International Women's Day 2021: Let's all Choose To Challenge

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What is the need?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) can be achieved only by inculcating transformative shifts, integrated approaches, that disrupt routine and provide new solutions. 
Even with so many technological opportunities, there is a gender-divide in the representation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics which is affecting the transformative profits for society. 

To shape our future lives, it is important to have equal participation of women’s ideas and experiences to influence the implementation of innovations. 

In order to achieve this, there is a need to remove structural barriers and making sure that no woman and girl are left behind.

When is it celebrated?

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8, worldwide. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political. 

It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. 

It is a time to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. IWD has been observed since the early 1900s with the first gathering held in 1911 to:

  • Celebrate women's achievements
  • Raise awareness about women's equality
  • Lobby for accelerated gender parity
  • Fundraise for female-focused charities

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2021 is 'Choose To Challenge'. A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. So let's all #ChooseToChallenge.

UN Women has announced the theme for International Women’s Day as, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”

The theme celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, 

“Women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, and 

The flagship Generation Equality campaign, calls for women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs.

What are colors to symbolize?

Purple, green, and white are the colors of International Women's Day. 

Purple signifies justice and dignity. 

Green symbolizes hope. 

White represents purity, albeit a controversial concept. 

The colors originated from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908.

What are the aims to be achieved?

  • Identifying, celebrating, and increasing the visibility of women's achievements can help forge equality.
  • Strategic collaborations based on a foundation of shared purpose, trust, and appreciation can impact positive change for women
  • Worldwide awareness-raising via meaningful narratives, resources, and activity can help combat gender bias and discrimination to accelerate gender parity.







Gender Equality by 2030:

The world has made unprecedented advances, but no country has achieved gender equality.

In the meantime, legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men. Less than 25 percent of parliamentarians were women, as of 2019. One in three women experiences gender-based violence, still.

Let’s make 2021 count for women and girls everywhere.

References:

  1. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
  2. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/about
  3. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme
  4. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Resources
  5. https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day
  6. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day
  7. https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment/facts-and-figures
  8. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/11/announcer-international-womens-day-2021
  9. https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/womenday
  10. https://www.nhp.gov.in/international-womens-day-2019_pg
  11. https://www.nhp.gov.in/international-women-day_pg
  12. https://nhp.org.in/en/health-programmes/41-international-women-s-day

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