Recognising autistic women, mothers and carers on international women’s day

Today for International Women’s Day I want to recognise autistic women and the incredible mothers raising autistic children.
Being part of this community has shown me the strength, patience and resilience that so many women carry every day.

-Dr Anna Kennedy OBE

I never thought I would experience war in my life. It is now a possibility. The future is uncertain now for many of us around the world. Our lives and safety no longer in our control. What can we do? I have loved this song for many years. It moves me to tears every time I hear it.. what can we do?
“Women of hope women of change women of war and pain
I can feel your power in these words she said:
If you’re feeling helpless, help someone If you’re feeling helpless, help someone. Nobody really knows how far they will go to keep on living.
Nobody knows how far they will go to keep on giving and forgiving”
We can help someone. That is what we can do. We can empower each other with acts of caring, compassion and kindness. Let us lead the way forward. Let us shine our light together. That is what we can do.

I wish peace to all on this International Womens Day.

Peace and love.

-Tess Eagle Swan

On this International Women’s Day 2026, under the theme of Action, I say with conviction: women can do anything. Action is more than a word; it is courage in motion. It is stepping forward when it would be easier to stay silent, breaking barriers that were never meant to limit us, and leading change that transforms lives.
Through the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, we have turned heartbreak into action, embedding understanding, respect and accountability into health and social care, and driving better outcomes for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.Action also means creating a world where autistic women and girls can say, proudly, I am autistic, without fear or apology. It means recognising strengths such as loyalty, honesty, unique problem-solving and intense focus, and valuing these as assets, not deficits. It means moving beyond “masking” building environments where women do not feel compelled to hide their differences to fit in, but are supported to thrive as their authentic selves.
As women, as leaders, and as changemakers, we must continue to act, boldly, compassionately, and unapologetically, to build a society where equality is real, inclusion is lived, and every woman is free to be exactly who she is.

-Paula McGowan OBE

Video by Daisy Hutchinson

Video by Samantha Lee Howe