Women’s Equality Day – celebration of freedom

Women’s Equality Day is often seen as a moment of celebration—a chance to reflect on progress made and to recognise the rights women have fought for over generations. But for many women, especially Black and minoritised women, the term ‘equality’ doesn’t always reflect their daily reality.

Equality may be written into policy, but it is not yet felt in experience.

At Anah Project, we support women who have lived through violence, coercion, silencing and shame—often shaped by multiple, overlapping systems of inequality. For us, this day isn’t just about marking milestones—it’s about asking whether all women are truly included in the equality we speak of.

Progress on Paper, Not in Practice

There’s no denying that significant legal and social progress has been made over the last century. Women have the right to vote, work, own property, and seek justice when harmed. But when we examine these gains through an intersectional lens—one that accounts for race, class, migration status, and cultural background—it becomes clear that some women still face deep systemic exclusion.

For Black and minoritised women:

• Access to justice remains uneven. Reports of abuse are often dismissed or mishandled.
• Healthcare outcomes are poorer. Black women are more likely to be misdiagnosed or receive delayed care, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Economic inequality persists. Black women are overrepresented in low-paid, insecure work and underrepresented in senior leadership roles.
• Support services are frequently not designed with cultural sensitivity or language accessibility in mind, which can discourage women from seeking help.

The structural inequalities that impact Black and minoritised women are not a result of chance. They are the result of longstanding social hierarchies—some dating back to colonialism and slavery—that continue to shape opportunity, safety and visibility.

Where One-Size-Fits-All Equality Falls Short

Mainstream feminist narratives often focus on universal rights. But these “universal” conversations tend to reflect the experiences of the most socially privileged—usually white, middle-class women. When these perspectives dominate, other women’s realities are pushed aside.

At Anah Project, we regularly encounter the consequences of this exclusion:

• Migrant women may be trapped in abusive relationships due to their immigration status.
• Women seeking support may face barriers around language, community pressure, or fear of not being believed.
• Survivors of so-called ‘honour’-based abuse, forced marriage, or intergenerational trauma are often met with confusion or minimisation by statutory services.

Equality without cultural understanding is not true equality.
Equality without addressing racism is not true equality.
Equality without centring marginalised voices is simply a reflection of power—not progress.

 

A More Honest Definition of Equality

If we are to make real progress, we need to redefine what equality means. It is not just about having the same rights or treatment. It is about creating systems that account for difference—systems that are flexible, responsive, and just.

For Black and minoritised women, this means:

• Services that are culturally safe and trauma-informed.
• Public narratives that reflect a wider range of experiences.
• Policy shaped by the voices of those most affected, not just those with the most influence.

Women’s Equality Day should be a time not only to mark achievements but to confront uncomfortable truths. If some women are still routinely silenced, disbelieved, or left behind, we cannot claim that equality has been achieved.

Gentle Questions to Reflect On

This day offers a chance to pause—not with blame, but with awareness. Consider:

• Whose voices are absent when you talk about women’s rights and safety?
• Do the systems around you meet the needs of all women—or just some?
• What does equality look like when layered with race, class, language or trauma?

These are not abstract questions. They have real consequences for women living in fear, navigating services, and trying to rebuild their lives.

Moving Toward Inclusive Justice

At Anah Project, we continue to advocate for a future where women’s safety is not conditional on their postcode, their passport, or their proximity to power. We believe that equality must be rooted in justice—and justice must be shaped by those at the margins.

Women’s Equality Day is not just about what has been achieved. It’s about what still needs to be done—and who must be at the centre of that work.