Photo credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona (via Unsplash)
A brief history,
It’s been 113 years since the idea of establishing International Women’s Day (IWD) as a global movement was first recognized by the International Conference of Working Women in 1910. This annual celebration derives from a National Women’s Day held by the Socialist Party of America in the U.S. on February 28th, 1909. As a result, the celebratory day has strong ties to the women’s labour movement in the U.S.
However, it wasn’t until 1917 in Russia that March 8th gained significance as our now-set date. Russia, at the time, was experiencing food shortages, protests, and extreme exhaustion coming off of the First World War. The combination of these factors caused an escalation in tensions within the country, resulting in an International Women’s day demonstration on February 23rd, 1917, the equivalent of March 8th in the Russian calendar.
This year’s theme,
This year’s annual International Women’s Day has been themed “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” by the UN. The significance of this theme is to highlight the ongoing disparities between men and women in the tech industry. A topic that covers a variety of challenges women face in connection to the tech world, including,
- Covid-19 virtual isolation
Many women in rural communities faced numerous challenges in the shift to online meetings and forums. Without easy access to technology and the internet, a large portion of the population was not being represented online during the pandemic.
- Women in STEM
A report by the World Economic Forum states that by 2050 nearly 75% of jobs will be related to STEM. Yet, according to the Director General of UNESCO (the United nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), Audrey Azoulay, women are four times less likely to have advanced ICT skills, make up less than 20% of the tech workforce, and conduct only 12% of AI research. Azoulay emphasized that this year’s theme is meant to highlight “innovation and technology for gender equality.”
With the focus being on the digital sphere, the government and private sector will hopefully feel pressure to put their efforts into making the digital world safer, more inclusive and more equitable for women and minority groups.
Showing support,
On another note, IWD is a time to highlight the incredible work done by women in varying fields within our community. While it is essential to support and promote women all year round, taking extra time to draw attention to the vital work and achievements of women from all backgrounds is to be at the forefront of our minds today.
Use your social media platforms to highlight women that have impacted your life, participate in events supporting the women in your community, and find new ways to encourage and support underrepresented women in our society. Put a heavy emphasis on watching women-dominated films, tv shows, and documentaries. Read up or listen to podcasts detailing the current state of gender equality in our country.
It is equally important to acknowledge the racial bias within the foundations of the early feminist movement.
Today is not only for highlighting the most prominent and well-known women in our society but those who have been misrepresented for centuries. Racialized women, transgender, non-binary and gender-non-conforming people have all been consistently left out of the conversation, as the early movement focused on cis-gendered white women. We must continue to push for inclusion, not only today but every day, so we may continue to make progress in having all voices heard in the fight for complete equity in our society.
Local events,
There will be an event today in the Nexus center SN 4022 celebrating the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, La primera feminsta de America. Readings by Students of Spanish and Live Music by School of Music Students will take place from 5-6 p.m. to support IWD.
Quidi Vidi Brewery is also holding an event in celebration of IWD. There will be live music featuring local artists and prizes at the door. They will also be launching a new beer, Tropical Pale Ale, and all proceeds from that particular beer will be donated to the Women in Resource Development Corporation. This is a great way to support both local female artists and donate to an incredible organization creating more opportunities for women in STEM. Tickets can be bought online at the link in the post’s description.