FEATURE
NTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. Marked annually on March 8th, IWD is one of the most important days of the year to: celebrate women’s achievements, educate and awareness raise for women’s equality, call for positive change advancing women lobby for accelerated gender parity, and fundraise for female-focused charities. Everyone everywhere can play a part in helping forge gender equality. From a wide range of IWD campaigns, events, rallies, lobbying, and performances - to festivals, parties, fun runs, and celebrations - all IWD activity is valid. That’s what makes IWD inclusive. The Women’s Day Observation traces its roots as far back as 1909. Led by the women of the Socialist Party of America, the “National Woman’s Day” was first held on February 28, 1909, in New York City. On March 8, 1914, International Women’s Day was celebrated in Germany and London to fight for women’s right to vote. From 1914 up until today, we celebrate March as Women’s History Month and March 8th as International Women’s Day. In 2010, the British marketing firm, Aurora Ventures set up the International Women’s Day Website and for every year that followed, the website promoted hashtags that highlight not only radical social movements but also promote feel–good messages for women all across the world. For IWD 2023, the global campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity. The campaign aims to encourage important conversations on Why equal I
sponsored International Women’s Day since 1975. Upon adopting its resolution on the observance of International Women’s Day, the United Nations General Assembly cited the following reasons: “To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality, and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.” Women’s history month (March) is the month when we reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women in world history. The celebration of Women’s History Month grew from a week-long celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history, and society that was organized by a school district in Sonoma, California in 1978. In 1978, Women’s History Month presentations were given at dozens of schools in Sonoma, California. After a few years, the idea caught on within other communities, school districts, and organizations all across the United States of America. In 1980, then President of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the following year after then-President Jimmy Carter’s proclamation, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration. After 6 years, the National Women’s History Project was successfully petitioned in congress to expand the event for the entire month of March. International Women’s Month not only celebrates women and their accomplishments but also serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come and how many challenges we still have to overcome. EC
opportunities aren’t enough and Why equal isn’t always fair. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion. Collective activism is what drives change. From grassroots action to wide-scale momentum, we can all embrace equity. And to truly embrace equity, means to deeply believe, value, and seek out the difference as a necessary and positive element of life. To embrace equity means to understand the journey required to achieve women’s equality. IWD was started in 1911, and remains an important moment for working to advance women’s equality with the day belonging to everyone, everywhere. Groups can choose to mark IWD in whatever manner they deem most relevant, engaging, and impactful for their specific context, objectives, and audiences. IWD is about women’s equality in all its forms. For some, IWD is about fighting for women’s rights. For others, IWD is about reinforcing key commitments, while for some IWD is about celebrating success. And for others, IWD means festive gatherings and parties. Whatever choices are made, all choices matter, and all choices are valid. All choices of activity can contribute to, and form part of, the thriving global movement focused on women’s advancement. IWD is a truly inclusive, diverse and eclectic moment of impact worldwide. International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the economic and social achievements of women. Many countries around the world would celebrate this day with demonstrations, educational initiatives, and other customs such as presenting women with gifts and flowers. The United Nations has
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EC Magazines | London-L.A. Edition 2023
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