International Women's Day 2026
Celebrating Women’s Achievements and Empowering the Future
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At Inspiring Women Network (IWN), we are thrilled to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), an annual global event that acknowledges and honours the extraordinary achievements and contributions of women worldwide. This year’s celebration will be a time to reflect, recognise, and empower women from all walks of life.
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Our IWD Gala: A Celebration of Strength, Success, and Sisterhood
Our IWD Gala is IWN’s main fundraising event of the year. But more than just a fundraiser, it’s a community celebration. The evening will bring together women from various backgrounds, professions, and experiences, all united by one common goal: empowering women and recognising their achievements.
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Throughout the event, we will honour those who have made a significant impact in their communities and professions. Whether they’ve overcome adversity, achieved greatness in their careers, or simply worked tirelessly to support and uplift others – these remarkable women inspire us all.
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So join us on Saturday 14th March at Chacewater Village Hall for an evening of connection, inspiration, and empowerment.
International Women's Day 2026 Theme: Give To Gain
The IWD 2026 Give To Gain Campaign encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration. Give To Gain emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.
Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time, contributing to women's advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world. What will you Give To Gain gender equality?​
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2026 Keynote Speaker: Anita Amendra
Anita is a human rights lawyer and women’s coach devoted to sustaining the women who sustain the world. She is a social justice advocate recognised for her work supporting women changemakers and human rights professionals to lead sustainably in high-pressure, impact-driven fields—without sacrificing their wellbeing in the process.
Educated in law and holding a European Master’s in Human Rights from the Global Campus of Human Rights, Anita has worked with some of the world’s most respected institutions, including the European Court of Human Rights, regional and international NGOs, and leading human rights law firms. Alongside this global work, she is the founder of a grassroots community enterprise in Sri Lanka, bridging global policy with local impact in conflict and post-conflict communities.
Having experienced burnout twice during her career, Anita brings a powerful combination of empathy and practical insight to conversations on women’s leadership, resilience, and systemic change. Her work responds to the urgent need for sustainable leadership models that do not demand personal sacrifice as the price of impact.
Through her work, Anita creates a rare space where women are supported to lead with resilience, clarity, and compassion. Her approach integrates human rights expertise with advanced training in yoga, meditation, and holistic mind-body practices, enabling women to thrive in their mission while protecting their wellbeing. She is a sought-after speaker on women’s leadership, burnout prevention, and the future of sustainable social impact.
Inspirational Woman of the Year Awards
2026
Celebrating Women and Girls Who Inspire Our Communities
Every year, Inspiring Women Network invites our community to nominate women whose lives, actions, and values inspire others - often quietly, often without recognition. We are excited to introduce this year a new award recognising women under 25.
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These awards are not about status, titles, or public visibility. They are about impact, courage, care, and leadership in everyday life.
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We want to celebrate women and girls who are shaping our communities, supporting others, challenging injustice, and creating change - whether that work is seen or unseen.
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Who can be nominated?*
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Inspirational Woman of the Year Award
(For women aged 25 and over)
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This award recognises a woman whose actions, values, and contribution have made a meaningful difference to others.
We are looking for women who:
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Have gone above and beyond, whether through personal achievement or overcoming adversity
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Have made a meaningful difference in their community, family, workplace, or wider society
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Have supported, uplifted, or advocated for others
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Embody values of care, resilience, solidarity, and integrity- whether their impact is visible or behind the scenes
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Inspirational Young Woman of the Year Award
(For girls and young women aged under 25)
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This award celebrates the voice, potential, and impact of young women and girls who are already creating change or showing exceptional courage and integrity.
We are looking for young women who:
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Are finding their voice and standing up for themselves or others
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Have shown leadership, creativity, or initiative, in school, college, community, or online spaces
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Have overcome challenges or barriers with strength and determination
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Are making a positive difference — even in small but powerful ways​
This award is about recognising potential, growth, and emerging leadership, not perfection or achievement.
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How to Nominate
To nominate someone, please send us:
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The name of your nominee
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Your name and contact details (as the nominator)
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A written nomination of up to 500 words, telling us:
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What this woman does
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Why her contribution matters
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How she has made a difference to others
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We especially welcome nominations that centre women whose work is often overlooked, undervalued, or marginalised.
📧 Email nominations to: contact@inspiringwomennetwork.co.uk
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Key Dates
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Nominations close: 5PM, Friday 20 February 2026
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Winners notified by: Friday 27 February 2026
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Awards presented at: IWN International Women’s Day Gala, March 2026
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Why This Matters
At IWN, we believe recognition is political. By celebrating women and girls in our communities, we challenge whose stories are seen, whose leadership is valued, and whose voices are heard.
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Help us shine a light on the women and girls whose strength, care, and leadership are shaping our communities - often without applause.
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Nominate an inspiring woman today and be part of celebrating collective strength.
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Terms & Conditions
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Nominees must be living in Cornwall.
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IWN staff, directors, and board members are not eligible for nomination.
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You may submit more than one nomination.
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Winners are selected by a panel aligned with IWN’s values and mission.
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Winners will be publicly announced across IWN platforms.
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Award recipients are invited to attend the IWN International Women’s Day Gala.
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There is no cash prize - this award is about recognition, visibility, and celebration.
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If an award is declined, it will be offered to the runner-up.
Sponsor IWD Gala 2026
For just £100, you will receive an A5 page in our programme and give you a shout-out on all our social media platforms, putting you in front of a wide, engaged audience who supports women’s empowerment, culture and diversity, and community initiatives.
Or maybe you'd like to sponsor our special Inspirational Woman of the Year Award?
