The International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th day of March annually, is a global day that commemorates the social, political, economic, and technological advancements of women. It’s a day that also marks a call to action for accelerating equality and equity for women.
IWD has been celebrated for over a century. The first IWD gathering held in 1911 and was supported by over one million people. Overtime, the celebrations have grown into a global event, celebrated by government, corporate bodies, individuals and organizations everywhere in the world.
The theme of this year’s celebration “DigitALL”: innovation and technology for gender equality with the campaign hashtag “#EmbraceEquity” would drive conversations around equity, equal opportunities for the female gender, especially in digital technology. This will promote a tremendous need for equitable actions, inclusion of girls and women from around the world and across different economic backgrounds.
Women from all over the world and their allies were encouraged to take part in events and discussions geared towards solving this problem of inequality. They chose the campaign hashtag and a pose of embrace to encourage the world to embrace equity without fear or shame and with a sense of community.
Technology has been very effective in fostering some sort of inclusion and equity. Women who stay at home can work and earn a living from the comfort of their homes while taking care of their homes as mothers and wives. Technology has proven beneficial in aiding justice for cases of domestic violence, gender-based violence like sexual abuse, especially for underprivileged and low-income women, as we witnessed in the #MeToo movement in 2022. Technology has fostered more financial capacity building for women with the innovations around savings and investments. In a world where 90% of countries have a barrier to women owning bank accounts or properties, mobile banking and investment applications help women win.
The availability of technological gadgets such as computers, phones, cameras, and the internet has allowed both men and women to have better economic opportunities and personal growth. Free and subsidized online courses boost knowledge, increase earning capacity and provide access to a broader network for girls and women alike.
Even though there is still a lot of work to be done to break the cycle of inequality; both gender, racial and socio-economic diversity, technology and digital innovations hold the key to parity and inclusion.
As the world celebrates women, give equity a big embrace and keep in mind that equity is not something to only write or speak or think about. We should embrace equity, you and I can seek to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination and foster inclusion. Be an activist, because grassroots work can create momentum.
Let us work collectively to affect a positive change, rally your friends, family, and community today.
Now, strike the #EmbraceEquity pose.
