A regional daily marked International Women’s Day with a special edition celebrating inspiring women on its patch.

The Northern Echo marked the occasion by “celebrating women in the North-East who have done amazing things for our region”.

The Darlington-based Echo featured profiles of some of the region’s most inspirational women inside the newspaper.

Their images were also featured on the front page, pictured.

Editor Gavin Foster told HTFP yesterday: “Today we wanted to salute the fantastic achievements of the women in our region leading the way and inspiring future generations of politicians, business leaders, and stars of stage, screen and sport.

“But it is also an acknowledgement and statement that there is still much to be done before we reach a position of equity and equality.”

Hannah Chapman, the first female editor of The Northern Echo and current editor of its Newsquest sister weekly the Darlington & Stockton Times, said: “It’s always inspiring to see the achievements of so many brilliant women in the spotlight on International Women’s Day – especially those working so hard to smooth the path to success for others following in their footsteps.

“As someone involved in playing and coaching sport at grassroots level, it’s been fantastic to see great strides in how women’s sport is perceived over the last year, thanks in no small part to the success of the Lionesses [England women’s football team].

“But as well as celebrating all these wonderful individuals and teams on International Women’s Day, it’s also an occasion to remember the many challenges still facing women in this country, such as rising childcare costs, and everyday misogyny, and around the world, where women in many countries, such as Afghanistan, are being effectively erased from society.

“For me, it’s important to highlight both the positive and negative experiences of women at this point in time as we mark International Women’s Day in 2023.”