Women worldwide champion #BalanceforBetter today
From empowerment seminars to street strikes, pop-up art shows to business classes, female voices will echo across the globe Friday with a resounding message: Women want balance.
#BalanceforBetter is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, which is observed annually March 8. The 2019 initiative is aimed at gender equality, a greater awareness of discrimination and a celebration of women’s achievements, according to the International Women’s Day website. That includes reducing the pay gap between men and women and making sure all are equal – and balanced – in activist movements, boardrooms and beyond.
“It’s a time to reflect on the progress for women and call for ways to address the unfinished business in working toward equality,” said Rachel Vogelstein, a board member at the National Women’s History Museum.
Here is what you need to know about International Women’s Day:
What is the day about?
The day celebrates “the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women,” its website says.
It is not hosted by any country or movement, so organizers encourage women everywhere to host events that are “all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level.”
Where are events taking place?
From Uganda to the USA, you can search for events on internationalwomensday.com or check your local events to see celebrations in your area.
Overseas, there will be commemorations Friday and through the weekend. At Amsterdam’s “Youth Tech Fest,” girls 12 to 18 will learn how to code, develop apps and more. In Ireland, mass walkouts will demand action on violence and harassment against women, labor conditions and reproductive rights, according to TheJournal.ie.
In the USA, there will be events in more than 35 cities. Atlanta will be home to an International Women’s Day Tea Party for small-business owners. Minneapolis will hold a FeMNist Day with a breakfast event, workshops and a night market for female-owned businesses.
Los Angeles organizers will host a women’s strike with a march, rally and dance party at the city’s Federal Building that targets wars on women, children, migrants and the Earth. A celebration at Washington Square Park in New York will offer women flowers with inspirational messages.
You don’t have to attend an event to mark International Women’s Day, though. You can also participate by supporting female-owned businesses or by making donations to charity.
At Campaign for Female Education, a non-profit that supports education for girls worldwide, organizers are encouraging everyone to “pause and consider the challenges many women face around the world” and how you can make a difference, said Brooke Hutchinson, executive director of CAMFED USA.
Hannah Serimian, founder of Boxy Girl, a beauty organizer company, also called for women to create a dialogue among friends, family and co-workers to support women and their passions and ideas.
What is the day’s history?
International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, when an estimated 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding fair wages, labor standards and guaranteed voting rights, according to the website.
By 1911, more than 1 million people celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
In 1975, the United Nations officially declared the year International Women’s Year and made March 8 International Women’s Day annually.