International Women’s Day – A Celebration of Women Empowerment

The 8th of March is observed as International Women’s Day across the globe. This day is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women, raising awareness about their rights, and advocating for gender equality. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Choose to Challenge’, highlighting the need to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality.
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on the progress that has been made towards achieving gender equality and to recognize the challenges that still need to be addressed. It is a day to celebrate the strength, courage, and resilience of women and to inspire future generations to strive for a world where women have equal opportunities, rights, and representation.
This year, in particular, marks the 110th anniversary of International Women’s Day and comes at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the existing inequalities and challenges faced by women and has further exacerbated them. It has also shown the crucial role that women play in society and the need for their voices to be heard and their contributions to be recognized and valued.

The origin of International Women’s Day can be traced back to the early 1900s when women in many countries were fighting for their rights, including the right to vote and to hold public office.

The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on the 28th of February, 1909, followed by an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910, where a proposal was made to establish an International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day was first observed on the 19th of March in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, with rallies and demonstrations demanding women’s rights to work, vote, and hold public office.

In 1913, the day was moved to the 8th of March, and this date has been designated as International Women’s Day ever since.

Over the years, International Women’s Day has grown into a global movement, with people from all over the world coming together to celebrate, support, and advocate for women’s rights and gender equality.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2021, ‘Choose to Challenge’, highlights the need to challenge gender bias and inequality in all areas of society. It encourages everyone to speak up against injustice and support efforts towards achieving gender equality.

International Women’s Day is not just a day to celebrate women, but also to recognize the challenges and obstacles that they continue to face in our society.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, it will take another 99.5 years to achieve gender parity. This reflects the persistent gender gap and the need for continued efforts towards achieving gender equality.

This year’s International Women’s Day also marks an important milestone as it has been 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark document that laid out a comprehensive roadmap for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges for women, with an increase in domestic violence, job losses, and disruptions to their education and healthcare services.

However, women have also been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, working as healthcare workers, essential workers, and caregivers. This year’s International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognize and appreciate these contributions.

International Women’s Day is also a reminder that gender equality is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue that affects everyone. It is a call to action for everyone to play their part in creating a more equal, inclusive and gender-equal world.

On this International Women’s Day, let us all choose to challenge gender bias, inequality and stand in solidarity with women around the world.

#IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge #WomensDay #GenderEquality #ChooseToChallengeGenderBias #IWD