International Women's Day... The day that "being a woman" is celebrated all across the globe and the day that all their achievements are broadcasted, at last, without focusing on their "beauty" and their "cuteness".
The last year has been a very challenging one and everyone has faced many hardships. That's why this year's Women's Day is themed “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” and it celebrates the great efforts by women and girls in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain.
Women deserve a future without stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all so that they can open their wings and show the world their power. To get there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made. That is the only way that we will see change. (UN Women, 2021)
The history of International Women’s Day (according to IWDA)
In 1908, against the terrible working conditions and exploitation that defined the lives of women in their every day, 15,000 women took to the streets in New York protesting for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. The next year the Socialist Party of America announced a National Women’s Day to honour the strikers, and in 1910 it went global – the Socialist International voted for the creation of a Women’s Day to advocate for suffrage.
The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911, and more than a million people turned out to rallies in Europe. For most of the 20th century International Women’s Day was acknowledged and celebrated by people at the grassroots level, a rallying point for social justice. It wasn’t until 1975 – International Women’s Year – that the United Nations adopted International Women’s Day on 8 March, when it is still held.
Why is it important?
It is important because we have not achieved the goal yet. The equality we want and deserve is still not secure. Women all over the world are still experiencing the same problems (harmful workplace conditions, equal rights and pay, end of exploitation, etc). that 100 years ago lead all these people to march for a better future.
Progress should have been made by now, but it’s too often accompanied by a step back that slows the process. Sometimes, even if laws and rights are established, they are ignored anyway. For example (IDWA,2021) :
Despite domestic violence laws, public awareness and access to legal protections, Australian men are still killing women partners or exes at the rate of one a week.
Reproductive rights are a political nightmare. In Australia, access varies by state, and in some parts of the United States laws have passed making terminations inaccessible, no matter the reason behind the woman’s decision.
Climate change is increasing violence against women and girls, according to a major report in 2020. Case studies included domestic abuse, human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against women environmental rights defenders.
As we can see, we have come a long way from when women didn't even have the right to vote but we are not even close to being done. International Women's Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the compounded challenges faced by women of colour, women with disabilities, and queer or trans women, and stand in partnership with them. It’s also an opportunity to stand for what's right, for all our sisters living in countries who may not be able to march out of fear for their safety.
Because together, we are stronger and our voices are heard!
On International Women’s Day we remember that as long as one woman faces discrimination, harassment, inequality or oppression, we all do. (IWDA,2021)
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Reference list Anon, (n.d.). International Women’s Day 2021 | IWDA. [online] Available at: https://iwda.org.au/take-action/international-womens-day/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2021]. UN Women. (n.d.). International Women’s Day 2021. [online] Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day [Accessed 8 Mar. 2021].
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