When Pooja Derashri mentored WordCamp Ahmedabad 2025 — where she also delivered a session focused on empowering women to actively participate in the WordPress ecosystem and the broader tech industry — she noticed something troubling: only 2-3% of speakers were women. Despite a large community presence, female representation on stage was worryingly low.

Rather than waiting for change, Derashri, who co-founded WPVibes and co-reps the WordPress Community Team, took action. In December, she published a call to action on the WordPress Community Team blog, urging WordPress event organizers worldwide to host women-led events for International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, 2025. The idea was simple but powerful: create spaces where women could connect, share knowledge, and step into leadership roles — including speaking at WordPress events.

Now, that initiative has become a reality, with at least 12 IWD events planned across Asia, Africa, South America, and online in March.

“There’s still a gap in representation—not just among speakers, but in volunteer and organizer roles,” Derashri told The Repository. “These events create space for women to step forward and take the lead.”

A local idea goes global

Derashri’s first step was rallying her network in her home country, India, where she saw the issue firsthand. After securing local support, the idea spread, leading to a surge of events in India.

Though the initiative launched late—just three months before International Women’s Day 2025—Derashri is already looking ahead.

“We wanted it to be more global, but we started in December when many were on vacation,” she said. “Next year, we hope to expand it further.”

The initiative aligns with the WordPress Community Team’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts, which include speaker training workshops and mentorship programs aimed at increasing representation at WordPress meetups and WordCamps.

Where International Women’s Day events are happening:

• Voces que inspiran: Women’s Day 2025 Latam – Online – 1 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – Mumbai, India – 8 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – Ajmer, India – 8 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – Ahmedabad, India – 8 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – Surat, India – 8 March
• WordCamp Mukono – Mukono, Uganda – 8 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – Delhi, India – 8 March
• Women WordPress Day 2025 – San José, Costa Rica – 8 March
• EmpowerWP Bhopal 2025 – Bhopal, India – 8 March
• Celebración del liderazgo de las mujeres en Tecnología y WordPress – Cochabamba, Bolivia – 15 March
• Women WordPress Day Guatemala 2025 – Guatemala – 22 March
• Women WordPress Day Nicaragua – Managua, Nicaragua, online – 29 March 29)

For more information check out the full WordCamp Central schedule.

Aiming for lasting change

While International Women’s Day offers a moment for reflection and celebration, Derashri sees the upcoming events as a stepping stone toward lasting change.

“If we can encourage more women to contribute now, they may become speakers, organizers, and sponsors in the future,” said Derashri, who knows the impact of community support firsthand: “If I’m here today, it’s because my community encouraged me. I want to create that same environment for other women,” she said.

While she initiated the effort, she emphasizes that its success relies on local organizers. “It’s their leadership that’s making this happen,” she said.

Derashri is already planning to write a post-initiative retrospective to document key takeaways and measure impact. She hopes to refine the approach and bring even more communities on board in 2026.

With backing from the WordPress Community Team, the initiative is already providing mentorship and promotional support. Derashri’s optimistic that next year’s International Women’s Day WordPress events could be even bigger.

“This isn’t just about India,” Derashri emphasized. “There are many places where women are underrepresented, and we want to support them everywhere.”

Feature image: TORIYAMA Yuko.