Celebrated every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day (IWD) aims to highlight the indispensable contributions made by women all over the world in societal, economic, cultural, and political aspects. On this year’s International Women’s Day, we invite you to:
celebrate women's achievements
educate and raise awareness about women's equality
call for positive change advancing women
lobby for accelerated gender parity
fundraise for women-focused charities
There is reason this year’s International Women’s Day is themed on “Accelerate Action”: the need to speed up progress towards achieving full gender parity is more urgent than ever.
According to data from the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158—nearly five generations—to close the global gender gap. This stark reality underscores the importance of taking swift, decisive action to dismantle systemic barriers and biases that women face in both personal and professional spheres.
The “Accelerate Action” theme is a global call to identify and strengthen strategies that effectively advance women’s rights and opportunities in any and all areas and industries. By understanding what works and scaling these efforts accordingly, we can collectively drive meaningful change and create a more equitable future for women everywhere.
Celebrated every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day (IWD) aims to highlight the indispensable contributions made by women all over the world in societal, economic, cultural, and political aspects. On this year’s International Women’s Day, we invite you to:
celebrate women's achievements
educate and raise awareness about women's equality
call for positive change advancing women
lobby for accelerated gender parity
fundraise for women-focused charities
There is reason this year’s International Women’s Day is themed on “Accelerate Action”: the need to speed up progress towards achieving full gender parity is more urgent than ever.
According to data from the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158—nearly five generations—to close the global gender gap. This stark reality underscores the importance of taking swift, decisive action to dismantle systemic barriers and biases that women face in both personal and professional spheres.
The “Accelerate Action” theme is a global call to identify and strengthen strategies that effectively advance women’s rights and opportunities in any and all areas and industries. By understanding what works and scaling these efforts accordingly, we can collectively drive meaningful change and create a more equitable future for women everywhere.
For more information about this year’s theme and IWD in general, refer to the official International Women’s Day website.
Women in the Hospitality Industry
Despite encountering issues such as lack of representation, women in hospitality continue to display keen judgment, an exemplary work ethic, and outstanding knowledge of the profession. Examples of women driving sustainability initiatives in hospitality include:
Kierra Moore, Hotel Manager at Arlo Chicago, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over a decade of hospitality experience, having held leadership roles at top hotels like The Public Chicago and DoubleTree by Hilton.
A devoted mother of four, she rose to Hotel Manager within a year at Arlo Chicago, showcasing her exceptional leadership and dedication.
Misty Pacheco, Director of Sales at The Pensacola Beach Resort, brings over 24 years of hospitality expertise, specializing in event management and market knowledge.
With a background in directing catering and convention services at top hotels, she elevates events and meetings to exceptional standards.
These inspiring stories of female leaders in hospitality not only highlight their remarkable achievements but also serve as a source of empowerment and motivation for other women in the industry, paving the way for greater representation and leadership opportunities.
Globally, approximately half of all women are in paid employment, compared to 80% of men. When women work, they usually earn less. Data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics shows that women make up 51.2% of the workforce in the hospitality sector. At the same time, however, only 30% of the leaders in the sector are women. According to Business Travel News, for each woman in a chief position at hotel companies, there are 3.4 men with the title.
Women in all industries globally often juggle work with domestic responsibilities, and this balancing act impedes women’s professional advancement and access to career opportunities. Although women make up a majority of the industry, they still lack representation in hospitality leadership. Fortunately, although the Castell Project’s 2021 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report shows that women lack representation in C-suite roles in the hospitality industry, there were certain incremental rises of women in sales leadership roles and conference visibility, which signals hope for an accelerated trajectory in the sector. In 2025, women recently held 24% of the podium spots at hotel investment conferences, compared to 16% in 2017.
To quote Harvard professor Claudia Goldin, who won the Nobel economics prize in 2023 for her groundbreaking work examining gender wage inequality, “The important point is that both lose. Men are able to have the family and step up because women step back in terms of their jobs, but both are deprived. Men forgo time with their family and women often forgo their career.” In building a more sustainable and resilient future for all, it is imperative to advance equitable access to opportunities for women across industries, and key to this process is including women in decision-making roles so that they can bring their perspectives to the table.
Lucia Loposova: A Woman Leader Driving Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry
Lucia Loposova, Founder and Executive Director at GREEN Hospitality, has been championing sustainability and social impact in Hong Kong and Macau, with a future goal of going further beyond Asia.
With an education background in sustainable hospitality and work experience in real estate, marketing, and events, Lucia took up GREEN Hospitality as a project in 2018. The inaugural GREEN Hospitality Conference in 2019 demonstrated the urgent need for such a platform to convene the hospitality industry and facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange around sustainability challenges and solutions. That is how GREEN Hospitality as an organisation was born.
Lucia has led by example as a leader in sustainability in hospitality through GREEN Hospitality. She has led projects on waste reduction for F&B’s in Hong Kong, such as “Zero-Waste to Landfill for the F&B Industry: Creating Circular Systems Through Education, Practice & Partnerships," and has joined panel discussions to advocate for sustainability in hospitality.
She also walks her talk in her daily life through the following efforts:
Reducing Food Waste: Lucia composts food scraps, repurposes items like potato peels into nutritious snacks, and freezes vegetable trimmings to create homemade stock to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable development.
Eliminating Single-Use Items: Lucia uses reusable water bottles, cutlery, and coffee cups as part of her daily routine.
Shopping Sustainably: Lucia buys most of her things secondhand, such as the majority of her furniture, kitchen appliances, and even art supplies or sports equipment, to reduce further waste and promote a more circular economy.
In a recent interview, when asked about her thoughts on the role that women empowerment plays in driving sustainability endeavours, Lucia responded:
“I am a strong believer in female leadership and have observed a growing interest among women in community and social work, particularly in areas rooted in sustainability. My opportunity to work at The University of Hong Kong has further reinforced this belief; I have noticed that the majority of students who join the Impact Lab Course and whom I have taught in social innovation and sustainability, tend to be women.
It’s inspiring to see the drive within the female population to engage in sustainable development and their willingness to put in the necessary work. I firmly believe that women should occupy leading positions in this global movement to transform how we operate businesses and govern societies, and they deserve an equitable representation in these discussions. Since almost 50% of the global population is female, I believe that at least 50% of women must be included in decision-making roles when it comes to leading sustainability movements.”
Accelerate Action Now
The theme of “Accelerate Action” in this year’s International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder to all of us to advance gender equality across all industries. While women make up the majority of the hospitality workforce, their representation in leadership roles remains disproportionately low. However, incremental progress and the slowly growing visibility of women in key roles offer hope for a more equitable industry landscape in the future.
Lucia’s story exemplifies the transformative impact women can have in driving sustainability and social change. Through her leadership, mentorship, personal commitment to sustainable practices, and the composition of GREEN Hospitality’s core team, Lucia inspires others, from youth to corporate leaders and hospitality professionals, to take action and advocate for greater gender parity in decision-making roles.
As we celebrate the achievements of women this International Women’s Day, let us also commit to accelerating action—breaking down barriers, amplifying women’s voices, and creating opportunities for women to lead in sustainability and beyond. Together, we can build a future where gender equality is not just a goal but a norm.