Actress Kathryn Kates, who is currently appearing in TV series Orange is the New Black, will be among the speakers on the steps of City Hall to mark International Women’s Day on Friday.

It is the fourth consecutive year it will be marked by a gathering in the heart of Hamilton.

At 12.15pm, the Athletic Club will pump up the volume with a bit of Zumba to engage the audience. All are welcome to participate.

At 12.30pm, emcee Patrina O’Connor-Paynter, known to many as “Powergirl Trina”, will introduce international, local speakers and entertainers. This year’s theme, #balanceforbetter, is about a gender-balanced world.

The hour-long celebration will allow several speakers to share short, personal perspectives on the International Woman’s Day movement, including Broadway veteran and film actress, Ms Kates.

With statistics that illustrate women globally only make up 23 per cent of members in parliament, women on average earn 25 to 40 per cent less than men, and 60 per cent of people globally who can’t read are women — the Bermuda IWD’s committee is committed to the call for action to push forward and collaborate for gender parity.

At EY, there is a commitment to creating an inclusive environment and providing “outstanding opportunities” for people to grow and develop in their careers.

“Our support of women professionals at EY and in the (re)insurance industry is a fundamental part of that ambition with a focus on building a better working world,” David Brown, senior partner of EY Bermuda and insurance leader for the EY region of The Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, said. “We are very proud to be the founding sponsor of the Bermuda chapter of International Women’s Day and are committed to accelerating gender parity and making a difference in Bermuda.”

Participants are encouraged to wear purple, a sign of the woman’s suffragettes’ movement, and in more recent years a sign of justice and gender equality. All schools are encouraged to attend and raise their placards.

Volunteers from the Women’s Resource Centre will be selling pins and bracelets to support IWD.