Today March 8 honours the achievements of women and promoting women’s rights. A national holiday in numerous countries, it has been sponsored by the United Nations (UN) since 1975. International Women’s Day (IWD) grew out of efforts in the early 20th century to promote women’s rights, especially suffrage.
Usually, the day is marked around the world with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking, conferences and marches. Of course, this time around things are going to look a little different.
But the pandemic has also bought its own unique challenges for women – from job losses to a rise in domestic abuse and the pressures of home schooling – making the need for this year’s IWD more pressing than ever. Although the day was started a century ago, there are still very good reasons to mark it now.
Thank you to all the women in our lives and to those pioneers who have been responsible in raising awareness about the importance of acknowledging the achievements of women through the centuries.
Cover image credit: UN Women/Yihui Yuan
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