INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The world marks International Women’s Day on March 8, every year. This is a special moment to commemorate women’s achievements in various fields including political , cultural and socioeconomic. The special day marks a call for gender equality and a world free from discrimination and bias.

History and significance 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)  states that The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28 1909, which the Socialist Party of America dedicated in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York where women protested against harsh working conditions. 

In 1917, women in Russia chose to protest and strike under the slogan “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February (which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar). Their movement ultimately led to the enactment of women’s suffrage in Russia.In 1945 the charter of the United Nations affirmed the principle of equality between men and women. On 8th March 1975 , the United Nations celebrated its first official  International women’s day.

International women’s day 2023 Theme

This year’s theme for IWD is Embrace Equity.The IWD website says Equity recognizes that each person has different  circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. 

IWD’s website says that equity is a must-have and  should  be part of every society’s DNA. 

“The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about ‘Why equal opportunities aren’t enough’

The United Nations theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. 

The observance will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities, and it will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.

How to celebrate women

We should make women feel special and like they matter. You can do these through heartwarming gestures like gifting them , taking them out on special dates as well as affirming them with heartwarming messages.

Celebrating women should not just be a one-day thing but they ought to be celebrated every single day.