Women's History Month provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women while highlighting the ongoing work needed to achieve gender equality. The campaign began in the USA in the late 1970s, and grew to become a month-long celebration by 1987- becoming formally recognised across the UK in 2011. Women's History month is a campaign that continues to raise awareness of women's contributions and the importance of representation across education, leadership and wider society.

Find out more about what the Union is doing throughout the year, and what we have planned in celebration of this campaign below! 

What is currently being done at the Union? 

Our Sabbatical officers came together to collate a list of some of the things they are currently involved in that relate to this campaign. You can find out more about what the Union is up to here. 

• Luana Vasconcelos, VP Voice, attends the University's Athena Swan meeting. The Athena Swan Charter supports gender equality in higher education and research. Originally focused on women in STEM, it now addresses equality more broadly. Through these meetings, the student voice helps shape policies and action plans.
• The Gender Empowerment Campaign, led by VP Support  Sam Buss, has promoted adding pronouns on Teams and supported the Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil in collaboration with the LGBT+ Society.
• The Black Sports Collective, led by VP Activity Kade De Gannes, works to make sports more accessible for Black students, linking to This Girl Can to highlight the extra barriers women from minority communities may face.
• The Union works with students, clubs, societies and the University to put together events and activities to celebrate Women's History Month

What is happening across March? 

The University and Union are hosting several events across the Month to celebrate Women and Women's History. You find the full University and Union's calendar of events HERE. 

This Girl Can Campaign:

The ‘This Girl Can’ Campaign is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage more women to get active, regardless of background, ability, or experience. The campaign highlights the importance of creating supportive and inclusive environments where women feel confident to try sport and physical activity without fear of judgement. From 2 March to 8 March, we proudly hosted a week of activities celebrating the campaign and providing opportunities for more women to get involved in sport.

Throughout the week, we organised a variety of free and inclusive sessions, helping ensure that everyone felt welcome and comfortable taking part. Activities included Squash, Polo and Ultimate Frisbee, while additional sessions such as Ballroom and Latin dance and a Ski session are planned to take place the following week.

One of the highlights of the campaign was the ‘This Girl Can Sunday Run’, which took place on International Women’s Day and was extremely well received. The run began at Surrey Sports Park and finished at Canopy Coffee, where participants were rewarded with a free coffee and pastry. The run also supported Women’s Refuge, and readers can support the cause further through the donation link provided here. It was fantastic to see so many new faces joining the sessions and embracing the campaign!

Mimi Dias Gunawardena, Team Surrey Chair 2025-26

Please find more events coming up below: