Everything you need to know of International Women’s Day!

You might know women’s day due to many reasons, for the feminist out there it is a day where we celebrate equality and for the rest of the nation how can we forget the famous Aurat March? One way or the other everyone knows that 8^th March is globally recognized as Women’s Day.

But what does this day signifies? When did it started? Is it a celebration or a protest? Why is there not a Men’s Day? The theme of this year?

Read on to curb your curiosity on the day, its history and significance it holds this year or just to understand why is this day given so much importance to begin with.

History

International Women’s Day is not a ‘woke’ societies’ initiative, in fact it has been in the world since more than a century. It was in 1908 that the women recognized the oppression and inequality they face on day to day basis. They joined hands and started the campaign for bringing the change. It started to become more vocal when 15,000 women marched on this day across New York City demanding that they get shorter hours, better pays and voting rights. In 1909, the first Women’s Day was noted in the US.

Just a year later, in 1910, Clara Zetkin a leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany proposed that the Day must be celebrated globally, this leads to an international conference of working women in Copenhagen with 100s of women from different countries participating in it. Later in 1911, Women’s Day was celebrated internationally with Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland leading the way on 19^th March. Later, it was decided that March 8 as the day to celebrate IWD. However, International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975.

Colours of International Women’s Day

As there are colours for every different movement, there are colours for IWD as well. Those colours are purple, green and white unlike what most perceive pink to be ladylike. Each colour holds its own significance. The colour purple signifies justice and dignity, green symbolizes hope and white represents purity. The colours were coined from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in the year 1908.

Theme of 2022

This year UN Women and the world in coming together under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, and a call for climate action for women, by women.

The Agenda

With the recent data, we now understand the crucial link between gender, social equity and climate change, and recognize that without gender equality today, a sustainable and equal future is impracticable.

Come to think about it Women of all ages experience the most impact of the climate crisis as it amplifies gender inequalities putting their lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. As observed around the world the females depends more on the natural resources yet are given lesser access to it. Resulting in lopsided accountabilities for securing food, water, and fuel.

As the femme bear the burden of the impacts of the climate they are naturally more inclined to drive the change in climate adaption, solutions and mitigation. Without the inclusion of more then half of the world’s population, it is less likely that the solutions for a balanced and even world of tomorrow.

Last year people from different platforms joined hands with bringing in the governments and the private sector companies to bring forth the concreate commitments towards the ecosystem.

IWD 2022 is driving the coalition in awareness, helping people especially women in global action through investments focusing gender-just climatic solutions. While also increasing the women’s leadership in the ‘clean’ economy, building the female resilience to climate impacts and disasters.

What Should you Do?

This International Women’s Day, celebrate and rejoice the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all over the world. Marking a call to action for gender parity. As witnessed before when women come together, significant changes are seen worldwide so celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality for the future generation to witness.

Not many may be aware that International Women’s Day is not specific to any country, group or organisation. The day belongs to women everywhere. Let us identify, celebrate and increase the visibility of women’s achievements! There is a dire need for increased awareness through meaningful narratives, resources and activities to combat gender bias and discrimination.

We cannot be self-righteous and understand that the issues have not been yet solved even after more than a century to this movement there is still a lot that needs to be done. There are still women that have to face a lot of discrimination because of their gender. Many are still killed, molested and harassed. We all should play our part in creating gender parity, do as little or as much as you can, support each other and people around you, there is nothing more powerful than joined forces.

Happy Women’s Day to all the ladies out there! Hope you have a good one!