By MAYA MADKORIYA
As the world marks the 114th annual International Women’s Day next Thursday, March 8, reviewing how much has been done to boost women’s rights since 1910 is vital, especially when the idea to mark this important event in the calendar was first mooted by German Clara Zetkin.
Clara, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party of Germany, produced the idea of International Women’s Day.
She proposed that the same day – Women’s Day – should be celebrated every year in every country to emphasise her demands and to build solidarity between women who endured the most discrimination and were treated as second-class citizens by the male-dominated society.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ to emphasise that such an environment should be created for women to know their background and identity and promote their abilities on an equal footing with men.
Seeds of women’s solidarity were sown in the 20th Century.
On March 8, 1908, women workers in the needle trade marched through the Lower East Side of New York City to protest child labour and sweatshop working conditions and demand women’s suffrage.
Two years later, in 1910, on March, women marked it as an annual celebration, calling it International Women’s Day,
The idea caught on in all the corners of the world, becoming an important fixture.
Over the years, this movement has grown into a global phenomenon, with people from all social classes coming together to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.
How is International Women’s Day celebrated worldwide?
The day is marked by an official holiday celebrated in many countries.
Depending on where you are, celebrations range from many speeches just for giving a political pep talk but with no intention of offering anything positive from the government’s side.
Others mark it by exchanging gifts, while steel others vent their spleen on political demonstrations and protests about the continued discrimination and mistreatment of women where the authorities, despite seeing the ill-treatment of women, continue to look the other way or even be a party to these acts.
Various events and activities are organised to celebrate and advocate for women’s rights, including marches, rallies, panel discussions, workshops, and art exhibitions to raise awareness and promote women’s empowerment.
Today, technology has maintained its dominance in every field.
With the benefit of these technologies, women work in every field and perform their best, making equal contributions to national and international development.
We are seeing this world changing rapidly around us. All of us, women, no matter which country we are in, contribute to equal strength.
Our lives are busy, from dawn to sleeping at night.
From the time a child is born till her death, countless blessings come in her life. We spend our lives struggling with all elders and fulfilling their responsibilities.
Being born as a girl is not a sin but a blessing to the parents and society.
International Women’s Day is a day of sober reflection, advocacy, and action supporting gender equality and women’s rights.
It is a time to honour women’s remarkable achievements throughout history and recognise the ongoing struggle for gender equality in all aspects of life.
Each year, International Women’s Day has a specific theme that highlights various aspects of gender inequality and the struggles women face.
This year, the theme is “Choose to Challenge,” which calls for individuals to challenge gender bias and inequality in all areas of life to create a more inclusive and gender-equal world for future generations.
International Women’s Day is a celebration and a clarion call to action to mend any cracks in the treatment of females.
It is a day to advocate for policy changes, better representation of women in leadership roles, and an end to violence against women.
It is also a time to raise awareness about the issues that women face around the world, such as unequal pay, lack of access to education and healthcare, and discrimination based on gender.
Despite the progress over the years, much work still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, gender parity will not be achieved for another 99.5 years at the current rate of progress.
This is why International Women’s Day is so important, as it serves as a reminder of the importance of continuing to fight for equality for all.
We should all take the time to reflect on the achievements of women and the challenges they still face.
We must also renew our commitment to promoting gender equality in our communities, workplaces, and society by speaking out against gender inequality.
We can create a world where women have the same opportunities as men.
How far have women come since 1910?
Very far.
These days, there are women Air Force combat pilots, commercial airline pilots and astronauts like the late Kalpana Chawla.
They sit in boardrooms of major corporations globally and in the courts as judges, barristers, and advocates. They make crucial decisions in government business.
Who can forget the late Indira Gandhi, India’s first
woman Prime Minister?
And political stalwarts like Kasturba Gandhi, USHA Mehta, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, Aruna Asaf Ali, Rani Jhansi and many others who died for India?
In the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher was the first and longest-serving prime minister in the 20th Century.
That’s the true strength of women today. Women’s empowerment has come a long way since 1910.
Maya Madkoriya is a practising Advocate at the Bhopal High Court in India. She is also a published author and popular community leader.
