World Celebrates Intl’ Women Day

By: Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Mar. 8 (SEE) - Today, and every year on March 8th, the world celebrates the International Women Day (IWD) which marks a focal point in the movement for women's rights, and was adopted by the United Nations for that cause in 1975.

The story began when the Socialist Party of America organized a Women's Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, and one year later, in 1910, International Socialist Woman's Conference suggested a Women's Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted by UN.

In some countries, IWD is a public holiday, in some places, it is a day of protest, and in others, it is a day that celebrates womanhood.

This year, the theme chosen by UN for IWD is: 'Think equal, build smart, innovate for change' The focus of theme was on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.

According to the UN website, achieving a gender-equal world requires social innovations that work for both women and men and leave no one behind. From urban planning that focuses on community safety to e-learning platforms that take classrooms to women and girls, affordable and quality childcare centres, and technology shaped by women, innovation can take the race for gender equality to its finishing line by 2030.

It begins with making sure that women’s and girls' needs and experiences are integrated at the very inception of technology and innovations. It means building smart solutions that go beyond acknowledging the gender gaps to addressing the needs of men and women equally. And ultimately, it needs innovations that disrupt business as usual, paying attention to how and by whom technology is used and accessed, and ensuring that women and girls play a decisive role in emerging industries.