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International Women’s Day 2023: Everything You Need To Know

International Women’s Day (IWD) is around the corner every year on 8 March. It is widely celebrated to honour the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women in the world. 

International Women’s Day is observed as a global holiday and it is celebrated every year on the same date, which is 8 March. 

The day focuses on important issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, violence and abuse against women, equal rights for women, and many more. The day is observed to celebrate every woman across the world and take steps toward women’s empowerment.

Every year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated with a different theme. The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 has already been decided and people should plan events based on that theme. 

We should remember all those important women on this day who fought for women’s rights and for society. This day is significant for the growth of our society.

The day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements made by women around the globe while also highlighting ongoing gender disparities.

On this day, we unite, celebrate and honour the notable accomplishments of sisters from every corner of our planet, who work hard towards effecting positive changes that empower and uplift millions of girls worldwide who continue to face systemic discrimination daily.

International Women’s Day:  History and Significance

On February 28, 1909 the Socialist Party of America established National Women’s Day in New York. Theresa Malkiel, a labour activist, came up with this idea as a way to remember the city-wide demonstrations against garment workers. 

German delegates later that year advocated the notion of a women’s day, though no exact date was decided, taking inspiration from American socialists. 

Women’s rights advocate Clara Zetkin suggested an international women’s day next year at the second International Congress of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, to give women a stronger voice and encourage womanhood to advance their demands for equal rights.

The female attendees, who represented 17 nations and included Finland’s first three female MPs, endorsed it with one accord. The inaugural celebration of International Women’s Day happened in March 1911, and in 1913 the date was set as March 8.

First annual theme of International Women’s Day 

In 1996, the UN declared its first annual theme “Celebrating the Past, Preparing for the Future.” 

In 1977, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 8 as International Women’s Day in favour of women’s rights and world peace. The United Nations first remarked on International Women’s Day in 1975.

Since then, the UN has celebrated the day by deciding on a theme every year.

This day is noteworthy because it honours women’s accomplishments, and the power of women hood, promotes gender parity and gender equality and raises money for various charities that support women.

The theme for International Women’s Day in 2023

“DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” is this year’s Women’s Day theme. The theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological transformation, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls,” is in line with this.

Importance of International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day has developed into a forum for womanhood and promotes women’s achievements.

It has been used to draw attention to problems like gender-based violence, pay disparities, lack of access to healthcare and education, and underrepresentation of women in society and encourage women and develop women entrepreneurs.

The development of women rights all across the world is one of the most noteworthy accomplishments of International Women’s Day. In many nations, women have gained the right to vote, and legislation protecting them from harassment, violence and discrimination in society has been established. 

With more girls attending school and life-saving medical care than ever before, women have also made significant advancements in education and healthcare.

Poverty, violence, and prejudice based on gender, colour, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are just a few of the substantial obstacles that women currently face on the street. 

Women’s matters have continued to be underrepresented in political and economic decision-making in many parts of the world, and their perspectives are frequently neglected in talks concerning laws that impact their lives.

The celebration of International Women’s Day serves to raise awareness of the need for continual activity and advocacy on behalf of women in society. 

It is a call to action for all people and organisations to join forces to build a society where women are getting their rights, respected, given the opportunity to succeed, and given the power to realise their full potential. 

By observing International Women’s Day, you can keep bringing attention to the problems that women face and spur forward constructive change for future generations.

Whatsapp features for women’s safety

Pick your caller- On WhatsApp you can easily “block and report” an account to WhatsApp anytime. You will no longer be able to get messages or calls from blocked contacts or numbers.

Control over messages- You can set screenshot blocking to prevent other members from taking photos of messages, and other information that they may not want in the public domain to get. This offers an extra layer of security.

Settings for group privacy- The group invite system and privacy settings of WhatsApp permit you to control who can add them to groups. This protects your privacy and prevents people from adding them to groups they don’t want to be a part of.

Control over online information- On WhatsApp, you can also control your online presence or visibility by choosing who can see when you’re online and who can’t. 

