TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s diplomatic allies hosted a luncheon in Taipei on Wednesday to celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8).

Thirty-one women diplomats in Taiwan attended the event, which was organized by Ambassadors Andrea Bowman of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Candice Pitts of Belize, Anjanette Kattil of the Marshall Islands, and the Embassy of Tuvalu, according to a press release.

Kattil urged attendees "to celebrate the contributions of women [and to] embrace the 2025 IWD theme, which emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality."

Former Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to Taiwan Jasmine Huggins, who served in that capacity for 13 years, highlighted ongoing global gender inequality in a speech. Despite "significant gains in education and the erosion of legal barriers," women and girls still face discrimination, she said.

Huggins noted that 59 countries lack legislation addressing workplace sexual harassment, while in 18 countries, husbands can legally prevent their wives from working.

Only four of 45 countries elected a woman as head of state or government in 2024—three of them for the first time, she pointed out.

This year’s IWD theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," reflects the fight for "equal rights, power, and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind," according to the UN.