International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It’s a day to recognize the amazing accomplishments that women have made in history and continue to make today. Every year on March 8th, we can join together and celebrate the strength and resilience of women everywhere.

 

The Origin of International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years and originally began as a way to promote equal rights for women around the world. The first official celebration was held in 1911 when over one million people attended rallies across Europe to promote peace, solidarity, and equality for women. Since then, International Women’s Day has become an annual event that brings attention to gender inequality issues around the globe.

It’s important to remember that International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating female achievements – it’s also about recognizing the challenges that many women still face in today’s society.

There’s Still Work to Do

For starters, let’s talk about motherhood. In too many parts of the world, women are still expected to be the primary caretakers of their children. They’re expected to drop everything and take on the majority of childcare responsibilities, even if they also have full-time jobs outside the home. And even in developed countries like Canada and the United States, mothers are often being judged for their parenting choices and criticized for going back to work too soon after having a baby. Come on, can we just cut moms some slack already? We’re doing the best we can!

There’s also the issue of healthcare. In countries like Canada and the United States, women are still paying more for health insurance than men. And while some progress has been made in recent years in terms of coverage for things like birth control and maternity leave, there’s still a long way to go. For example, did you know that in Canada, only 33% of workplaces offer paid parental leave to top up government maternity benefits (which top out at 55% of a woman’s salary IF you qualify for the benefits)? That means that 67% of new parents have to take unpaid leave or go back to work sooner than they’d like because they can’t afford not to. That’s not fair!

Finally, let’s talk about representation. Women make up 51% of the population, but according to Fortune 500 companies’ most recent annual reports, only 24% of executive officers are women. And it gets worse if you’re a minority; according to Catalyst’s 2019 report “Women of Color in Corporate America”, Black women hold just 2.4% of senior leadership positions and Latinas hold 3%. We need more women—and more diversity among women—in leadership positions!

What We Can Do To Celebrate

This year, let’s shine a light on some of these challenges by showing our support for organizations that are dedicated to helping advance gender equality. Let’s use this day as an opportunity to come together as a community to create positive change for all women around the world. We can do this by taking part in local events or donating money or time to organizations that are working towards gender equality.

For those looking for ways to celebrate at home, there are many other activities we can do such as hosting virtual gatherings with friends or colleagues, engaging in self-care activities like yoga or meditation, reading inspiring books written by female authors, or simply taking some time out of your day to appreciate all the amazing things you have achieved so far!

So while I’m happy to celebrate how far we’ve come as women, I’m not going to sit here and pretend that everything is perfect. We still have a long way to go before we achieve true equality—but I’m hopeful that we’ll get there eventually. This International Women’s Day, let’s come together with confidence and compassion—to celebrate our successes while also recognizing areas where we need further progress—all while remembering how far we have come since 1911! By joining forces with each other and supporting organizations making strides toward gender equality, we can shift our culture into one where everyone is encouraged and empowered! Together we can create a brighter future for all!  Happy International Women’s Day!