International Women's Day

International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's as a day to celebrate the achievements of women, and take steps to increase gender equality. It's all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action- globally and locally.

No one government or group is responsible for International Women's Day, so several themes emerge each year.

The International Women's Day web page theme is Choose To Challenge:

"A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. 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. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge."

The United Nations theme is Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world: 

"Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers and as some of the most exemplary and effective national leaders in combating the pandemic. The crisis has highlighted both the centrality of their contributions and the disproportionate burdens that women carry. This year’s theme for the International Day, celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic."

Agenda Today:
1. Read the UN Secretary General's Message

2. Read this post- Twelve small actions with big impact for Gender Equality

1. Read the UN Secretary General's Message:

"The COVID-19 pandemic has erased decades of progress towards gender equality. From high job losses to exploding burdens of unpaid care, from disrupted schooling to an escalating crisis of domestic violence and exploitation, women’s lives have been upended and their rights eroded. 

Mothers – especially single mothers – have faced acute anxiety and adversity. The consequences will far outlast the pandemic. 

But women have also been on the frontlines of pandemic response. They are the essential workers keeping people alive and holding economies, communities and families together. They are among the leaders who have kept prevalence rates lower, and countries on track for recovery. 

This year’s International Women’s Day highlights the transformative power of women’s equal participation. We are seeing it ourselves at the United Nations, where I am proud that we have achieved gender parity in UN leadership posts for the first time in history."

2. Read this post- Twelve small actions with big impact for Gender Equality

1. Share the domestic work and care

2. Call out sexism and harassment

3. Reject binary language

4. Demand an equal work culture

5. Exercise your political rights

6. Shop responsibly

7. Amplify feminist books, movies and more 

8. Teach girls their worth

9. Challenge what it means to “be a man”

10. Commit to a cause

11. Challenge beauty standards

12.  Respect the choices of others