Every day should be International Women’s Day
THE late Scottish author and poet Nan Shepherd wrote in her moving book The Living Mountain, “One cannot know the rivers till one has seen them at their sources; but this journey to sources is not to be undertaken lightly.”
What gives the river of women’s equality greater momentum is to understand the sources from which the movement finds life.
The world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD) this week. Its origin dates to the garment industry in New York in the 1850s when women took to the streets to protest about terrible conditions. Police aggressively broke them up.
It was 51 years later, on March 8, 1908, that another group of women in New York marched to end sweatshops, advocated for the right to vote, and forcefully spoke against the mistreatment of working children. It was estimated that 15,000 women and marched that day.
The IWD we observe today became formalised at a Copenhagen conference in 1910. The world has seen significant progress for gender equality.
In Scotland, there are innovative groups making an impact. The Women’s Business Station in Dundee has created a programme to support women from diverse social and cultural backgrounds in their business journey.
It is fitting that it’s Dundee – home to some of the most fearless figures in the women’s movement in the jute mills of the past.
Also, in Scotland there is a social enterprise named Dechomai which is assisting Black and Ethnic Minority women to launch enterprises. Dechomai’s work is vital to cultivate and grow.
One of the best conferences I have been to in some time was recently convened by Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES).
The international conference addressed the issues of economic equality, bias, wellbring, net-zero, sustainability, finance, and technology. Since its founding 10 years ago, WES has championed the need to close gender pay gaps and grow women-owned businesses to unleash greater economic potential.
WES reports that women-led businesses contribute an extraordinary £8.8bn into the Scottish economy each year. Greater public and private support for women’s economic, educational, health, and training networks is vital.
Local and national governments should be making women’s issues a higher priority.
Additionally, women’s economic empowerment and girl’s education must be at the forefront of the world’s foreign policy and development agenda.
According to US based Commit2change which advocates for global girls’ education, there are more than 130 million girls out of school. Another global data point is 247 million women aged 15 years and older live on less than £1.40 per day.
You may have a clear plan of what you will be doing this year to support IWD, others might be uncertain how to help. There is a place in the march for each of us to pick up a sign and contribute time, talents, and energy.
One specific way we can all help is to make a financial contribution or to sponsor an organisation dedicated to women’s empowerment.
The fight for women and equality is not just on one day in March, it is an ongoing campaign that requires all to stand up and be counted!