I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce myself to the Maltese people through an op-ed that celebrates women’s achievements. March 8, 2016 marks the 105th observance of International Women’s Day.

The creation of International Women’s Day emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the 20th century in North America and across Europe. In its early years, the day honoured the women’s rights movement, including advocating for the right to vote and to hold public office, and for ending discrimination in the workplace.

Today, the day is observed as a time to reflect on progress, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by women who have made a difference in their communities and countries.

International Women’s Day offers a moment for the world to celebrate women of the past, present and future. In the past, the world has often overlooked or even erased the contributions of women. From history books to the Nobel Prize, the inventions, discoveries, quotes, achievements or simply the names of women are missing or, worse, attributed to men instead.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity for all — especially for educators and students — to learn about these missing women and honour their contributions to society.

Today is also a chance to celebrate the women who are making history. Some of these history makers are obvious. They are in the news or they are pioneers in their field, going where no woman, or man, for that matter, has gone before. Others are harder to see. They work behind the scenes or are overlooked for the contributions they make to their families, communities and economies.

As we celebrate these women, we also have to recognise the tremendous barriers that can stand in their way simply because they are women.

Perhaps the worst manifestation of these barriers is gender-based violence. Gender-based violence comes in many forms, from intimate partner violence to rape and sexual assault, from early and forced marriage to female genital mutilation and cutting.

Gender-based violence can have a devastating impact on victims and their communities. According to UN Women, violence against women causes more death and disability for women and girls between the ages of 15 and 44 than do cancer, traffic accidents, malaria and war combined.

A recent World Bank study showed that violence against women has significant economic costs. These include healthcare costs, lost income for women, decreased productivity and negative impacts across generations. Yet, 2.6 billion women will fall asleep tonight in countries that do not have laws against spousal rape and more than one billion in countries that offer no legal protection against any form of domestic violence.

In 1994, there were an estimated 2.1 million incidences of intimate partner violence in the United States. That year, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This landmark piece of legislation dramatically improved federal, State and local responses to domestic violence and helped establish that violence against women was not a private family matter but a criminal one.

Our world can reach its full potential only when women and girls are empowered to reach theirs

By 2010 — 16 years after VAWA — intimate partner violence dropped by more than one million cases. Clearly, we still have work to do. No country has eliminated gender-based violence completely and the United States is no exception. But the progress we have seen in the United States makes one thing clear: it’s possible to make progress and it’s worth it.

Every International Women’s Day has a theme and 2016’s is ‘Pledge to parity’. The idea behind this theme is that everyone can take action to empower women and girls. In fact, a community effort is exactly the kind we need to make real, lasting progress. Empowering women is a complex challenge that requires a collaborative solution, one in which we can all play a role.

So what can be done?

Policymakers can implement laws on the books and improve laws that continue to discriminate against women.

Government officials can start programmes that help women climb the barriers in front of them.

Business leaders can change company policies to make things easier for ­­­working families.

Entrepreneurs can share their knowledge of where the barriers remain and extend a hand to the women coming up the ladder.

Researchers can help society better understand the challenges women and girls face and help to quantify the social and economic benefits of gender equality.

Civil society can hold all of us accountable to our promises, press for new commitments and shine a light on the everyday realities of women and girls.

As individuals, we can directly support the empowerment of women and girls. Just a few days ago, I was proud to participate in a mentoring event for girls, organised by the Business and Professional Women Malta. More than 200 mentors, from all walks of life, shared their successful experiences with approximately 800 schoolgirls.

The US Embassy is organising a film night to celebrate Women’s History Month. The film, A league of their own, rejects gender stereotypes; everyone, regardless of gender, race, age or circumstance can succeed if we change attitudes.

Every year, the US government honours women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength and leadership in acting to improve the lives of others. This year, my embassy’s nominee for the Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage is Amy Camilleri Zahra.

Camilleri Zahra is committed to the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities and, particularly, the rights of women with disabilities, who are penalised by double discrimination as women and as disabled persons.

She is an inspiration to people with disabilities, to women and to every member of society.

Camilleri Zahra is a powerful advocate of inclusive societies in which every member has a role to play and a contribution to make.

During my tenure in Malta, I will support the efforts of women’s organisations to increase the participation of women in the public and private sectors. I shall work with local non-governmental organisations and support groups that provide palliative care and engage in educational campaigns to raise awareness about women’s health. These organisations are engaged in coordinating a broad and comprehensive view of women’s opinions on matters of public interest and promoting equality of opportunity and participation for women.

On International Women’s Day, we remember the women of the past, we celebrate the women of today and we lay the foundation for the women of tomorrow. But, most importantly, we pledge to make a change, knowing that our world can reach its full potential only when women and girls are empowered to reach theirs.

G. Kathleen Hill is the US Ambassador to Malta.