“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the World” (Hillary Clinton)
The 8th of March is International Women’s Day, a worldwide celebration of women’s social, intellectual, artistic, and political accomplishments. The day also serves as a call to action for achieving gender parity sooner rather than later. Consider a society where men and women are treated equally. Bias, stereotyping, and injustice have no place in this world. That is the kind of world that International Women’s Day 2022 aspires to create. International Women’s Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s, when the industrial world was undergoing significant change, with booming population expansion and the advent of extremist ideas.
International Women’s Day has a different topic each year. This year’s campaign encourages people to #BreakTheBias. According to the UN “ “In the context of climate change, environmental and catastrophe risk reduction, which are some of the major global concerns of the twenty-first century, the year 2022 is necessary to attain gender equality.
A sustainable future and an equal future are out of reach without gender equality now.” Women are increasingly being recognized as being more prone to the effects of climate change than men because women make up the majority of the world’s poor and are more reliant on the natural resources that climate change threatens. For sustainable development and gender equality, it is critical to continue to study the opportunities, as well as the limits, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal actors in decision-making connected to climate change and sustainability. A sustainable future is out of reach without gender equality now.
International Women’s Day is all about helping women realize their value and empowering them to reach their full potential. On this day, the entire globe comes together to honor their courage in overcoming all obstacles and making such significant progress in almost every aspect of life.
Less than 15% of countries in the world have a female leader. Women account for only 24% of senior leadership positions, while 25% of companies have no female executives at all. Women work in the lowest-paying jobs and are paid less for the same amount of effort they put in. The gender pay gap is a term used to describe the income inequality between men and women, and it is expanding for young women in a lot of countries. Every year on March 8th, thousands of activities are held throughout the world to praise and empower women. Women from all over the world are linked by a rich and diverse web of local activity that includes everything from political demonstrations, corporate conferences, government activities, and meetups.
IWD is a day to celebrate how far we’ve gone in the fight for gender equality, as well as how far we still have to go. Only eight countries permitted women to vote in 1911, and equal pay for equal labor. We’ve come a long way since then. Women used to be unable to vote, but today we are in the leadership of countries. We used to be restricted in where we could work, but now we’re in charge of corporations. The day honors those whose voices are silenced, whose rights are oppressed, and whose tears go unseen. Even today, millions of women over the world are either speechless or fighting tooth and nail to protect their rights. Discrimination and inequality are still prevalent, particularly in developing and underdeveloped countries. Despite the criticism, International Women’s Day is a unique day dedicated solely to women and their contributions to our lives.
Research shows that increasing women’s educational attainment reduces domestic abuse, increases women’s and society’s prosperity, and empowers women by providing them the confidence to choose the professional path of their choice. Women’s continued presence in education is thus extremely crucial to secure their place at the table.
Many resolutions have been passed around the world to preserve women’s rights, which provides a fantastic chance for women’s development and advancement. Right now, we need to look at the overall system to make a genuine transformation. We all have the option of challenging ourselves. We all can call out and rectify inequity. We can confront the behaviors, traditions, and policies that keep some of us down because of gender. It is everyone’s job to strive toward eliminating both the apparent and unseen hurdles that sustain the existing system of gender inequality. Creating a diverse and inclusive world where our chances of succeeding aren’t reliant on our gender, color, or religion is now within our grasp when we collectively resolve to tackle societal inequities. This is why International Women’s Day continues to be so significant. It serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come and an encouragement to keep pushing for bigger and more lasting changes that address society’s profound imbalances.
As a result, think globally while acting individually to make a difference! International Women’s Day should be celebrated every day.
Assist in ensuring that the futures of girls are bright, equal, safe, and meaningful.
To all the incredible women in the world, shine on, not just today but every single day. Happy Women’s Day.
By Shehwar Ali