NEWS

March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day across the world to promote women’s rights and honour their achievements across the political, economic, social and cultural spheres

DETAILS

• Traced back to the many socialist movements witnessed in the early 20th century
• Adopted by the United Nations in the year 1977 and aided by the second and third waves of Feminism
• Day is a reminder of the grit and determination of women all across the world
• The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”
• One of the most important days of the year to:
  • celebrate women’s achievements
  • raise awareness about women’s equality
  • lobby for accelerated gender parity
  • fundraise for female-focused charities
• International Women’s Day was observed by the United Nations for the first time on 8 March 1975. 1975 was also declared the International Women’s Year.
• The very first day for women in the modern era was celebrated in the United States of America on February 28, 1909 when the Socialist Party of America observed a National Woman’s Day.

ALSO KNOW : GOAL 5 – ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS

• Even though, gender equality is not a fundamental right, it is necessary for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world, especially for women to live in.
• Some targets of goal 5 are:
  • End all forms of discrimination and violence against all women and girls everywhere.
  • Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
  • Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
  • Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.
  • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.