INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day (IWD) is being celebrated around the world today, as people come together to champion the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality.

To mark this special day, we are sharing an extract from a forthcoming book by Stroud eco warrior Polly Higgins.

The award winning author, barrister and international ecocide law advocate sadly passed away last year, at the age of 50.

Polly had been campaigning to make ecocide an international crime and had launched a push for businesses to be made liable for any harm they do to the environment.

Her new, and final, book, Dare To Be Great, is being released this April.

And publishers Flint Books have kindly released this short extract from the book - some thoughts from Polly - to share on International Women's Day:

"So, here is my commitment: I dare to be great in my lifetime and I dare to share what I learn with you," Polly wrote.

"It may be a journey that is fraught with difficulties, but my commitment is to continue, no matter what.

"By sharing what I experience I hope to inspire you to do the same; it is also a way of passing on a legacy to the future.

"I choose to do this in the public realm, so that I can speak publicly about what I learn and I say this: I embrace a world of abundance and love.

"I am fearless (sometimes) and am at peace (most of the time).

"I am empowering the flow of funding into a world where the wellbeing of people and planet come first.”

Polly was voted one of the World’s Top 10 Visionary Thinkers by the Ecologist, ranked as No.35 in Salt magazine’s Top 100 Inspiring Women of the world list and dubbed The People's Lawyer.

The book’s being released on 10th April but is available to pre-order now through all good bookshops at £7.99.