International Women's Day was started over 100 years ago to draw attention to issues of gender equality and to celebrate the achievements of women. 

Encouraging, and indeed celebrating diversity is just as relevant today as it was then and as Britain’s leading home entertainment and communications company, Sky has a huge role to play. That is why we are marking International Women’s Day both on and off screen.

On screen, we are showing a range of themed programming across our channel portfolio. Every evening at 8pm until Sunday 9th March, Sky Arts will be showcasing leading-lady performances from the likes of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins. On Demand, we are showcasing ‘leading ladies’ box sets, including Stella and The Face.

Over in sport, during the course of this week, Sky Sports News have been featuring special reports about women in sport. These include an interview with Heather Rabbatts, who sits on the FA Board, about her life in sport, as well as a piece with Judy Murray talking about her desire to get more women into sport. Finally, on Saturday, Game Changers will feature inspiring female sportswomen including Ebony Rainford-Brent, the first black woman to play cricket for England.

Here at Sky HQ itself, we are today hosting a bespoke live streamed event, delivered in partnership with the everywoman Network. The 90-minute session will be hosted by Sky Sports presenter Ben Shephard and will include a keynote by Kelly Hoppen MBE, as well as a boys vs. girls gender intelligence quiz fronted by husband and wife presenting duo Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

At Sky, we believe it is vital to have a diverse workforce. It ensures we get the best talent and means that our people better reflect wider society and our customers. Ultimately, it makes us a stronger business.

Since 2009, we have been working to increase the proportion of women in areas where they have traditionally been under-represented. Currently around 40% of our workforce is female and 37% of managers are women. We regularly measure and monitor to keep track of how we’re doing. We have also struck partnerships with organisations such as Opportunity Now, the largest campaign for female career progression in the UK, Creative Diversity Network and Lean In, the organisation set up by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to encourage women to follow their ambitions. 

In November 2011, we were proud to win Corporate of the Year at the Women of the Future Awards in recognition of the opportunities and support we provide to female employees. Whilst this is a fantastic accolade, we need to go even further. 

On a day dedicated to marking the achievements of women and the century-long campaign for equality, I urge every woman to grab their opportunity and help each other. You can do it!