The answer is … our world is not there yet.
Equal rights for women and girls are simply not there yet.
International Women’s Day is a day to recognise the ongoing obstacles that women face – economic prejudices, marginalisation, physical and sexual violence, denial of reproductive rights, and the right to an equal education.
International Women’s Day is a call to action. Action to stand with women who are demanding these fundamental rights. Action to better protect women against sexual exploitation and abuse. And action to hasten women’s full and equal participation in education, the workforce, and leadership.
Importantly, it is also a day of celebration: to acknowledge the achievements of women and girls from all corners of the globe, regardless of race, culture, economic status, political belief, religion, ability, or sexuality. It’s also a chance to acknowledge those female leaders, pioneers, human rights champions, and everyday heroes who advocate for an equitable future.
In terms of progress, 2023 is a much more accepting space for all women, regardless of their sex assigned at birth. Today we are witnessing an evolution of acceptance that sees womanhood as more than female genitalia and the ability to conceive. Womanhood is much more complex than two X chromosomes – more complex, nuanced, and deeply personal. International Women’s Day 2023 is about inclusion and diversity.
International Women’s Day was honoured for the first time in Europe in 1911. Unfortunately, 112 years later, women continue to fight inequality. International Women’s Day on March 8 has been marked as Global Day of Observance by the United Nations since 1977 and United Nations Women, a UN entity, is dedicated to achieving gender equality and empowerment of women. Their theme for 2023 is ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future’.
#crackingthecode highlights the need for technology and innovation to advance gender equality. Bold, transformative ideas, inclusive technologies, and accessible education play a critical role in fighting discrimination and marginalisation of women and girls globally.
Our lives depend on access to technology. Whether it be for education, finding information quickly and accurately, contacting loved ones, banking, booking a medical appointment, or finding a safe refuge. In the 21st Century, most exchanges are made through a digital process.
Did you know?
- 37% of women globally do not use the internet.
- 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, even though they account for nearly half the world’s population.
- 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access mobile internet.
- Across the world, huge gaps exist in female education. Reports from UNESCO show two-thirds of the 774 million illiterate adults in the world are women (a ratio unchanged since 1976); 31 million girls of primary school age are not in school; and refugee girls are half as likely as boys to be in secondary school.
The same reports indicate that education allows women to get married later, survive childbirth, raise healthy kids, find work, earn more money, and has an enormous impact on the whole of their community.
But,
- An estimated 140 million girls became child brides between 2011 and 2020. Girls who marry before age 18 are typically denied an education, risk complications related to premature childbearing, and are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence.
- Women hold only two in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology (STEM) jobs.
- Women-led start-ups received just 2.3% of venture capital funding in 2020.
- When computer science degrees were first offered in the late 1960s, the gender mix was about equal. Now women only make up 21% of tertiary graduates with a STEM related degree in Australia.
- Globally, 24% of women have reduced their internet usage because of abuse online.
There are many barriers holding women back. If we are to reach a gender equal future, we must challenge these cultural, economic, and social restrictions that embed inequality. And in a world where 95% of countries are led by a male head of state, perhaps the global community has quite a way to go before women are treated as equals.
International Women’s Day in Australia sees the mainstream media bombard us with positivity slogans such as ‘you go girl’ and ‘girl power’. This puffery masks the multitude of issues faced by girls and women. And these white-washed messages overlook the experiences of First Nations women and girls. Violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights abuses in Australia and around the world. One in three Australian women will experience violence in an intimate relationship, and one in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
International Women’s Day isn’t about strangers. It’s about supporting all the women, girls and transwomen in our lives. It’s about looking after those who are suffering from mental health conditions, eating disorders, chronic illnesses, disabilities and learning difficulties. It’s about fighting for their right to thrive. It’s also about acknowledging the determined commitment and dedication of EDFA’s female carers supporting those living with eating disorders. We know 70% of primary carers in Australia for those with medical conditions and other needs are women. We see you. We’re here for you.
International Women’s Day is about celebrating influential women in our lives: mothers, grandmothers, carers, sisters, mentors, teachers, friends, lovers. It’s about the collective powerhouse of sisterhood and solidarity. It’s about speaking up to repeatedly, doggedly, loudly and softly make life better for our next generation of women.
