Towards Gender Equality: Marking International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is both a celebration of the achievements of women around the world and a call to action for gender parity. Learn more about the origins of IWD and its role in creating a world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Written by Victoria Kent, Senior Investment Specialist
Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash
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The 8th of March marked International Women's Day; a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world.
The day is also a call to action for accelerating gender parity – something you would assume has been achieved by 2022, given gender equality is a fundamental human right. But alas, this is not the case.
Tragically, in some places around the world, women are considered second-class citizens.
“Violence, discrimination and the sexual harassment of women is not only considered acceptable but is thought of as normal," says Joanna Higgs.
Joanna is an anthropologist and founder of Project MonMa, which advocates for women’s rights around the world.
An even worse reality exists for women from minority communities, older women, those with disabilities, migrants and refugees.
Two years ago, UN Secretary General António Guterres famously said:
"Gender inequality is the overwhelming injustice of our age and the biggest human rights challenge we face".
Addressing this challenge is key to a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world, which is why one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is dedicated to it – SDG 5: Gender Equality.
And while we still have a long way to go, we would like to mark International Women's Day by remembering the incredible historical players who have progressed women's rights in their own way.
Jane Austen (1775–1817)
Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883)
Ada Lovelace (1815 – 1852)
Florence Nightingale (1820 - 1910)
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928)
Edith Cowan (1861 – 1932)
Marie Curie (1867 - 1934)
Amelia Earhart (1897 – 1939)
Mother Teresa (1910 – 1997)
Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - present day)
Malala Yousafzai (1997 - present day)
We encourage you to check out this (seriously cool) interactive tool, which highlights inspirational women as far back as 400 BC.
From Billie Jean King demanding (and achieving) equal prize money in the U.S. Open in 1973, to Loveness Mudzuru & Ruvinbo Tosopozi (former child brides) taking their government to court on child marriage.
A big thank you to all the brave women (and men, aka the "suffragents") whose passion for gender equality has taken us leaps and bounds.
A little bit about International Women’s Day
The campaign theme for 2022 is #BreakTheBias. According to the IWD organization:
"Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed to level the playing field."
So, if you see people posting pictures of themselves with their arms crossed in an X, they are striking the #BreakTheBias pose, and marking their commitment to calling out bias, smashing stereotypes, breaking inequality, and rejecting discrimination.
Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained:
"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
We hope you mark International Women's Day by making it your own, doing what you can to make a positive difference for women.