On the 8th of March, 1908, 15000 women marched out to New York Road demanding better pay, shorter working hours and the Right to Vote. In 1909, The Socialist Party of America declared the first National Women’s Day. In 1910, the idea of International Women’s Day was tabled at the international Conference’ for working women in Copenhagen. After a year in 1911, four countries, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany celebrated the first International Women’s Day. After this, women in Russia went on a strike for demanding ‘Bread and Peace’. In 1977, after a lot of struggles, the UN officially recognised ‘International Women’s Day. This day was not just celebrated to simply give women chocolates, bouquets and discounts on women products but was essentially made to create awareness about issues and challenges facing women.
Standing in the 21st Century it’s frank to say that women throughout the world are still fighting for their basic rights. 90 Million women of their reproductive age, live in countries that prohibit abortion. A woman is not allowed to make such decisions and is often forcibly impregnated beyond her consent. No exception prevails even in the case of rape. This happens in developed countries too.
➔ A total of 41% of women living in countries with restrictive abortion laws. Although abortion is a human right, she cannot decide on her own. 23000 women die every year because of unsafe abortions. If we want to celebrate Women’s Day, we have to raise our voices against restrictive laws and speak up for Women’s rights. 6 women are killed every hour around the world and 137 women are killed every day by their partner or their family members. Violence against women and Femicides has even surpassed its historical numbers during this Pandemics. Women on Zoom calls desperately seek help against domestic violence through various signals like ‘palm to camera’ and ‘tuck thumb’ or by ‘trap thumb’. Coming towards data, according to the World Economic Forum, 45% of women in Middle-North Africa, 38% in South Asia, 32% in North America, 31% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 27% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 22% in Western Europe are victims of domestic physical and sexual violence. Women are also fighting for the Right to Education. Only 66% of countries have achieved gender parity in Primary Education. In higher secondary, it drops below 25%. In Afghanistan, more than 210 schools were closed and 51000 girls lost access to school. In countries like Mali and Somali, girls are sexually harassed and kidnapped for being wives of the Talibani.
According to the World Economic Forum, 132 million girls throughout the world are out of school. Data about Gender inequality share a lot of facts with us. On actual paper, we only write for women and their equality, but in reality, women are discriminated against by men. According to Amnesty International, there is a huge pay gap between men and women. Women earn 77% of what men earn for the same job.
➔ Only 25% of Parliamentarians are women all over the world.
➔ There are only 21 women who are head of State or Government.
➔ In World Organizations like the United Nations (UN), there had never been a woman general secretary.
➔ Women are 18% less likely to get promoted in their jobs.
➔ According to the data, only 6 countries have given equal legal rights to men and women.
➔ In Nigeria, a man has the right to physically hit his wife for her mistakes. On this International Women’s day we should take a pledge, a pledge for women’s safety, equality, dignity and many more that they want from our society.
“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson
Wish you all a very happy International Women’s Day.
(Writer is a Student of Faculty of Commerce, BHU and office secretary of Finance and Economics Think Council)