Show your support by sponsoring this award and offering a beautiful prize to the deserving recipient, like a mini weekend break, spa voucher, or any other thoughtful token that will make her feel appreciated and valued!
This is your chance to:
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Make a meaningful impact on women’s empowerment
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Get your brand in front of an amazing audience
Interested in sponsoring IWD 2025 ? You can contribute straight away via our website, or email us: contact@inspiringwomennetwork.co.uk.
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International Women's Day 2025
Celebrating Women’s Achievements and Empowering the Future
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2025 Women's Day Gala! Your energy, enthusiasm, and support made the evening truly magical.
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What many don’t see is that this celebration begins months before the actual event. The week leading up to the gala is utterly hectic—but the most wonderful part is watching how we, as women, come together to create these uplifting, inspiring, and empowering spaces. The hall was buzzing from 8:30 AM: some of us chopping onions (a teary challenge!), others making flower decorations, ironing, washing, cooking, and some of us even brought along their husbands and children to help. It truly takes a village—a whole community—to bring an event like this to life from scratch. We do it all ourselves together! The result is a profound sense of gratitude, contentment, and immense pride in the community we’ve built. W
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Thank You to our Sponsors, Speakers, & Performers
We’d like to express our deep appreciation to our amazing sponsors, The Farming Mother, Digital Futures (Truro and Penwith College), and Cornwall Legal Centre CIC, who helped make this celebration possible.
A huge thank you goes out to our speakers Gillian Burke, Bhavna Raithatha, and Acappella Sound as well as Jessica Quiñones for their beautiful performances.
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Special congratulations again to our Inspiring Woman of the Year, Sarah Walsh, to our Special Member Award winner, Rae Preston, and to all our remarkable nominees—your stories continue to motivate and inspire us all.
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The connections made, the stories shared, and the sense of community nurtured at our gala remind us why we do what we do. Let’s keep celebrating, supporting, and uplifting women—every single day of the year!
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Thank you for being a part of this unforgettable event. Enjoy the photos and let them bring you as much joy as they bring us!
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2025 Keynote Speaker: Gillian Burke
Gillian is a biologist, presenter and writer, known for her work on BBC Springwatch. She is now the host of If I Ruled the World, the system change podcast that explores how to make the world a fairer place. Whether it’s from the natural or human world, Gillian is fascinated with the universal themes of struggle and loss, defeat and victory, resistance and resilience – this is where her passion for science, soul, and storytelling resides.
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Having earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Bristol, Gillian pursued a career in natural history filmmaking, working her way up the ranks from researcher to producer/director on several Animal Planet and Discovery Channel series, before crossing to be in front of the camera in her mid-40s (a late bloomer).
2025 Keynote Speaker: Bhavna Raithatha
Bhavna is passionate about working with individuals, leadership, HR advisors and EAPS and has helped organisations address their well-being strategies by creating happy, safe and nurturing environments where both employees and the company can thrive.​
She is a highly experienced and accomplished BACP accredited Psychotherapist, Keynote Speaker and Author who has helped over 60,000 individual and business clients with professional coaching support and training.
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Bhavna is also the author of Driven:The Audacity to Thrive in Entrepreneurship - Navigating and Redefining Well-being in Your Business and Life, written especially for business owners navigating the tumultuous world of Entrepreneurship to help them thrive and succeed in their ventures.
2025 Performer: Jessica Quiñones
​Dr. Jessica Quiñones is both an International Flautist (USA born) and a UKCP reg. Music Industry Psychotherapist. Her 25+ years as a professional flautist, teacher and academic have taken her to perform for audiences around the world- from playing at London's esteemed conservatories to Bollywood in Mumbai to Tango in Buenos Aires.
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Dr. Quiñones currently resides in Cornwall where she has an active studio teaching flautists of every musical level and background. In addition, she also has a private psychotherapy practice supporting musicians from all corners of the globe navigate the personal complexities of their artistry.
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For her performance, Dr Quiñones has said the following:
"For the Inspiring Women Network Gala, I am absolutely thrilled to be performing beautifully evocative flute music - written by a global line-up of female composers. Although musical works written by females have often been marginalised in the classical world, I will bring these pieces to life and out of the shadows to shine as we celebrate International Women's Day. The themes of the pieces performed will hold space to celebrate one's homeland, spirituality, and inner landscapes. Let me offer you a feast of colourful sounds, textures and musical shapes in which to immerse yourself."
2025 Performer: Acappella Sound
Acappella Sound are a fun, vibrant and contemporary female acappella harmony group. Meeting at Ladock once a week we practice and perfect mostly 4 part harmony arrangements. We like to sing contemporary songs such as Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Grace Kelly by Mika and Shallow by Lady Gaga, as well as a few older and more classic songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody.
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Most Acappella choruses are highly competitive and hold auditions for ladies to become members, we prefer a more inclusive system and allow everyone who enjoys singing to partake. This hasn’t held us back, in fact it has given us added community pride and allowed us to walk away with trophies from many competitions. We are class winners in barbershop, ladies choir and overall Choir champions for Cornwalls Music festival for 2 years running.
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* Data Protection & Consent
The information you provide will be used by Inspiring Women Network solely for the purpose of administering the Inspirational Woman of the Year Awards and related International Women’s Day communications.
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By submitting a nomination, you confirm that you have the nominee’s consent to share their personal information and story with Inspiring Women Network.
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Shortlisted nominees and award recipients may be invited to attend the International Women’s Day Gala and may be photographed or filmed at the event. Images, names, and short excerpts from nominations may be used to celebrate women’s achievements through Inspiring Women Network’s promotional materials, including social media, printed publications, newsletters, and press releases.
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All personal data will be handled in accordance with data protection legislation. Participation is voluntary, and consent may be withdrawn at any time.