On March 8, International Women’s Day is celebrated. Every year, a different theme highlights the struggles that women around the world face. In 2020, the highlighted theme is gender equality.
The organizers of the celebration explain:
“An equal world is an enabled world.
Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, combat prejudices, broaden perceptions, improve situations, and celebrate the achievements of women.
Collectively, each of us can help create a world with gender equality.
Let’s all be #EachforEqual.
Equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue.
Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive.
A world with gender equality can be healthier, wealthier, and more harmonious – so what’s wrong with that?
The race is on for gender-equal boardrooms, gender-equal government, gender-equal media coverage, gender-equal workplaces, gender-equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth… so let’s make it happen.
The theme of the IWD 2020 campaign is inspired by the notion of ‘Collective Individualism’.
We are all parts of a whole. Our individual actions, conversations, behaviors, and mindsets can have an impact on our larger society.
Collectively, we can make change happen. Collectively, each of us can help create a world with gender equality.
The #EachforEqual 2020 campaign lasts all year long. It doesn’t end on International Women’s Day.
The campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize ongoing collective action, with #EachforEqual activities reinforced and amplified throughout the year,” IWD Team.
What is IWD?
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality.
The History of IWD
In 1908, against a backdrop of terrible working conditions and exploitation, 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights.
The following year, the Socialist Party of America announced a National Women’s Day to honor the strikers, and in 1910 it became global – the Socialist International voted to establish a Women’s Day to advocate for suffrage. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911, and over a million people attended rallies across Europe.
For much of the 20th century, International Women’s Day was recognized and celebrated by people at the grassroots level, a rallying point for social justice. It was only in 1975 – International Women’s Year – that the United Nations adopted International Women’s Day on March 8, a date that is still celebrated today.