Today is International Women’s Day, it started on February 28, 1909 in New York, and it’s celebrated in many countries around the world. This special day is a global day celebrating women’s rights and womanhood, and the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
This year’s theme is: ‘Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives‘.
On the United Nations website we can read under ‘The UN and Gender Equality‘:
The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. Since then, the UN has helped create a historic legacy of internationally-agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. Over the years, the UN and its technical agencies have promoted the participation of women as equal partners with men in achieving sustainable development, peace, security, and full respect for human rights. The empowerment of women continues to be a central feature of the UN’s efforts to address social, economic and political challenges across the globe.
Veronica Birga, who heads the UN Human Rights Office’s section on women’s human rights and gender:
The demand for equality between men and women, which was voiced in the drafting of the UDHR, still rings true today. The past year, from the global women’s marches, to #TimesUp, women are standing up, speaking out, and continuing to change the world.
The theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives‘. Here’s a video message from UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on International Women’s Day 2018. Mlambo-Ngcuka draws attention to the work of rural and urban activists who have fought for women’s rights and gender equality:
This is a powerful message and you can find all the information on this special day, events, news, stories and other video on this page. The situation is still very difficult for many women around the world, and we can read on the United Nations / Women’s Day website:
On almost every measure of development, because of deep seated gender inequalities and discrimination, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women. For instance, less than 20 per cent of landholders worldwide are women, and while the global pay gap between men and women stand at 23 per cent, in rural areas, it can be as high as 40 per cent. They lack infrastructure and services, decent work and social protection, and are left more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rural women and their organizations represent an enormous potential, and they are on the move to claim their rights and improve their livelihoods and wellbeing. They are using innovative agricultural methods, setting up successful businesses and acquiring new skills, pursuing their legal entitlements and running for office.
In another video The time is now, UN Women invites everyone to reflect on progress made, to stand up for change, and to celebrate the ordinary and extraordinary women who have changed the world through their words and actions:
The Enough Project just published the powerful story of Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud, a Sudanese-American poet and author with accolades in a range of artistic, academic and activist pursuits:
Emi began her walk in January in El Fashir, Sudan and ended over 1,000 kilometers away in the capital of Khartoum in early February. Along the way, she collected “Dreams for Peace” from people around the world, including over 50 participants of the 2018 Lemkin Summit. These dreams came in the form of letters, recordings, and videos and were meant to highlight individual and collective desires to contribute to a more peaceful Sudan and world more generally. While Emi’s walk has ended, her goal of generating dreams for peace continues. This International Women’s Day, demonstrate your support by sharing your own dream for peace on social media using the hashtag #DreamsforPeace you can post a video like the ones below, or simply type out your dreams.
Read full article here.
We post below a selection of tweets about the event, promoting equality and respect for women in every part of the world. This global day needs to be celebrated as too many women are still struggling in their daily lives, suffering descrimination, violence, sexual abuse…
Women & men from all walks of life come together on #WomensDay to tell the world: #TimeIsNow for gender equality!
Join the global chorus: https://t.co/hHhGWO9efR #IWD2018 pic.twitter.com/TAFBLq0BBB
— UN Women (@UN_Women) March 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/UN/status/971492183034552322
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/971522966826733568
#DYK: 65% of farmers in #Sudan are women? They're also usually the main providers for their families.
Here's how we support them #IWD2018 pic.twitter.com/e44HbRFyUF— WFP in the Middle East & North Africa (@WFP_MENA) March 8, 2018
On Int'l #WomensDay, we want to draw attention to violence against women. Everyday, around the world, women continue to experience violence. And that violence is most likely from a partner or family member. Someone who is supposed to love & care for them. #IWD2018 #TimeIsNow pic.twitter.com/Z0QZavBDjX
— Safe Steps (@safestepsFV) March 7, 2018
We want to improve #genderequity in #Antarctica. This summer about 25% of our expeditioners were #women. Today we'll be at the @Tradeswomenaustralia
Conference in Brisbane to encourage more females to venture to the icy frontier!#IWD2018 #WomensDayhttps://t.co/yEhGuYkOIC pic.twitter.com/xG0OUZajtX— antarctica.gov.au (@AusAntarctic) March 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/HollyRansom/status/971485152059604992
