Happy New Year everyone. For my first article of 2026, I thought I’d draw your attention to the important dates in the calendar in 2026 for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The information was found on the UN List of International Days and Weeks and from different assocations’ websites in Ireland. However, it’s important to say that while marking or celebrating these awareness days or weeks or celebrations of Irish culture, it doesn’t become a tick-box exercise, that companies use to show their commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, but then don’t invest in improving the lives of those who are celebrated on the day in question. As The Valuable 500 say, “you can’t be diversish” companies need to prove that they are being as diverse as possible and marking these awareness days and weeks is a great way to show how diverse a company is.

If there are any days in the calendar that you think I should include, please let me know, and I’ll amend the article

January

6th Jan – Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas)

February

4th Feb – World Cancer Day
17th Feb – 3rd March – Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse)
14th Feb – Organ Donor Day
24th Feb – Third anniversary of the Ukraine invasion
28th Feb – Rare Disease Day

March

3rd Mar – World Hearing Day
4th Mar – World Obesity Day

8th Mar – International Women’s Day
15th Mar – Mother’s Day
16th–22nd Mar – Brain Awareness Week
17th Mar – St Patrick’s Day
21st Mar – World Down Syndrome Day
28th Mar – Daffodil Day

April

April – FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) Awareness Month
2nd Apr – World Autism Day
8th Apr – Cushing’s Disease Day
22nd Apr – World Earth Day

24th Apr – European Hormone Day

May

2nd May – Special Olympics Ireland Annual Collection Day

3rd May – Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

25th May – World Thyroid Day
28th May – Addison’s Day

June

1st–30th June – Pride Month
2nd June – World Eating Disorders Day

21st June – Father’s Day
20th June – World Refugee Day

July

13th July – GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Championship Final
19th July – GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final
22nd July – World Brain Day
26th July – GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final

August

2nd Aug – Ladies Football All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football 

9th Aug – Camogie All-Ireland Senior Championship Final

September

September – Blood Cancer Awareness Month
September – Dystonia Awareness Month
4th Sept – World Leukaemia Day
9th Sept – World FASD Awareness Day
15th Sept – World Lymphoma Awareness Day
22nd Sept – World CML Day
29th Sept – World Heart Day

October

1st–31st Oct – Black History Month

1st-31st Oct ADHD awareness month in October
5th–11th Oct – International Dyslexia Awareness Week (8th Oct – Dyslexia Awareness Day)
10th Oct – World Mental Health Day
11th Oct – Day of the Girl Child
12th–18th Oct – Dyspraxia Awareness Week (13th Oct – Dyspraxia Awareness Day)
16th Oct – World Food Day
18th Oct – World Menopause Day
22nd Oct – World Stuttering Day
31st Oct – Halloween

November

1st Nov – World Acromegaly Day
13th Nov – International Day of the Blind
19th Nov – International Men’s Day

December

1st Dec – World AIDS Day
3rd Dec – International Day of Persons with Disabilities