Three women standing side by side while making a heart shape with their hands

International Women's Day 2024

#InspireInclusion

#IWD2024

About International Women's Day

Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day inspires people everywhere to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions and achievements of women. The day marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and a more inclusive world.

Inspired by America’s National Women’s Day in 1909, the first International Women’s Day celebration took place in 1911, when more than a million people rallied for working women’s rights in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Since then, International Women’s Day has grown into a global movement—a call to action for people everywhere to participate. We are proud to continue our annual participation and invite you to join us to create a more inclusive and just world.

Learn more about International Women’s Day here

At Ricoh, we stand with women everywhere, every day.

Building awareness

Achieving gender parity for all people requires constant attention and action throughout the year, and we still have a long way to go.

While our Ricoh journey had been underway for quite some time, in 2016 a member of our Ricoh team in Latin America came forward with an idea. She had just participated as a speaker at another company’s International Women’s Day event, and was so inspired that she recommended we bring International Women’s Day to Ricoh.

She did something simple – something we all can do – she raised her hand. That one action sparked conversation that quickly grew into a movement at Ricoh.

Since then, we have celebrated International Women's Day at Ricoh locations in more than 45 countries around the world.

A global effort toward gender parity

The United Nations has established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to empower progress for people, our planet, and prosperity. We have joined this essential effort.

We believe gender parity can empower all 17 goals. And we have a long way to go. Today, women represent just 25.6% of national parliaments globally, 36.3% of local governments, and 28.2% of managerial roles. (UN SDG 5)

Working for a just future

Each one of us can contribute daily to building awareness, promoting diversity, and accelerating gender parity in the world. Our March 8 celebration of International Women’s Day reminds us that awareness is not enough – we need to take action.

So, join us on International Women’s Day to celebrate women and renew our commitment to working for a just future every day.

How you can participate

Join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your pictures and reaffirm your commitment to working for gender equality.

Here are some other ways to get involved:

Actively seek ways to help other women and girls achieve their ambitions
Seek opportunities to educate and raise awareness
Embrace opportunities to influence behavior and abolish stereotypes
Actively seek and encourage women to apply for positions within your organization
Create opportunities to share your talents with organizations that support women
Ensure that special project teams reflect diverse talent within your organization
Fundraise for women's causes
Start or support a women-owned business
Encourage and support girls and women in STEM