Celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day
Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues. 8 March 2011 – Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, which was observed for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911. The Day recognises that securing peace, social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights requires the active participation, equality and development of women. It also acknowledges the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
Theme for International Women’s Day 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women. International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900’s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ while many feminists from the 1970’s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives. Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
What Happens Each Year
IWD has been ear-marked to applaud and celebrate the achievements of women of the past, present and future, in areas of economy, social life politics or science.
On this day a web of activities connect women around the world. They range from rallies, conferences and other net-working events on an international level to local crafts bazaars, gatherings, fashion parades and camps that are held to show case women and their causes.
Some Achievements
• Women are steadily working towards equal rights and equal opportunities and there seems to be a commendable improvement.
• More NGOs are addressing women and their causes.
• Women are politically more active now and therefore more women- friendly laws have been formed.
• Women leadership has increased right from grass root levels.
• Education of women is, by far, at its best.
• The management of women’s health has vastly improved. 6000 communities across Africa have abandoned female genital mutilation.
Global Data
• The ratio of girls’ to boys’ enrolment has steadily improved, reaching 97 girls per 100 boys at primary level, 96 girls per 100 boys at secondary level and 108 women per 100 men at tertiary level in 2008.
• In 2007, 72 million children of primary-school age were out of school, 54 percent of whom were girls. Similarly, 54 percent of the 71 million adolescents who were out of school in 2007 were girls.
• Women make up nearly two thirds of the world’s 759 million illiterate adults.
• At the tertiary level, women now dominate in some sub-fields of science, particularly life sciences and social sciences. Less progress has been made in engineering. In 2007, the global median share of female university students was 21 percent in engineering, manufacturing and construction.
• Female labour force participation was estimated to be 52.6 percent in 2008, compared with a male participation rate of 77.5 percent.
• Among the 20- to 24-year-old population, women continue to lag behind men in labour force participation in all regions.
• On average, across 121 countries with available data, women account for 29 percent of researchers, and only 15 percent of countries have achieved gender parity.
Sources: UNESCO Global Gender and Education Digest, 2010, World Bank.
What Happens Each Year
IWD has been ear-marked to applaud and celebrate the achievements of women of the past, present and future, in areas of economy, social life politics or science.
On this day a web of activities connect women around the world. They range from rallies, conferences and other net-working events on an international level to local crafts bazaars, gatherings, fashion parades and camps that are held to show case women and their causes.
Some Achievements
• Women are steadily working towards equal rights and equal opportunities and there seems to be a commendable improvement.
• More NGOs are addressing women and their causes.
• Women are politically more active now and therefore more women- friendly laws have been formed.
• Women leadership has increased right from grass root levels.
• Education of women is, by far, at its best.
• The management of women’s health has vastly improved. 6000 communities across Africa have abandoned female genital mutilation.
Global Data
• The ratio of girls’ to boys’ enrolment has steadily improved, reaching 97 girls per 100 boys at primary level, 96 girls per 100 boys at secondary level and 108 women per 100 men at tertiary level in 2008.
• In 2007, 72 million children of primary-school age were out of school, 54 percent of whom were girls. Similarly, 54 percent of the 71 million adolescents who were out of school in 2007 were girls.
• Women make up nearly two thirds of the world’s 759 million illiterate adults.
• At the tertiary level, women now dominate in some sub-fields of science, particularly life sciences and social sciences. Less progress has been made in engineering. In 2007, the global median share of female university students was 21 percent in engineering, manufacturing and construction.
• Female labour force participation was estimated to be 52.6 percent in 2008, compared with a male participation rate of 77.5 percent.
• Among the 20- to 24-year-old population, women continue to lag behind men in labour force participation in all regions.
• On average, across 121 countries with available data, women account for 29 percent of researchers, and only 15 percent of countries have achieved gender parity.
Sources: UNESCO Global Gender and Education Digest, 2010, World Bank.
Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues. 8 March 2011 – Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, which was observed for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911. The Day recognises that securing peace, social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights requires the active participation, equality and development of women. It also acknowledges the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Global Data