Protect the privacy of your WhatsApp account- By activating the Two-Step Verification feature, you can protect yourself in two ways. This is a helpful feature if the phone is hacked or a SIM card is stolen.

Things you can do to celebrate women’s day in school & colleges

  1. Discuss with students the history of International Women’s Day and the purpose of celebrating, and its importance to society.
  2. You ask them to write a special composition, blog or article to celebrate the achievements of women in society and what contributions they have made to education.
  3. Explore statistical information about women in the workforce with your students.  
  4. Ask students to make posters to display on International Women’s Day.
  5. Ask them to share the information that they learn about it with someone you think does not understand the need for an “International Women’s Day.”

5 fundamental rights every Indian woman should know

1) The right to education

As education can empower women and provide them with better opportunities in society. Unfortunately, many girls in India still do not get an education, and there is a significant gap between male and female literacy rates in India.

As of 2021, India recorded a higher nationwide literacy rate among men than women, at respectively 84.4% of the male population and 71.5% of the female population.

2) The right to healthcare

The right to healthcare includes access to basic healthcare services, maternal healthcare, and family planning services for the women in India who often face numerous health challenges, and access to healthcare services can help them address these issues.

3) The right to work

Women should have equal opportunities to earn a livelihood and contribute to the country’s economy. Unfortunately, women in India face many barriers to women entrepreneurs, including discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

4) The right to political participation

As women should have equal opportunities to participate in political matters and be represented in government. Despite some progress in recent years, women are still massively underrepresented in Indian politics.

5) The right to live 

Right to live with dignity and freedom from violence at home and in society. Women in India often face various forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, etc. Addressing these matters and creating a safe environment for women is crucial.

Lesson to learn from 5 leading women of the world

1. Take Every Chance, Drop Every Fear

  • Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global

Take Away from her:

Arianna Huffington built a global brand from scratch she wouldn’t have pulled it off and had allowed her fears to hold her back. If you have a business idea you think might just work, don’t think about the negative outcomes: take initiative and see where it leads you in the race. 

You’ll be able to tweak your business strategy as you go, but unless you hit the road, you’ll be robbing yourself of a chance at the business environment

2. Don’t Be Ashamed to Ask for Directions

  • Oprah Winfrey, actress, book author, producer and host of The Oprah Winfrey Show

Take Away from her:

 You’ll never know all there is to be known about a successful business, but not asking for directions is the safest and easy way to get lost along the way.

You should know how important it is to do industry-related homework in advance and not be ashamed to ask questions and seek help or guidance when you need it from others.

3. Quality Is As Important As Quantity

  • Lailah Gifty Akita, founder of Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation

Take Away from her:

In a world that revolves around quantity, quality is what makes a business stand out in the crowd. Quality takes time, commitment, and long-term investments when it comes to business. Money spent on first-rate office equipment is an investment in employee comfort, well-being, and work motivation and as such has a hand in the quality of both workflow and output of the business. 

4. You’ll Make Mistakes – Learn from Them

  • Sara Blakely, Spanx founder

Take Away from her: 

Sara made mistakes, and she grew from them. Failing is a sign that you’re pushing the limits of your comfort zone and taking risks in every matter; as such, errors are an integral component of the path to success.

 Mistakes are a source of valuable lessons on how you can tweak business strategy and approach to ensure the best results in the long run in the market, so make them – and learn from them, too.

5. Find Your Passion and Go After It

  • Karren Brady, English author, columnist, TV personality and vice-chairman of West Ham United F.C. 

While doing business things gets tougher than usual, it’s the passion for your line of work that will keep you in the right lane and heading for top-notch performance metrics at full speed.

For this reason, the spark is every business woman’s best friend: find your passion beyond fame and money,  which will satisfy your needs and let it guide you on days when the entrepreneurial waters grow murky.

Summary

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 of every year. Honouring women’s social, economic, and cultural accomplishments in their celebration. 

The day focuses on essential topics like gender equality, women’s equal rights, violence and abuse against women, and the reproductive rights of women worldwide. The day is celebrated to honour all kinds of women across the world.

FAQ’s on Women’s Day 2023:

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