International Women's Day-
We all deserve an equal opportunity to live in a world free from stigma, stereotypes and violence. The common message for International Women's Day 2021 is change comes from challenge. Gender parity in government, workplaces, health care, sports and media coverage is achievable through individual change. The #ChooseToChallenge theme aims to inspire individuals to challenge biases, question stereotypes and celebrate the achievements of women around the world.
It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, "Women in public life, equal participation in decision making", and the flagship Generation Equality campaign. The objective is to achieve women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs.To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right; yet:
- 132 million girls are out of school around the world;
- one in three women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes;
- on average women take home just one tenth of global income, while accounting for two thirds of global working hours.
What is International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day has been observed for more than a century since it began in 1911. It took different forms over the years, in many different countires. International Women's Day was officially celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. Every year, on March 8th we have an opportunity to recognizes the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women globally, as well as remind ourselves how much change is still needed for global equality to be a reality.
IWD 2021
This year's central focus is on women’s leadership and on ramping up representation in all the areas where decisions are made.
During the pandemic, around the world we have seen increased violence against women and girls and lost learning and employment for girls and women as care responsibilities rise. We are seeing tens of millions more women plunge into extreme poverty, as they lose their jobs at a higher rate than men. In the U.S., one in four women has already considered downshifting her career or leaving the workforce altogether because of new caregiving responsibilities at home due to COVID-19.
These and many other problems cannot be left to men alone to solve. Yet, while there are notable exceptions, in most countries there is simply not the critical mass of women in decision-making and leadership positions to ensure that these issues are addressed by a representativegroup of leaders. Studies across differnt fields have found positive outcomes when we have diversity among decsion makers. Look, for instance, to research by UN Women, which demonstrates that involving women in peace processes is likely to make peace agreements last much longer. On the financial side, studies by Morgan Stanley, McKinsey, EY, the International Monetary Fund and others repeatedly find that addressing gender equality will unlock trillions of dollars of currently unrealised economic value.
There are breakthroughs to celebrate, there is still much progress needed. In 2020, as a global average, women were 4.4% of CEOs, occupied just 16.9% of board seats, made up only 25% of national parliamentarians, and just 13% of peace negotiators. Only 22 countries currently have a woman as Head of State or Government and 119 have never experienced this. Looking only at G20 markets, women still only hold 20% of Board seats; 5.5% of Chair and 3.5% of CEO positions.
This can and must change, and we can all play a part.
How you can make an impact
Change isn’t just about big headline moments, legal victories and international agreements: the way we talk, think, and act every day can create a ripple effect that benefits everyone. For somce ideas, look at this list of 12 ACTIONS, put together by UN Women.