‘Be Bold For Change’

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is held on March 8 annually to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme, “Be Bold For Change”.

In 2016, organisations and individuals around the world supported the #PledgeForParity campaign and committed to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, challenge conscious and unconscious bias, call for gender-balanced leadership, value women and men’s contributions equally and create inclusive flexible cultures.

From awareness raising to concrete action, organisations rallied their people to pledge support to help forge gender parity on International Women’s Day and beyond.

But the World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap will not close entirely until 2186 which many believe is too long to wait. Around the world, International Women’s Day can be an important catalyst and vehicle for driving greater change for women and moving closer to gender parity.

Each one of us — with women, men and non-binary people joining forces — can be a leader within our own spheres of influence by taking bold pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity. Through purposeful collaboration, women can advance and unleash the limitless potential offered to economies the world over.

Events are held on this day the world over to celebrate women and highlight challenges they may still be facing.

Various women, including political, community, and business leaders, as well as leading educators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and television personalities, are usually invited to speak at various events on the day.

Such events may include seminars, conferences, luncheons, dinners or breakfasts. The messages given at these events often focus on various themes such as innovation, the portrayal of women in the media, or the importance of education and career opportunities.

Many students in schools and other educational settings participate in special lessons, debates or presentations about the importance of women in society, their influence and issues that affect them.

In some countries, schoolchildren bring gifts to their female teachers and women receive small presents from friends or family members. Many workplaces make a special mention about International Women’s Day through internal newsletters or notices, or by handing out promotional material focusing on the day.

Much progress has been made to protect and promote women’s rights in recent times. However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men, according to the UN.

The majority of the world’s 1,3 billion absolute poor are women. On average, women receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same work.

Women also continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.

The first International Women’s Day occurred on March 19, 1911. The inaugural event, which included rallies and organised meetings, was a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848.

The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that he failed to keep. The International Women’s Day date was moved to March 8, 1913.

The UN drew global attention to women’s concerns in 1975 by calling for an International Women’s Year. It also convened the first conference on women in Mexico City that year.

The UN General Assembly then invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace in 1977.

The day aimed to help nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focused on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development

The International Women’s Day logo is in purple and white and features the symbol of Venus, which is also the symbol of being female.

The faces of women of all backgrounds, ages, and nations are also seen in various promotions, such as posters, postcards and information booklets, on International Women’s Day. Various messages and slogans that promote the day are also publicised during this time of the year.