Today (8th March) is International Women's Day. Yes, there is such a day. I suppose the presence of this special day just goes to show how much further the world still has to go to to achieve global gender equality. This year's theme is gender parity, an issue that I am very passionate about.

Gender parity relates to the equality gap between men and women and is present throughout global society. Education, the workplace, community status are all affected by gender parity, with statistics showing that men generally tend to come out on top. According to the World Economic Forum, the global gender gap will not be closed until 2133. That is 117 years from now. What can we, as individuals, do to reduce this gap?

The easiest way to make a difference is to pledge to accelerate gender parity by going to the International Women's Day website, internationalwomensday.com. Here, as an individual, company, or group you can make a difference. They give you a plethora of ways in which you can make a difference. I have pledged to make my difference, right here on this blog.

On International Women's Day and beyond, I pledge to help women and girls achieve their ambitions. Using this tiny community I have right here, I would like to use history to inspire the next generation of female game changers. Throughout history, women were often behind the greatest triumphs, inventions, and social movements of a particular period. My new series Female Game Changers of History hopes to showcase them in the best possible light, highlight their successes, and inspire female success. If just one post inspires one girl to chase their dream, then this pledge will have worked. 

I was inspired to make this series after watching this short video by Kronos, which celebrates working women and their pioneering achievements through the years: 

As a girl who grew up in Britain, went to school, worked hard to get into university and was lucky enough to be supported by my parents, I feel like I had a very privileged childhood. My family has never had tonnes of money, but my mum and dad have always supported my sister and I through everything we do. I am on the road to where I want to be, and I feel like it is time to help someone else get onto their path to success. 

I hope you all, as readers of this blog, will support the Female Game Changers series and enjoy reading more about the women from the past who shaped our present. I would love to hear your stories, comments and opinions regarding gender parity, gender equality and International Women's Day. I truly believe that if we all, as a blogging community, took a moment to raise awareness of gender parity, it would take less than 117 to achieve global equality.

Beth x