International Women's Day 2022: Break the Bias

International Women's Day (IWD), celebrated on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The women's day has been celebrated for well over a century, with the first one in 1911.

The day marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.

Marked annually on March 8th, women's day 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 and fundraise for female-focused charities.

International Women’s Day has a rich history dating back to the 1900's  when  women across Europe and America were finding their voice. That wanted and demanded decent jobs, better pay, and the right to vote or hold public offices, for their emancipation. It was out  of this air of dissatisfaction that International Women's Day was born. 

At the beginning of the 20th Century women across Europe and America were finding their voice. That wanted and demanded decent jobs, better pay, and the right to vote or hold public offices, for their emancipation.Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change It was out  of this air of dissatisfaction that International Women's Day was born.

In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. A year later Russian refugee, labor organiser, and journalist Theresa Malkiel serving on the women’s committee of the Socialist Party of America envisioned a more active role for women within the movement, she declared February 23, 1909 “National Woman’s Day.” New York socialists celebrated with a meeting of about 2,000 people in Manhattan.

“The very first observation of our national Woman’s Day,” recalled activist Meta L,Stern three years later, “proved so successful that Woman’s Day became generally accepted as an annual Socialist holiday.” Along with May Day, she explained, the day stood “for new hopes and new ideals; the abolition of wage slavery and sex slavery; the coming of a freer, better and happier manhood and womanhood.” In 1910 at the Second International,  a world wide socialist  congress held in Copenhagen, German Socialist  Clara Zetkin  tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs - and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament - greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in Denmark in 1911, International Women's Day was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

 Originally called National Woman’s Day, the monumental annual celebration spread across the world (officially celebrated in 1911), but it was Russia who unknowingly set the March 8 trend and helped spark a revolution. When tens of thousands of women converged in Petrograd, Russia to mark the holiday—as well as demand an end to World War I and protest food shortages—the demonstrations  turned into a massive strike. Within hours, 100,000 workers, including men, walked out on their jobs to join the demonstrators.
The movement grew to as many as 150,000 striking workers within a few days. Eventually, even the Russian army joined the marchers, withdrawing their support from the Tsar Nicholas. It was the beginning of the Russian Revolution.
After World War II, the holiday picked up steam, and lost many of its associations with socialism and radical politics. As the women’s liberation movement swept around the world in the 1970s, the United Nations designated 1975 International Women's Year and celebrated the holiday for the first time. Two years later in 1977, designated March 8 International Women’s Day, and, in 1996, began to adopt an annual theme for every year. The first theme was "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future."The International Women’s Day website https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ has announced that this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias.The organisation is calling on people to “imagine a gender equal world” which is free of biases, stereotypes and discrimination against women. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed to level the playing field. Research shows that gender equality will bring benefits for the whole of society, from healthier and safer communities to economic success and stronger democracies.

The UN’s theme is “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. It is focusing on advancing gender equality in the context of the global climate crisis. 

“Continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voiWomen are considered among the most vulnerable groups to the climate change effects due to socio-economic disparities, but also as climate champions since climate action is strengthened by their presence and leadership.  Therefore, ensuring the sustainability of the future requires eliminating constraints to participation and increasing opportunities for women to contribute.ce and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality,” the UN said.“Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.”

This year’s theme aims to emphasise the vulnerabilities of women all over the world due to climate change-induced catastrophes. It also acknowledges the contribution of women climate activists for their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Two important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – climate action and gender equality – also align with this year’s theme.

According to the UN World Prospects 2019, “The population of females in the world is estimated at 3,904,727,342 or 3,905 million or 3.905 billion, representing 49.58 percent of the world population.” 

The latest data from the UN shows that 80% of people currently displaced by climate change related natural disasters are women and girls. The trauma, disease and poverty left in the wake of these disasters will impact generations to come. Women are more likely to experience domestic and family violence in the wake of a natural disaster. Such statistics show that women and girls who constitute half the world’s population are further threatened by gender inequalities in the face of climate disasters. These threats are looming in the form of the disproportionate distribution of all socio-economic opportunities.

 Climate disasters negatively impact the health of women as they usually lead to malnutrition and lack of healthcare facilities. There are numerous reasons for the unequal distribution of health facilities for women during climate-led emergencies. Climate calamities destroy infrastructure, which includes hospitals and clinics. Healthcare resources are diverted to meet the requirement of those who are directly affected by the disaster. As a result, the reproductive health issues of women are neglected in low-income countries. Similarly, floods and droughts destroy agricultural land, increasing poverty risks for farmers. Such emergencies cause poverty risks and ignore the nutrition of adolescent girls and pregnant women, which create long-lasting health issues for them.

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.

Today we celebrate the gains  women have made and to  keep on calling for the changes that are still very much needed.There have been many strides for women since the first IWD in 1911, but we still have a long way to go.

From a persisting pay gap to attacks on reproductive health, the fight for gender equality isn’t just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue. Women are still not equally represented in business or politics, girls facing sexual objectification from an early age,  girls told  to shrink themselves make themselves smaller. Women still forced to flee domestic abuse,  others facing honour killing, a practice that allows family members to murder women for dishonouring their families, by refusing arranged marriages, removing their faith or for simply dressing in ways considered inappropriate. I also note that the basic needs of most Palestinian women are daily being violated by Israels's ongoing occupation and siege. The siege in Gaza a contributing factor in one fifth of maternal deaths in Gaza.
Yet  contrary to Orientalist  misrepresentation, women have been at the heart of liberation struggles in the Middle East and North Africa. At the moment in the region of Turkey and Kurdistan women are being politicised in a long struggle against theocratic totalitarianism, inspiring us in their fight for emancipation and freedom.
So today as I observe International Womens Day, I stand up for all women still trapped by injustices, still suffering from abuse, at the end of the day I believe the women's struggle is a struggle for the freedom of all people, recuperating the fair value of people over things. I recognise the practice and theory of mutual support that women have laid, that are the foundations of social change that we must keep building. Women who recognised the tactical necessity of standing and working together, lest they be destroyed individually, women who put to shame the ridiculous notion of  a 'women's place'. Their struggle is ours too. I acknowledge all those  who have been persecuted, jailed, tortured, simply for being a woman. Especially those who are among the most vulnerable in this present moment of time - the refugees. 
Let us also celebrate the  powerful women who've fought dictatorship, risked their lives to fight climate change and led mass movements for justice across the world, we cannot let their contributions go unnoticed today and every day. As Audre Lorde said "I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her hackles are very different fro my own,"

In accordance with its #BreakTheBias theme, IWD organisers are asking people to pose with their arms crossed in an act of solidarity  as a symbol of their commitment to calling out bias, dismantling stereotypes, and rejecting discrimination and inequality.

Separately, the UN is hosting a virtual event which will explore how women across the world are responding to the climate crisis.

Speakers at the event include primatologist Jane Goodall DBE, climate justice activist Maria Reyes and environmentalist Katharine Wilkinson. You can sign up for the event here.

In London, IWD will be gathering to raise awareness of gender pay inequality.

Under the UK’s Equal Pay Act, paying women less than men for the same work is prohibited. However, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that a pay gap between men and women persists, with men earning 7.9 per cent more than women in 2021.

On Tuesday, IWD will be staging “a public act of resistance” outside some of London’s biggest businesses. The meeting point for those who wish to take part is the Duke of Bedford monument, Russell Square from 8am. Find out more here.

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.

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. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias  and say no to unacceptable patriarchal narratives.