Google Doodle celebrates International Women’s Day 2024

Happy International Women’s Day! Google Doodle has created artwork to celebrate this global day on 8 March, celebrating all the progress that has been made towards gender equality.

On this day in 1975, the United Nations celebrated International Women’s Day for the first time.

International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe, commemorating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as calling for an acceleration of gender equality.

Today’s Google Doodle depicts an elderly woman reading a book to two other women, surrounded by a huge quilt including symbols of womanhood, sport, science, art and the scales of justice in equal balance, among others.

Sophie Diao, the illustrator of today’s artwork, told Google Doodle that her mother’s side of the family is mostly women, so whenever they would visit family in China, she would spend an entire summer in a multi-generational female group.

“I wanted to capture that cosy, comforting feeling of older generations sharing wisdom and precious quality time with younger folks,” she said.

Ms Diao hopes that this Doodle will inspire people to spend more time with different generations: “There’s so much to learn from the experiences of those who came before us, as well as the wonder of those who are experiencing life for the first time.”

This year’s IWD theme is “Inspire Inclusion”, campaigning for people to strive to inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion.

The theme also hopes that women themselves will also be inspired to be included in all aspects of life, bringing a sense of “belonging, relevance and empowerment”.

People will commemorate IWD in various ways, including campaigns, events, rallies, lobbying, performances, and even festivals and parties.

Marches on this day will focus on issues such as gender equality, racial wage gaps, reproductive rights and the prevention of violence against women, Google Doodle states.

The day also celebrates women who have transformed or made an impact on our societies and have made strides in fighting for equality.

The first IWD was honoured on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. A few years later, following discussions, 8 March was agreed upon for future commemorations.

The day was officially recognised by the UN in 1975, and has adopted its own annual themes throughout the years - this year, it’s “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”.

The UN says that if current trends continue, more than 342 million women and girls could be living in extreme poverty by 2030.

$360bn is needed per year to achieve gender equality. If gender gaps were closed, employment could boost GDP per capita by 20 per cent.