International Womens Day 2026

08 March 2026

Happy IWD 2026!

Held annually on 8 March, International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – past, present and future. 

Women have contributed greatly to the Ulster-Scots story over the years, including areas of philanthropy, education, science, literature and more. This International Women's Day, we want to highlight some of these remarkable women. 

🔹 Amy Carmichael

Born in Millisle, Co Down, Amy was an evangelical missionary who championed the rights of women and children. Her early ministry was to mill workers, but her enduring legacy is in India. It was there she rescued children from servitude, opposed human trafficking and established the ‘Dohnavur Fellowship’ which still supports hundreds of people today.

🔹 Sarah Leech 

The daughter of a linen weaver, Sarah was born in Ballylennan, near Raphoe, County Donegal, and is one of the few published women writers in the Ulster-Scots tradition of that era. She is fondly known as one of the ‘Rhyming Weaver’ poets.

🔹 Monica de Wichfeld 

Monica de Wichfeld (nee Massy-Beresford) was an Ulster-Scot who became a heroine of the Danish Resistance during World War Two. Her heroic deeds included helping to save the lives of Royal Air Force (RAF) airmen shot down over Denmark, assisting in their safe return to Britain. She also hid refugees and members of the Jewish community who were being sought by the Gestapo.

To learn more about these women's lives and legacies, as well as many other Ulster-Scots women, a series of publications can be found at the below links: 

🔹 Herstory: Online PDF

🔹 Herstory II: Online PDF 

🔹 Herstory III: Online PDF