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The last few years have seen a lot of progress for women and girls.

We have seen the gender pay gap in the UK fall to its lowest level, and got more women sitting on the boards of Britain’s top businesses than ever before. We have pledged to eliminate all violence against women and girls, backed by £80m funding across Government. And in 2014, as the then Development Secretary, I held the first ever Girls Summit to push for an end to the brutal practices of female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

The Westminster political scene has seen progress on gender equality. We have our second female Prime Minister. Women now make up an unprecedented third of the House of Commons, as well as a third of the Cabinet. And there are a number of cross-party campaigns encouraging women to get into politics so that, increasingly, women can directly shape the policies affecting our country.

This International Women’s Day there is much to celebrate – but we have to continue to be bold if we are to deliver real change for women around the world.

The UK’s role as a world leader on gender equality is a personal priority for me and I am very proud to be a founding member of the United Nations’ first High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Economic empowerment for women is not just about pursuing gender equality. It is also actually in everyone’s long term economic interests. A report by McKinsey Global Institute report estimated that if women in every country played an identical role in markets to men, $28 TRILLION could be added to the global economy by 2025.

That figure represents millions of potential female entrepreneurs, inventors and business leaders who are currently being airbrushed out of the picture. No woman should be held back from fulfilling their ambitions in life.

So we can’t just wait for equality to happen — we need to keep pushing for it.

That is why I am also proud that the UK is leading by example, and becoming one of the first countries to introduce gender pay gap reporting requirements. This law will mean all large employers have to publish their GPG figure, shining a light on where women are being held back.

This extra transparency on data will mean employers can take action to address their pay gap. That could mean helping women return to work after they have started a family, or traditionally male-dominated industries doing more to attract women into their professions.

I am confident that British employers will embrace gender pay gap reporting and, more importantly, will deliver positive change for their female employees as a result.

So there is a lot to be proud of, but there is still a lot of work left to do. We need to pick up the pace as we approach this year’s International Women’s Day, but I remain convinced we can rise to the challenge, and create a world where women and girls can achieve anything.

This message from Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Justine Greening first appeared in Politics Home.

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On behalf of British High Commission (BHC), Department for International Development (DFID) and British Council, I would like to welcome you all to this event to mark the celebration of International Women’s Day that is celebrated every 8 March each year.

It is a pleasure to be here this morning and I’d like to thank everyone for their contributions to making the event such a success. Particular thanks to Inspector Komba for her inspirational speech and to the wonderful MUDA Dance Group. You are a hard act to follow!

International Women’s Day is an important day in my calendar.

Across the globe, women are constantly achieving new firsts: running multinational corporations, becoming heads of state, even exploring space.

And yet, although the equal rights of women are enshrined in international law, no country in the world has achieved gender equality.

This is not only morally wrong; it obstructs achievement of a more secure and prosperous world.

Addressing inequality is not a “nice to have”, or an “add on” to our core work; it is firmly in all our collective interests.

Empowering women and girls improves peace and stability, good governance, economic growth and reduces poverty.

Gender equality is at the heart of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development: which is why we are seeking a Planet 50-50 by 2030.

I am really proud that the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, recently pledged to make UK foreign policy consciously and consistently deliver for women and girls.

He has also appointed our first ever Special Envoy for Gender Equality. She will help drive and install gender equality and women’s issues in our foreign policy.

As you know this year’s theme for IWD is Gender Equality in the Work Place. This is an issue which definitely needs attention. The World Economic Forum estimates that the gender Pay Gap won’t close until 2186. This is too long wait!

With this in mind, I am proud to be the THIRD consecutive female British High Commissioner to represent the UK in Tanzania. There are now around 50 female British Ambassadors and High Commissioners around the world, 14 of us based in Africa. In Britain we have a woman Prime Minister and a female head of state in Her Majesty the Queen.

And we have more women in work and more women-led businesses than ever before. And we’ve more than doubled women’s representation on the boards of our biggest companies since 2011.

But there is still more to do.

Tanzania too has made good progress in addressing gender inequality. Important policy and legal reforms are helping to empower women and girls. These include the commitment to universal education and commitments to tackle violence against women and girls

But despite the achievements, the majority of women in Tanzania, just as in many countries, still face inequality. They have longer working hours, and receive less education than men. Women find it more difficult than men to access resources such as land and finance. And, unfortunately, violence against women and girls also still remains a big issue.

So, that is why I am proud that my government is putting women and girls at the centre of our development efforts both here in Tanzania and around the world.

And I also want to do my bit personally. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Gender Equality in the Work Place. One of the challenges that women face is that they don’t know where to go for advice and support about their careers. I’ve been fortunate to have found two excellent mentors, who have supported me to get to where I am today.

So, I’m announcing today that I am offering to mentor one young Tanzanian women (under 25 years of age) for a 6 month period, every 6 months. She will have the opportunity to shadow me for a day and have monthly meetings over the 6 month period. Details of how to apply are on the UK in Tanzania website.

The UK believes girls and women everywhere should have voice, choice and control over their own lives. And unlocking the potential of half the world’s population is in everyone’s interest.

So here’s to a future that belongs to all of us, where gender will no longer be a barrier to success. Happy International Women’s Day to you all! Let’s #Be Bold for Change together.

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