Today is a day of hope and pride as we celebrate all of our sisters: young and old, near and far, past, present and future. International Women's Day exists because sometimes we need to remind ourselves just how wondrous women are, each one a kaleidoscope of possibilities, power and beauty. It is a message that we learn before speech, through the love of our mothers, and it is one that can never be spoken too often, too loud, too proud, or too early in life.

When you reflect on the dizzying range of women’s achievements – cultural, political, socio-economic – then 24 hours seems an inadequate portion of time in which to honour them. Women have done, women do, so much. But today is an invitation to pay homage to the amazing women who have made your world a better place, and to consider the ways in which you can expand the possibilities for your daughters, sisters and mothers.

The story of international women’s day is itself one of human connection. The first women’s day, organised in New York in 1909, lit the fuse, inspiring similar events in Germany, Russia, and beyond. What better reminder of how much more we have to connect than divide us?