(International Women’s Day) IWD is an annual event to celebrate the achievements of women and push for rights progress. It has roots in the U.S. socialist and labour movements of the early 20th century, particularly as women were fighting for better working conditions and the right to vote.
The first recorded celebration was in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland when over a million people rallied to support women’s rights, but it has been officially recognized in 1977.
Since then, the event has grown not only in size but also in its scope. Focus has expanded to issues ranging from violence against women to parity in the workplace.
The U.N.’s theme this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.” The topic highlights how technology is crucial to advancing rights but a growing digital gender gap is impacting everything from women’s job opportunities to safety online.
According to the U.N., 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, and women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.
“Bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality,” says the U.N.’s website. “Their lack of inclusion, by contrast, comes with massive costs.”
References:
- Josie Kao,March 8, 2023,Explainer: International Women’s Day: date, history and this year’s theme,Josie Kao for Reuters.com,March 8,<https://www.reuters.com/world/international-womens-day-date-history-this-years-theme-2023-03-06/>
- Image credits: Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik
