International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th every year. It was first organised in the early twentieth century before women had the vote and had a hunger for equal rights. This day was born in the midst of socialist and feminist movements. Women began to speak out about their oppression. This celebration, proposed by Clara Zetkin (Leader of the “Women’s Office” in Germany) was a day for women to press for their demands. While some amazing advances have been made in the struggle for equality, reports and statistics have been sobering us into realising how far there is to go.
Now, in the 21st century, many people from a younger generation feel that “all the battles have been won for women.” There has been a huge attitudinal shift and a lull in the inspiring activism we saw from our predecessors. IWD is seen by many now as redundant or merely an opportunity for commercialisation.
Reports shown in the Independent on Saturday revealed some shocking discoveries. With regards to pay, the gap between men and women stands at an average of 15% which rises to 35% in part time jobs. More shockingly, around 44 % of women have experienced physical or sexual violence from the age of 15 upwards. Britain stands as one of the worst countries in Europe for abuse against women while the UN reported that 99.3% women in Egypt have been subjected to sexual harassment. Furthermore, over 130 million women living in the world today have undergone female genital mutilation with as many as 24,000 girls in the UK at risk of this horror. Women are still fighting and it is important to remember this while celebrating the achievements we have made.
Annually on the 8th March, thousands of events are held across the world to celebrate achievements and also to inspire them to help facilitate change. This ranges from “political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatrical performances, fashion parades and more.” Many global firms have also supported the cause and we saw the Google doodle dedicated to IWD on Saturday.
Make sure you are aware of how far we have to go and be part of the change. Who do you admire? Think globally and act locally to make every day International Women’s Day.
By: Kirsty Simms