On International Women’s Day ICN says investing in nursing will bring benefits for women and girls everywhere

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is celebrating International Women’s Day with a call to governments to recognize the benefits of investing in nurses for the healthcare and wellbeing of the global population.

This year’s United Nations International Women’s Day campaign, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,’ echoes ICN’s mission to support and invest in nurses to ensure that they are recognized and valued for the unique contribution that they make to societies everywhere.

And the official International Women’s Day campaign theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’ is also in line with ICN’s ambition to maximize the effectiveness of nurses by helping them to gain access to influential positions in which they can make a real difference to the everyday lives of women and girls.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano said: “Nursing is a 90% female profession, and the care nurses provide is often undervalued without recognition of the substantial positive economic impact that nurses contribute to health care. Investing in nursing creates dividends, not just for nurses and the patients they care for, but for the safety, dignity and prospects of all women and girls.

‘On International Women’s Day, ICN celebrates the achievements of nurses everywhere as we continue in our efforts to make the world a healthier and safer place for all humankind.

‘Today would be a good day for governments to recognize that investing in women, and in nursing in particular, that brings health, economic and societal benefits that far outweigh their initial costs. We need many millions more nurses, both women and men, to meet the needs of the world’s growing population, and there are millions of women who would willingly join the ranks of the nursing profession if they were only given the chance to do so. We are calling on governments to do just that so that we can finally reap the rewards of a far-sighted investment in the good of us all.’

International Women’s Day is described as a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women's equality.

The corresponding United Nations’ campaign this year is focusing on a lack of spending on gender equality measures that is preventing the creation of prosperous and just economies, and a healthy planet for future generations.