More Women are Gaining Opportunities Despite Challenges

Each year on March 8th, the globe gathers to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD), a day to honor the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions of women. It is also a time to look back on the continued fights for gender equality and the need for further actions to build a more equitable world.

International Women's Day originated in the early 20th century from the women's labor movements in North America and Europe. In 1909, the United States observed the first National Women's Day after a demonstration by garment workers in New York demanding better working conditions.

At the Copenhagen International Socialist Women's Congress in 1910, a German activist named Clara Zetkin demanded that an annual day be held in order to combat women's rights, and hence the first formal International Women's Day was created in 1911.

It has evolved into a movement in recent years with the support of the United Nations and the majority of nations on the globe. It has a unique theme annually that is centered around women's core issues.

Great progress toward gender equality has been made. Women occupy executive roles in politics, business, and academia to a degree unseen before. Legislations and policies advocating for the rights of women, including laws that ensure pay equality and end violence against them because of gender, have come into effect across many nations.

Educational opportunities for women have also improved, which has led to higher literacy and involvement in the sciences (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Campaigns such as #MeToo and global campaigns for reproductive rights have also started crucial debates around gender violence and body control.

While these improvements have been achieved, there is still an issue. Women all over the world continue to face inequalities in pay, representation, and access to education and healthcare.

Women in most of the world continue to struggle against institutional and cultural limitations that discourage their rights and potential. Sex-based violence, including domestic violence and human trafficking, continues to be a threat.

The pandemic of COVID-19 also affected women disproportionately, with increased caregiving duties, loss of employment, and heightened exposure to violence at home. The road to equality is still long, but it is a step in the right direction each time.

International Women's Day is a celebration as well as a reminder of work that still needs to be done in order to truly realize gender equality. We celebrate the women who have struggled to bring us to this point, but we keep pushing to move forward so that future generations can have an even more equal and just society.

This International Women's Day, let us all make a difference. Happy International Women's Day!