I am sure it will not have escaped your attention that today is International Women's Day (IWD) – celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as marking a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

IWD has been observed since 1909 and around 27 countries now celebrate the day with an official holiday (in some cases just for women). No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for IWD. Many organisations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely than others, but ultimately the day unites the globe in a single cause, without any political, religious or national sub-text.

Since last year's IWD, we have seen the introduction of gender pay gap reporting and the global movement of the #metoo and #timesup campaigns against harassment, irrespective of gender. Gender parity and equality are certainly hitting the headlines.

Here at Dentons we are also celebrating:

  • Dentons Europe is paying tribute to our amazing women leaders.
  • In Abu Dhabi, our team is inviting clients and prospective clients in the office building to join us for a networking lunch. A similar format is being adopted in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. In Oman, the men and women will invite female clients to join them for a networking lunch in the Sayyidaat Dentons series we have previously run, entitled "Women You Should Meet".
  • In Australia and Papua New Guinea, the teams are celebrating with an afternoon event in each of our Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Port Moresby offices, to announce the winners of the Dentons "Women of Excellence" Awards, an internal staff event.
  • In the UK Dentons is starting a clothing drive for SmartWorks, a charity that helps vulnerable women find jobs, by donating old or unused office wear. We are holding a networking event for female fee earners in each office in the evening, as well as hosting a staff social event in each office.
  • Dentons in Canada has encouraged all offices across the country to hold a fundraising initiative in support of local women's charities. Internal events will be open to all team members.
  • In the US, Dentons will celebrate its second annual WomenLEAD Excellence Awards and host a CLE program with the National Women's Law Center. The Center's Founder and Co-President Emerita Marcia Greenberger and General Counsel and Vice President for Education & Workplace Emily Martin will present "The Legal Landscape During the #MeToo and #TimesUp Movements". Marcia and Emily will discuss how these movements have led to a global momentum striving for gender parity and equality, and have motivated and united individuals to be more gender inclusive.#PressforProgress

But let's not forget – parity is the key here. International Men's Day is on 19 November.

Dentons is the world's first polycentric global law firm. A top 20 firm on the Acritas 2015 Global Elite Brand Index, the Firm is committed to challenging the status quo in delivering consistent and uncompromising quality and value in new and inventive ways. Driven to provide clients a competitive edge, and connected to the communities where its clients want to do business, Dentons knows that understanding local cultures is crucial to successfully completing a deal, resolving a dispute or solving a business challenge. Now the world's largest law firm, Dentons' global team builds agile, tailored solutions to meet the local, national and global needs of private and public clients of any size in more than 125 locations serving 50-plus countries. www.dentons.com.

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