I believe that one designated day is not enough to fully acknowledge and appreciate the hardships that women have overcome in order to be viewed as an “equal” today. I say “equal” because gender inequality still exists globally. However, it is still important to recognize the efforts that were taken to make this level of improvement happen, for women.
International Women’s Day falls on the 8th of March and is “a day of unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action, is celebrated in countries around the world” as mentioned in an article from the Government of Canada. This article also discusses the origin of International Women’s Day – it all began in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. It was noted that over one million people attended events that were supporting and celebrating women. Ever since then, in 1975 this day was recognized by The United Nations and soon became an international observance which gave everyone the chance to celebrate, globally.
Why is International Women’s Day Important?
This stigma surrounding issues regarding inequality amongst women is very active. It took several feminist movements, protests and changes in policies to get to the place where we are today. It is important to acknowledge that women should not be segregated in any type of situation just because of their gender. This is a day where we respect the changes that have been made around the world to make life more accessible for women. It is also important to note that without these changes women would not have been able to exercise their autonomy. International Women’s Day is a matter of celebration and a moment we can all spare once a year to reflect on how womanhood has evolved.
What Did Women Have to Fight For?
Women had to fight for their rights to be viewed as equal to men. Along with these basic human rights, according to HistoryNet, women had to get through other challenges like being granted the right to vote, gaining property rights, reproductive rights and equal pay. The unfortunate matter is that some of these challenges are still actively present in the lives of many women, especially in the workforce where rhe right for equal pay is juggled between men and women. Imagine being denied opportunities and rights just because you’re a woman, without the occurrence of events like the Women’s Suffrage Movement, women would be granted less rights today.
How Does This Inequality Affect Us Today?
International Women’s Day affects us today because we live in a world that is constantly evolving and changing. This means that things could change for the better or worse – as it could go both ways, it is solely dependent on citizens like us to fight for issues of inequality just like they were fought for in the past. This day helps us understand that women are in a better place than they were before, however, there is still room for more improvement to provide a safe, and equitable environment for women. The workforce has become a generated environment that disadvantages women in male-dominated areas of work and a reflection of this inequality is seen in the wage gap between men and women. According to UNWomen, “[w]omen are […] at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as front-line and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet they get paid 11 per cent less globally than their male counterparts. An analysis of COVID-19 task teams from 87 countries found only 3.5 per cent of them had gender parity.” This statistic is a prime reflection of how modern-day society is affected by this disparity. This is another reason why it is important to exercise our rights as citizens and continue to make a difference around the world.
In our everyday lives, we are constantly interacting, engaging and transforming in different ways. Through these single actions we take, the words we speak, and the questions we ask, we are challenging stigmas, societal norms and discriminatory attributes without even knowing. International Women’s Day is one event in the year that acknowledges the hurdles faced by women. However, everyday should be treated as a step forward to help conquer these hurdles that are still alive today to eliminate gender-based discrimination.
The power that we hold and the unionization of womanhood speaks volumes – Queen B said it herself: Who run the world? Girls!