Women all around the world want equal rights and opportunities as men. Is it wrong? No! It is not. They deserve an equal place in a society free of stereotypes and violence. Women’s day is celebrated every year around the world to highlight the rights of women and to commemorate their achievements.
International Women’s Day on 8 March is a day to celebrate the social, economic, and political achievements of women, reflect on progress, and demand gender equality. For over a hundred years, International Women’s Day has put the spotlight on issues affecting women all over the world. Today, International Women’s Day belongs to everyone who believes that women’s rights are human rights. It was first celebrated in 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The centenary was celebrated in 2011, so this year we’re technically celebrating the 109th International Women’s Day.
The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge.
On the IWD website, organizers said: “We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world”.
For women to have a peaceful, just, and sustainable future, they need to have equal opportunities in every sphere of life from national economics to personal decisions. To reach this point, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made. They need to be trusted.
Women lack behind in terms of getting positions as managerial heads. Across the world, less than 15% world’s countries have a female leader. Only 24% of senior managers are women and 25% of companies have no female senior managers at all. Women do the lowest-paid jobs and earn less money for the same work. This difference in pay is called the gender pay gap, and for young women in many places, including the gap is getting worse. Women are also more likely to do most of the housework and childcare. Women around the world face inequalities in terms of health care facilities. When it comes to healthcare and safety, women lack behind. An estimated 830 women a day die in childbirth. There are some shocking statistics for female murder too. Last year the UN found that 137 women a day were killed by their partner or former partner. When they have access to health education and care, women are also more likely to be ignored by doctors when they say they are in pain, and serious health problems are sometimes ignored for years.
With different movements and campaigns, women are trying hard to fight for their rights. In the years to come, they are definitely getting them!
by: Abeer Arshad
Tags: ChooseToChallenge, IWD, Women’s day, Women’s Day 2021
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