work of equality, dignity, and safety.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
Susan Sandy, Secretary
Philip Armstrong, CEO
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