Days of Significance
Creating a sense of belonging at UNSW.
Days of significance are an opportunity to learn more about, celebrate and support the rich diversity of our UNSW community.
We also invite you to use the Culturally Inclusive Calendar when organising and planning events.
Diversity Calendar 2024
January/February
World Braille Day
4 January
World Braille Day, celebrated since 2019, is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realisation of the human rights of blind and partially sighted people.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11 February
This day is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO, and the support of young girls, their education, and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development and peace.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
16 February - 3 March
Shining a global light on LGBTQIA+ lives, culture and community.
World Day of Social Justice
20 February
World Day of Social Justice (Social Justice Equality Day) is an international day recognising the need to promote social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and social protection.
March
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
16 February - 3 March
Shining a global light on LGBTQIA+ lives, culture and community.
Zero Discrimination Day
1 March
Celebrating everyone's right to live a full and productive life with dignity.
International Women's Day
8 March
Share the responsibility to achieve gender equity and celebrate the achievements of women.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 March
A day to encourage people everywhere to strengthen and consolidate voices against racism, to mobilise against all forms and manifestations of racial discrimination and injustice, and to strategise for change.
International Transgender Day of Visibility
31 March
Empowering the trans community through a celebration of trans and gender diverse people's achievements.
April
World Autism Awareness Day
2 April
A day to raise awareness and promote understanding of people with autism and their contributions to society.
Lesbian Visibility Week
22 - 28 April
Lesbian Visibility Week is a week to raise awareness of the issues faced by lesbians in workplaces, in culture and in health and wellbeing.
International Girls in ICT Day
25 April
Encouraging girls who are interested in ICT to become women who study and work in ICT.
.cropimg.width=1920.crop=square.jpg "UNSW Basser Steps Refresh for Diversity Festival 2023")
May
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)
16 May
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an awareness day focusing on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people alive today who live with disabilities or impairments.
IDAHOBIT
17 May
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia draws attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people.
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
21 May
Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development.
National Sorry Day
26 May
Recognise and acknowledge people from the Stolen Generations.
National Reconciliation Week
27 May - 3 June
Learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
June
National Reconciliation Week
27 May - 3 June
Learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Pride Month
All June
Pride Month celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and provides an opportunity for both celebration as well as reflection on the progression of human rights and social acceptance.
World Refugee Day
20 June
The international day to honour people who have been forced to flee, and to champion their right to seek safety, build support for their economic and social inclusion, and advocate for global solutions.
July
NAIDOC Week
7 - 14 July
Celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Participate and support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
International Non-Binary People's Day
14 July
Held precisely in between International Men’s Day and International Women’s Day. Non-binary is an umbrella term for any number of gender identities that sit within, outside of, across or between the spectrum of the male and female binary.
August
National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
4 August
It is an opportunity to show our support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as learn about the crucial impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child.
National Science Week
10 - 18 August
Annual celebration of science and technology across Australia.
Wear It Purple Day
30 August
To make the world safe for rainbow young people to be proud of who they are.
September
World Suicide Prevention Day
10 September
Provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003.
R U OK? Day
12 September
Day of action to remind you to ask, “Are you OK?” and to remember to always offer support to people who may be struggling with life.
International Equal Pay Day
18 September
Equal Pay Day is a symbolic day recognised in countries around the world to represent the inequalities faced by working women.
Bisexual Visibility Day
23 September
Also called Bisexual Pride Day, Bi Visibility Day, Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day, and Bisexuality+ Day is observed to recognise and celebrate the history, community and culture of bisexual people and challenges bisexual & biromantic erasure.
International Day of Sign Languages
23 September
A day to celebrate, protect and support the diverse cultures and linguistic identities of deaf people and sign language users across the world.
.cropimg.width=1920.crop=square.jpg "Diversity Festival 2023")
October
Mental Health Month
All October
Encourages us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we have a lived experience of mental illness or not.
Indigenous Business Month
All October
Started by Indigenous business people who see business as a vehicle towards self-determination, a way of providing positive role models for Indigenous Australians and improving quality of life in Indigenous communities.
World Mental Health Day
10 October
World Federation for Mental Health initiative to raise public awareness of mental health issues worldwide.
International Day of the Girl Child
11 October
Address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Anti-Poverty Week
13 - 19 October
Supports the Australian community to increase their understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it.
Find information on resources and support available at UNSW in this Anti-Poverty Week video.
Carer’s Week
13 - 19 October
It is a time to recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of the 2.65 million Australians who provide care and support to a family member or friend.
International Pronouns Day
16 October
International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.
Find resources on using LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Language & Pronouns at UNSW.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
17 October
Acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty.
Ace Week (Asexual Awareness Week)
20 - 26 October
An international campaign dedicated to raising awareness and expanding education of asexuality.
Intersex Awareness Day
26 October
Awareness day to highlight the human rights issues faced by Intersex people. Here's how Intersex Awareness Day was celebrated by EDI at UNSW.
November
International Day for Tolerance
16 November
The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples.
Transgender Awareness Week
13 - 19 November
Celebrate the resilience and amplify the voices of trans and gender diverse communities. Here's how Transgender Awareness Week was celebrated at EDI at UNSW.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
20 November
Honouring those lost to anti-transgender violence.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
25 November
Taking a stand against gender-based violence.
December
World AIDS Day
1 December
Raising global awareness about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.
International Day of People with Disability
3 December
Increasing awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrating their contributions.
Human Rights Day
10 Decemeber
Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity, acknowledging that everyone is born free with rights.
International Migrants Day
18 Decemeber
Migration is the great issue of our era, and a force for dignity because it allows people to choose to save themselves, letting them choose participation over isolation.
International Human Solidarity Day
20 Decemeber
A day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication and more.
