International Women's Day 2022

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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 countries. 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.

The message for International Women's Day 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. 

It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, "Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes".

Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, at the same time, women and girls are effective leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. 

Continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality. 

Gender equality is also a driver of economic growth and enterprise development: progress towards gender equality is a core contributor to more economically prosperous and socially cohesive societies. Studies show that the loss in human capital wealth due to gender inequality is over $160 trillion. Women’s participation in the economy contributes to economic growth and productivity. Conversely, restricting women’s opportunities can act as a drag on the economy, resulting in lower and/or slower economic growth.

What started with just a handful of stock exchanges a few years ago, will now include nearly every stock exchange in the world. Over the course of this week over 100 stock exchanges will ring their opening or closing bell to bring attention to the importance of gender equality to economic development. Many of these same stock exchanges are also working to scale up their actions on gender equality with actions such as promoting transparency of relevant gender-related reporting metrics and organizing training on board diversity for companies listed on their exchanges.

Did You Know? 

  • Globally, women hold just 19.7% of board seats and 5% of CEO roles. 
  • One in three women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.
  • Self-harm is the third leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15-19, worldwide.

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 representative, diverse group of leaders. Studies across different fields have found positive outcomes when we have diversity among decision makers. Look, for instance, to studies by Morgan Stanley, McKinsey, EY, the International Monetary Fund and others, which repeatedly find that addressing gender equality will unlock trillions of dollars of currently unrealized economic value. 

The good news is, we can all play a part in making a positive difference.

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. 

 

A global history of women’s rights, in 3 minutes