– The time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives

COUNTRIES around the world celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) in different ways. While some recognise it as a national holiday, others treat it more like Mother’s Day, where the men, children and others in the community treat the women in special ways – giving them gifts and letting them rest while they prepare the meals and do the chores for the day.

This event celebrates the achievements of women in all aspects of life – economic, social, political, religious, cultural and more, at the same time calling for gender equality.

With a history way back in the early 1900s IWD is not affiliated with any particular group, though it brings together different women’s organisations, charities, non-governmental and also governmental organisations. The day (March 8) is observed around the world with different activities, including arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and even marches in some countries.

HOW DID IT START?
Studies have shown that IWD can be traced back to 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights, better pay and shorter working hours. It is reported that just one year later the first National Woman’s Day was observed in the US on February 28, in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

The very next year (1910), Clara Zetkin who led a ‘women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, put forward the idea of an International Women’s Day. She suggested that every country should celebrate women on one day every year to make their demands more effective.

Zetkin’s suggestion was agreed to at a conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries and so the IWD was formed. The very next year (1911), this event was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland for the first time. It was celebrated on March 19.

DATE CHANGE
The date for the celebration of the IWD was subsequently changed to March 8, and it has been celebrated on that day ever since.

The day was only recognised by the United Nations in 1975, but ever since it has created a theme each year for the celebration.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
According to the World Economic Forum, achieving full gender equality is still a far way off and would not be realised until 2186. Some of the issues that continue to affect women across the globe include the fact that women are still not present in equal numbers in business or politics, as well as the fact that they also continue to receive less pay for the same types of work done as their male counterparts.

According to a 2017 report by the World Economic Forum, it could still take another 100 years before the global equality gap between men and women disappears entirely. It was said that in 2017, women effectively worked “for free” for 51 days of the year because of the gender pay gap.

Further, recent gender pay gap figures have revealed that women are also paid less than half of what men are paid in some major companies in Britain and elsewhere. This is in addition to reports of women’s rights being discussed all over the media with regard to the ‘global reckoning on sexual misconduct’ moving all over many major industries.

Additionally, studies have shown that globally, women’s education, health and violence toward women are still worse than that of men. Therefore, on IWD women across the world come together to force the world to recognise these inequalities – while also celebrating the achievements of women who have overcome these barriers.

With gender equality is still an apparent 168 years away, many are hoping that the struggle for women’s rights rises as the year continues. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)