How can you help to #BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day?
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
All over the world significant activity is witnessed as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality. International Women's Day has occurred for well over a century with the first gathering held in 1911.
Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day (IWD) is 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
This year the theme for International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias which highlights the importance of challenging biases and misconceptions in the interest of creating a more inclusive and gender-equal world.
Imagine a gender equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Together we can forge women's equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.
We can break the bias in our communities.
We can break the bias in our workplaces.
We can break the bias in our schools, colleges and universities.
Together, we can all break the bias - on International Women's Day (IWD) and beyond.
The UN also issued a 2022 theme: "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow." The UN's 2022 theme celebrates girls and women who are leading the charge toward a more sustainable future, and climate change response efforts.
Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have, severe and lasting impacts on our environment, economic, and social development. Those who are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised experience the deepest impacts. Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most.
At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action. Continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality.
Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.
International Women's Day is not country, group, nor organisation specific. No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network, or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. The day belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.
Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained
"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
So, make International Women's Day your day and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women.