To mark International Women’s Day, The Independent is shining a spotlight on the most influential female figures shaping British society today in its Independent Women 2025: The Influence List. In collaboration with Outernet London and visionary photographer Sane Seven, striking portraits of 12 of the women featured on the list will be displayed on screens to the public throughout March. The exhibition, entitled Women.Now, will be viewed by hundreds of thousands of Outernet visitors in the heart of London, who will be encouraged to learn more about domestic abuse charity Refuge and share their thoughts on gender discrimination and what needs to be done to expedite desperately needed progress.
The Independent is also launching a new programme, Make it in Media, with the charity Inspiring Girls. The initiative is designed to inspire and empower school-aged girls by introducing them to career opportunities in the news industry via immersion sessions with The Independent’s editorial and commercial teams.
This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is ‘Accelerate Action’. With gender equality still more than a century away – projected not to be reached until 2158 at current rates of progress – it won’t be until five generations’ time that women have the same opportunities and rewards as men. The Independent is responding by calling for urgent and transformative change: it is saying Women.Now.
Women.Now focuses on women today, drawing attention to the lived experiences of women from all walks of life – those recognised in the Influence List, The Independent’s audience, Outernet visitors, and women who are impacted by domestic abuse. Women.Now is also a rallying cry for essential action – stating that we must act now in order to achieve the long-overdue goal of gender parity.
Independent Women 2025: The Influence List
Independent Women 2025: The Influence List recognises 50 women who are making an indelible impact on British society today, pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers. The dynamic and diverse list, now in its third year, spans vastly varied fields such as entertainment, campaigning, sport, politics, business, art, literature and fashion. Though their paths may differ, the women spotlighted share a common thread – shaping the world around them.
The top ten most influential women featured on this year’s list are:
Women.Now exhibition in partnership with Outernet, Refuge and Sane Seven
The Independent is exhibiting portraits of 12 of the women on the Influence List, in partnership with Outernet and renowned photographer Sane Seven, who is known for work which ignites conversations around gender equality.
Each woman has been asked about their experiences and thoughts around the female experience; these video interviews will be screened alongside the portraits at Outernet, the most-visited cultural attraction in the UK, until 31 March.
In alphabetical order, the 12 women featured in the Women.Now exhibition are:
Aligning with The Independent’s mission to make change happen, the Women.Now exhibition will help to generate awareness for its charity partner Refuge, with attendees learning about the organisation’s vital work and asked to make a donation to support its lifesaving services.
Visitors and readers will also be invited to share their views on gender discrimination. Their contributions will be collated and featured in The Independent and at Outernet – giving a fascinating snapshot of the nation’s stance on this crucial issue – and inspiring action.
The portraits will be exclusively exhibited on screens free of charge for visitors to Outernet’s Now Trending space, where daily footfall stands at 223,000.
Make it in Media
The Independent is teaming up with global charity Inspiring Girls to launch a new initiative aimed at encouraging future female talent and accelerating gender progress. Make it in Media will consist of immersion sessions connecting female students (aged 16-18 years old) with women in The Independent’s commercial and editorial teams, helping them to pursue a career in media. Participants will shadow members of the Independent team and learn about the opportunities, challenges and skills required in media careers.
Senior figures from across The Independent will be participating in the scheme, alongside female figureheads from its Independent Media sister brands – HuffPost UK, Buzzfeed UK, Seasoned and Tasty – including:
Inspiring Girls is a charity dedicated to raising the aspirations of girls by connecting them with female role models. It introduces girls to a range of careers and opportunities in life, with the goal of overcoming gender stereotypes and empowering the next generation of women to be anything they want to be.
Demanding action for women
Helmed by female editors in both the UK (Chloe Hubbard) and US (Louise Thomas), The Independent has a longstanding commitment to amplifying the voices of women and underrepresented groups worldwide. To mark International Women’s Day 2025, The Independent will publish a series of opinion pieces from guest writers, several of whom are featured in the Women.Now exhibition, including Tasha Ghouri, Cathy Newman, Carla Denyer, and Layla Moran. Other contributors include Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive at the Howard League for Penal Reform. Their articles will include a range of views and experiences of womanhood, sexism and the pursuit of equality.
Chloe Hubbard, UK Editor of The Independent said: “Our aim this International Women’s Day is to make a tangible difference to the lives of women. We are responding to the shocking statistic that gender parity won’t happen until 2158, by stating that it’s imperative to focus on women, now. With escalating discrimination and shocking levels of domestic abuse, it is absolutely crucial that we come together to devise smart, fast solutions to ensure women have the opportunities, recognition and safety that they deserve. This International Women’s Day – and every day – The Independent is dedicated to recognising women’s achievements, amplifying their voices within our journalism and fighting for their freedoms. I’m enormously proud of the brilliant women and allies at The Independent who have made this happen, grateful for our partners at Refuge, Outernet and Inspiring Girls, and steadfast in our commitment to equality for all.”
Jessica Dracup-Holland, Chief Marketing Officer at Outernet added: “Outernet is incredibly proud to celebrate our second year of partnership with The Independent for International Women’s Day. This year’s theme calls on us to not only recognise gender disparities but to take meaningful steps toward true, sustainable change. Through this partnership, we are evolving our efforts to create a movement for women to be heard, seen, and celebrated, and for necessary change to happen right now. From the trailblazers featured on The Independent’s prestigious list to the millions of women pushing boundaries every day; we must stand united. Together, we have the power to drive real-world change and make a lasting impact.”
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, Chair of Trustees at Refuge, remarked: “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with The Independent as it celebrates 50 of the most influential women of the moment. It’s an honour to be part of this powerful exhibition, which also serves as a great platform to uplift and empower women, ensuring that their voices are heard at all times. As a domestic abuse charity, we understand how vital this is and remain committed to supporting women affected by abuse, helping them to rebuild their lives.”
Sane Seven, photographer, commented: “Every woman in this series has fought to make things move faster whether in business, science, politics, activism, or the arts. Change is slow until someone pushes. This is about the ones who accelerate action—pushing until the engine runs red hot.”
Miriam González Durántez, the founder of Inspiring Girls, said: “For nearly a decade, Inspiring Girls International has been connecting young girls with role models to broaden their horizons and raise their aspirations. It’s a simple idea with extraordinary power, because when girls see what women from all backgrounds and career paths have achieved, they believe they can achieve it too. We’re proud to be working in 40 countries globally, and across the UK, inspiring girls to dream big, and challenge outdated gender stereotypes. This International Women’s Day, we’re delighted to partner with The Independent to offer immersive sessions for sixth formers in the UK. This initiative perfectly aligns with this year’s theme to #AccelerateAction towards gender parity, which is currently not expected to be achieved until 2158 – five generations from now. That’s far too long to wait. Together, we can and must empower girls to pursue their ambitions in a world that is fairer, faster.”
