Inclusion calendar 2025

Significant days we recognise with our community

Discover days and dates that lead inclusivity and foster dialogue. Join in thought-provoking discussions to mark the importance of these times within our communities. Together, let's build a campus where everyone feels valued and empowered. Explore the upcoming celebrations and acknowledgments below and note the dates significant to you. Be part of the change towards a more inclusive society.

UOW’s EDI calendar captures most dates of significance, but we acknowledge that there may be other dates to include. Please email the EDI-Team@uow.edu.au if there’s something you’d like to add.

World Braille Day

Saturday, 4 January, 2025

World Braille Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication for blind and partially sighted people. Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion.

Epiphany

Monday, 6 January, 2025

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus and the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God.

Orthodox Christmas

Tuesday, 7 January, 2025

Orthodox Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ according to the Julian calendar observed by some Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Orthodox Epiphany

Sunday, 19 January, 2025

Occurring on 19 January, this feast commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and the revelation of the Holy Trinity.

World Religion Day

Sunday, 19 January, 2025

The aim of World Religion Day (which takes place on the third Sunday of January each year) is to promote understanding and peace between all religions, encouraging people to learn about other faiths and their followers.

International Day of Education

Friday, 24 January, 2025

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education. The role of education in breaking boundaries between cultures and countries, and maintaining peace and equality, is celebrated noting that education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.

Australia Day / Survival Day

Sunday, 26 January, 2025

26th of January is the official national day of Australia. To Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this day marks the commemoration of a deep loss – loss of their sovereign rights to their land, loss of family, loss of the right to practice their culture. This date also provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the opportunity to reflect on the survival of the oldest living culture in the world.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Monday, 27 January, 2025

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops on 27 January, 1945. The day reaffirms an unwavering commitment to counter antisemitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance that may lead to group-targeted violence.

Lunar New Year

Wednesday, 29 January, 2025

The Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world by those who follow the lunisolar calendar, including in countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Tibet, Mongolia and Indonesia, as well as other communities around the world. 29 January marks the start of the Year of the Snake. 

 

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Tuesday, 11 February, 2025

In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015.

Anniversary of the National Apology

Thursday, 13 February, 2025

National Apology Day is commemorated annually on 13 February. On this day in 2008, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised on behalf of the nation for past laws, policies and practices that have impacted upon Australia’s First Nations Peoples, particularly members of the Stolen Generations. The Apology is now considered a defining moment in Australian history.

International Mother Language Day

Friday, 21 February, 2025

International Mother Language Day recognises that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind. UNESCO encourages and promotes multilingual education based on mother tongue or first language.

Ramadan 

Thursday, 27 February to Saturday, 29 March, 2025

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide. The month-long religious holiday is a time of self-reflection and strengthening their relationship with God. Ramadan is dictated by the lunar cycle, beginning and ending with a crescent moon. The religious holiday involves fasting, praying and being around loved ones.

Zero Discrimination Day

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

On Zero Discrimination Day we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life—and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination.

Discover UOW's Anti-racism and cultural safety policy (PDF: 388)

International Wheelchair Day

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

International Wheelchair Day is held annually on 1 March and is a day of events and activities which take place around the world when wheelchair users celebrate the positive impact a wheelchair has on their lives.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade (SGLMG)

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

The LGBTIQA+ event in Sydney, attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas is one of the largest such festivals in the world. SGLMG was built on the foundations laid by early community activists who fought for LGBTQIA+ rights in a time of wide-spread, institutionalised oppression and discrimination.

International Women's Day

Saturday, 8 March, 2025

Every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world on 8 March. International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world and is a day when all women are recognised for their achievements.

UOW International Women's Day Event and Gender Equity Awards

Purim (Feast of Lots)

Thursday, 13 March to Friday, 14 March, 2025

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther.

Holi Festival

Friday, 14 March, 2025

This great Indian festival is observed at the end of the winters in the month of March after the full Moon. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love, is an ancient Hindu religious festival and one of the most popular festivals in Hinduism. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna.

Hola Mohalla 

Friday, 14 March to Sunday, 16 March, 2025

Hola Mohalla is a Sikh festival that follows Holi, featuring martial arts displays, music, and poetry to promote valour and courage. 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Monday, 17 March to Sunday, 23 March, 2025

Neurodiversity Celebration Week aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, organisations, and others around the world with the opportunity to recognise the many skills and talents of neurodivergent individuals, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.

St Patrick’s Day

Monday, 17 March, 2025

The feast day of St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. Originally celebrated with religious feasts and services, St. Patrick's Day has become a secular celebration of Irish culture when it reached the United States alongside Irish immigrants.

Harmony Week

Monday, 17 March to Sunday, 23 March, 2025

It is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

National Close the Gap Day

Thursday, 20 March, 2025

In 2006, more than 40 national organisations came together to form Close the Gap ‐ Australia’s largest ever campaign to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Every year, Australians are encouraged to hold their own event on National Close the Gap Day to raise awareness about the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians. Since 2006, the Close the Gap campaign has achieved an enormous amount through community support. 

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Friday, 21 March, 2025

On this day in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid “pass laws”. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the UN General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

World Down Syndrome Day

Friday, 21 March, 2025

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

Transgender Day of Visibility

Monday, 31 March, 2025

Trans Day of Visibility is an annual international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognising trans and gender diverse experiences and achievements. Events on 31 March involve celebrating with gender diverse people all around Australia by sharing stories, starting conversations, and attending events.

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