International Day of the World's Indigenous Women and Girls
A UN observance celebrating Indigenous women and girls as leaders and knowledge keepers, while raising awareness of the challenges they face.
Date5 September
TopicHuman Rights & Equality
Ways to observe this day
- Learn the stories of Indigenous women leaders worldwide
- Support crafts and products made by Indigenous women
- Share awareness content about the challenges they face
- Follow local or international initiatives supporting their empowerment
The United Nations designated September 5 as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Women and Girls, honoring their historic role in preserving cultures and languages, protecting lands and natural resources, and sustaining traditional knowledge systems across generations.
An estimated 185 million Indigenous women live worldwide, often facing overlapping forms of discrimination based on gender, Indigenous identity, poverty, and geographic isolation. They participate in paid employment at far lower rates than non-Indigenous women and face disproportionate barriers to healthcare, education, land ownership, and protection from violence.
The day highlights the importance of including Indigenous women in decision-making and recognizes their contributions to food security, natural resource management, and community resilience, framing investment in their empowerment as essential to building a fairer, more sustainable future for everyone.
