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International Women's Day is an annual celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world to end the exclusion and marginalization of women and girls through gender inequality.
March 8, which marks this global celebration is earmarked to celebrate women who have made history, reflect on progress made, raise awareness about women's equality, continue to champion change, encourage future generations and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the chronicle of their countries and communities.
International Women's Day simply offers the opportunity to join voices with people around the world and shout the message for equal rights loud and clear so as to give inclusion to women in all walks of life:
However, the concept of International Women's Day came from Clara Zetkin in 1910 who suggested the idea at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen after the first National Women's Day was celebrated across the United States on February 28, 1909, which was organized by the Socialist Party of America.
International Women’s Day was agreed to be marked annually on March 8 and has remained the global date for the holiday ever since.
Globally, International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1911 in Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, and Austria and has continually been celebrated with a new theme each year as a banner under which they can unify the direction of everyone’ efforts, and help raise awareness.
This year International Women's Day campaign theme tagged 'Choose to Challenge' is a call-to-action to challenge the status quo by raising awareness against bias, celebrating women's achievement, and taking action for equality.
According to the IWD Website, "A challenging world is an alert world. Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality.
"We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.
Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restriction on the social gathering and national lockdown still enforced in the UK, this year International Women's Day will be held virtually.
"The pandemic won’t dampen our spirits in the pursuit to connect communities around the world to collaboratively forge positive change for women,” the IWD website said.
However, People can show their support for IWD 2021 and this year’s theme #ChooseToChallenge, by posting an image of themselves on social media with their hand raised high to show they choose to challenge and call out inequality.
The organisation is also encouraging participants to use hashtags #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021 to show solidarity for the celebration.
Individuals and organisations are inviting people to send their #ChooseToChallenge images which will be shared around the world in the lead up to International Women’s Day 2021.
READ ALSO: World Cancer Day 2021: Theme, History And Key Facts
How To Get Involved In International Women's Day
International Women's Day, held on 8 March over a century now, has marked a day of celebration and advocacy for women’s rights and equality around the world. Here are how to get involved in this year Women's Day Celebration.
Show Your Support On Social Through, #ChooseToChallenge
One simple, yet impactful way to celebrate International Women’s Day this year is to show your commitment to challenging inequality by taking part in the #ChooseToChallenge social media campaign.
Take a photo of yourself raising your hand high and share it on your preferred social media platform(s) using #ChooseToChallenge and #IWD2021.
Attend Online Virtual Event Rally
Also, you can get involved in the International Women's Day celebration by listening to women who shares their experiences, knowledge and advice through the virtual rally events designed to make this year women's day awesome. By simply sharing your experience or listening to others share theirs can get you inspired to make a change
As most of the world is gathering online instead of in-person, there are tons of great virtual events planned for International Women’s Day this year. So, as you are planning this year celebration, research some interesting events in your industry or community and encourage your friends, family, or team to register with you.
Such as AHRI's International Women's Day Virtual Event, Women in Tech’s Tech(Know) Day, She-EO’s Virtual 2021 Summit amongst other impactful virtual events.
To ensure women continue to progress towards gender equality in all sphere of life, it is important that society create liberal environments for women to explore, give them room to showcase their potential, more inclusion in the political sectors and to ensure women at all levels receive fair and equitable support from the government and the society at large.
Because without equal inclusion of women in business, education, health and politics, we will not be able to solve the world’s most pressing problems and achieve a prosperous and vibrant future.
When you are planning your International Women’s Day activities, ensure you invite and encourage your husbands, male friends or teammates to participate and champion gender equality together. Involve them in the conversation about how we can promote equality for people of all gender identities.
Although, International Women's Day celebrations and initiatives are targeted at women, but it is necessary and very essential that people of all gender are involved in the conversations and become equal advocates for gender parity.
Studies by Harvard Business Review article revealed that when men are deliberately engaged in gender inclusion programs, 96% of organizations see progress compared to only 30% of organizations where men are not engaged.
Raise Funds For Charity
The best way to commemorate this meaningful and impactful day is to consider donating to a charitable organisation supporting women either locally or globally. You can make a difference by simply getting organizations or team of individuals to get involved in a fund-raising activity for charity centres in your communities or country and also support women in all areas, especially from poverty and lack of education for a girl child.
Whether you are doing it in small groups in the office or hosting it virtually like everything else these days due to pandemic, Raising fund for the less privileged or to alleviate poverty in the society is the best way to start this year #ChooseToChallnge. There are a lot of charitable centres out there that need the support of women like you.
Most often time, simple words of encouragement and love can go a long way in lifting someone up and inspiring them to keep going. Whether it is your mentor, role model, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, girlfriend, or friend, sending text messages, call or simply using them on your social media status on this special day as an important woman in your life to let them know how awesome they are is the best gift you can give.
Not only would the person be flattered by your thoughtfulness, but you will also get the added bonus of a great conversation with someone you look up to.
There is a Women’s Day Event in literally every city across the world and with this year theme tagged #ChooseToChallenge# a lot of the events will raise awareness of the pay difference evidently seen between men and women.
There will of course be other issues involving inequality that will be addressed as well, but this would be a great time to learn some more about the problem and what we have to do to reverse it if we are physically present at the event.
Against a backdrop of terrible working conditions and exploitation in 1908, no fewer than 15,000 women took to the streets in New York protesting for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
The following year, the Socialist Party of America announced a National Women’s Day to honour the strikers, and in 1910 it went global.
Thereafter, the Socialist International voted for the creation of a Women’s Day to advocate for suffrage, this led to the first International Women’s Day that was held in 1911, and more than a million people turned out to rallies in Europe.
During the 20th century, International Women's Day was acknowledged and celebrated most by people at the grassroots level and it is usually a rallying point for social justice.
Purple, green and white are the colours that symbolise International Women’s Day and it originated from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908. At the time, purple signified justice and dignity, green symbolised hope and white represented purity.
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