International Women’s Day 2026
Article written by Cynthia Rico, PERN Member
The idea we have in the United Kingdom of International Women’s Day focuses mainly on the stories in which western women are the subversive main characters that defy the established rigidity of rules of the patriarchy. And, as important as these stories of fighting for equality and rights are, we seldom encounter those in which women from the Global Majority are featured.
And, from those that are available to us, few speak of how they navigate a country and a culture that is completely different to the world they have known. Here are the stories of Noor and Fatima, talking about their experiences to offer a more inclusive storytelling for International Women’s Day.
"For her, International Women's Day is a reminder of the struggles that women have gone through in search for equal rights and opportunities"
Noor is a Palestinian mother of four, part of the diaspora that has been forced into exile from their homeland, and has had to find the way to make a home away from home, first in Jordan, and now here in the UK. The first few months that Noor spent here were very difficult. It was a new country, a new pace of life, and most of all she found English confusing and different, here in the North West, to the English that is traditionally taught. Despite the many hurdles that uprooting your entire life has posed, Noor has found endless inspiration in her family, and especially, in her daughters, watching with admiration how they are adapting to this new life, and finding it very empowering.
Her words of advice and encouragement for those who are navigating a new country are to push through the fear of what’s new: to make friends and go to the events, to persevere with the language even if its difficult, and to never give up on learning. Noor has found it challenging to adjust to the culture, to the new rules, and to the language, which she deems as a big barrier, especially for those who have children.
When asked what could collectively do to support refugee women Noor highlighted the necessity of having English classes, of having people who will remind them of their rights, of having access to safe spaces where they can meet new people and learn new skills, which is instrumental for homemakers like her who did not get the opportunity to get higher education or expand her skills.
For her, International Women’s Day is a reminder of the struggles that women have gone through in search for equal rights and opportunities. Noor would like everyone to know that after a while in the new country, they will feel safe again. They will feel that sense of belonging again, and everything will be fine after a while. She wants to remind women adjusting to a new culture that they will not feel lost forever, despite what it may feel like at the beginning.
"For her International Women’s Day is a day to honour and celebrate women. It is a chance to bring visibility to the plight for equality at work, at home, and an opportunity for progress for all of us."
Fatima was born in Egypt, where she qualified and worked as a dentist throughout her two pregnancies, balancing long hours of study, training, and eventually working in a professional, very demanding setting with two little children. Fatima loved her job, she loved being able to help people, and found it immensely rewarding.
Her first few months living in the UK were very hard. The culture was very different, and she found very difficult to leave her family and friends behind. What Fatima found most challenging was the
racism that she experienced for wearing her hijab, which had an impact on her mental health, as her choice and the expression of her faith were met with hostility in many occasions. But, despite all the difficulties she has faced, she has met some wonderful people who have been incredibly kind to her, and have supported her and her family, making them feel welcome in this country.
Fatima has drawn inspiration from her faith, from her husband, and from her friends and family, who have been a constant source of support. For two whole years Fatima and her children were separated from her husband before they could reunite with him in the UK. It was a long and difficult time, the kids missed their father, to whom they are very close to, and she missed her husband. Through this difficult time Fatima drew inspiration and found solace in her faith, in her family, in her friends and in the steadfastness of her husband.
There is a certain kind of sadness that comes with leaving your homeland, not only because of the place you grew up in that you will not be able to return to, but because of all the people that you leave behind. While her husband was gone she got closer to her family, who supported her and helped with the children in his absence. Now, even though she is very grateful for being reunited with him, it is her family and friends who she and the children miss. It can be hard to live in another country when you
have left so many loved ones behind.
Above all, Fatima is very excited to start a new life here in the UK, and to adapt to the culture, to contribute and to be a part of the community. She has some words of advice and encouragement to
share with women navigating a new culture: the importance of being patient, especially with yourself, and to never be afraid to ask for help. And last, but most important; to learn to see your uniqueness as strength, not as a weakness.
She regards as the greatest challenge faced by women who are leaving their countries is to be able to find again that sense of belonging, while dealing with how unmooring it feels to leave your family and friends and all you have known behind.
Fatima would love to work as a dentist again, but she would have to start anew. She would have to go through all the exams and get all the qualifications again, even after having had so many years of
experience in the field, and that in on itself can be quite discouraging; especially when you do have the skills, but the highly specialised vocabulary can be a barrier when you are still learning the language.
For her International Women’s Day is a day to honor and celebrate women. It is a chance to bring visibility to the plight for equality at work, at home, and an opportunity for progress for all of us.
She would like everyone to know that wearing a hijab doesn’t mean that she should be judged as a bad person, or to be just seen as a migrant or a refugee. Every person has their own story and the ability to do anything, and appearance doesn’t always reflect who they truly are. Respect and understanding are
more important than quick judgements. Fatima says that we can support refugee women by listening to them and creating real opportunity for them. By providing safe spaces where they can grow, work and are able to be independent.
