Skip to main content

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>TRADITIONS OF THE DAY</strong></p>

<p>As women come together to celebrate the advancement of gender equality and women&rsquo;s rights on International Women&rsquo;s Day, they receive ample support from men who give them flowers or other gifts. This tradition extends to educational institutes and workplaces as well. Inspiring female leaders and women with success stories in different areas of life are put in the spotlight to encourage and influence other women all over the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Spain and Turkey, political activities and protests take place on this day. The aim is to motivate change in policymaking. In China, women are often allowed a half-day off from work and receive special treatment in general at work and home.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>BY THE NUMBERS</strong></p>

<p><strong>163.2 million&nbsp;</strong>&ndash;&nbsp;the number of females in the United States as of July 2015.</p>

<p><strong>24%</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the percentage of women in the U.S. Senate.</p>

<p><strong>29%</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the percentage of women in state legislative seats.</p>

<p><strong>0%</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the percentage of women as presidents of the United States.</p>

<p><strong>40 billion</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the number of hours spent by women in sub-Saharan Africa collecting water.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>⅔</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; of the world&rsquo;s 796 million illiterate people are women.</p>

<p><strong>1 in 3</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; women around the world experience violence.</p>

<p><strong>2.7 billion</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the number of women who don&rsquo;t have the same work opportunities as men.</p>

<p><strong>82 million</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the number of women worldwide who don&rsquo;t have any legal protections against workplace discrimination.</p>

<p><strong>650 million</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; the number of women who are married before the age of 18 across the world.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ACTIVITIES</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Get involved</strong></em></p>

<p>There's an International Women&rsquo;s Day event in nearly every major city and you can pick and choose what attracts you most. There are concerts where you can listen to live music, art exhibitions where talented creators display their work, and networking summits where you can hear guest speakers discuss women&rsquo;s rights.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Do like they do in the rest of the world</strong></em></p>

<p>Send a bouquet, thank you card, or some small gift to your mother, sister, or co-worker. It&rsquo;s guaranteed to brighten their day, give you a boost in their eyes, and help commemorate a wonderful day.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Learn more about a woman you admire</strong></em></p>

<p>We all have our favorite musicians, actresses, and historical figures, but have you taken the time to truly know their story? Do some digging and learn about what their life was like. Chances are they&rsquo;ve been through their fair share of trials and tribulations, and you&rsquo;ll be inspired by their perseverance</p>
</li>
</ol>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>5 FACTS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN&rsquo;S DAY</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Recognized by the U.N.</strong></em></p>

<p>In 1975, the United Nations officially adopted International Women's Day.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>A day for mothers</strong></em></p>

<p>Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and Uzbekistan celebrate International Women&rsquo;s Day and Mother's Day together.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Theme change</strong></em></p>

<p>Each year International Women's Day has a theme and for 2020 it was &quot;An equal world is an enabled world.&quot;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Wage gap</strong></em></p>

<p>In 2015, the U.N. reported that women still earn an average of 24% less than men do worldwide. Another&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lttrust.com/blog/gender-retirement-gap-increasing">study</a>&nbsp;reveals that women get to save less than men with a 68 cents to a dollar ratio, for retirement.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Women are in session</strong></em></p>

<p>In Algeria, women make up 70% of the country's lawyers and 60% of its judges.</p>
</li>
</ol>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WHY WE LOVE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It&rsquo;s international and inter-organizational</strong></em></p>

<p>No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women&rsquo;s network, or media hub is solely responsible for International Women&rsquo;s Day. International Women&rsquo;s Day was established and has been celebrated for a long time! As Gloria Steinem says, &ldquo;The story of women&rsquo;s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.&rdquo; We agree! The day is all about intersectionality, whether that's the organizations that support International Women&rsquo;s Day or the type of women the day celebrates.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It&rsquo;s a global holiday</strong></em></p>

<p>International Women&rsquo;s Day is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, and more with flowers and small gifts. There might be cultural differences between countries, but the appreciation of women and their accomplishments transcends all boundaries.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It raises awareness around the world</strong></em></p>

<p>It may seem that we have progressed very far by now. Although some progress has been made, yes, a recent study of 145 nations showed that there's still a gender gap. Iceland has come closest to equality in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, and that's definitely a start. But in other places like Yemen, women are only considered half a witness in court cases. They're even forbidden to leave the house without their husband&rsquo;s permission. IWF was created to strive toward a standard of gender equality for all countries. Because, as we all know, raising awareness about women&rsquo;s plight around the world helps elevate all women.</p>
</li>
</ol>

Repost Message
will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates
of this posting because it will affect the original.

MCC Daily Tribune

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the historical, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also observed in support of taking action against gender inequality around the world. We all know the world couldn’t run without women (we mean, just listen to Beyoncé). This is the day to appreciate their efforts! Organizations large and small come together to show women just how valuable they are in today’s society.

 

TRADITIONS OF THE DAY

As women come together to celebrate the advancement of gender equality and women’s rights on International Women’s Day, they receive ample support from men who give them flowers or other gifts. This tradition extends to educational institutes and workplaces as well. Inspiring female leaders and women with success stories in different areas of life are put in the spotlight to encourage and influence other women all over the world. 

In Spain and Turkey, political activities and protests take place on this day. The aim is to motivate change in policymaking. In China, women are often allowed a half-day off from work and receive special treatment in general at work and home.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

163.2 million – the number of females in the United States as of July 2015.

24% – the percentage of women in the U.S. Senate.

29% – the percentage of women in state legislative seats.

0% – the percentage of women as presidents of the United States.

40 billion – the number of hours spent by women in sub-Saharan Africa collecting water. 

 – of the world’s 796 million illiterate people are women.

1 in 3 – women around the world experience violence.

2.7 billion – the number of women who don’t have the same work opportunities as men.

82 million – the number of women worldwide who don’t have any legal protections against workplace discrimination.

650 million – the number of women who are married before the age of 18 across the world.

 

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ACTIVITIES

  1. Get involved

    There's an International Women’s Day event in nearly every major city and you can pick and choose what attracts you most. There are concerts where you can listen to live music, art exhibitions where talented creators display their work, and networking summits where you can hear guest speakers discuss women’s rights.

  2. Do like they do in the rest of the world

    Send a bouquet, thank you card, or some small gift to your mother, sister, or co-worker. It’s guaranteed to brighten their day, give you a boost in their eyes, and help commemorate a wonderful day.

  3. Learn more about a woman you admire

    We all have our favorite musicians, actresses, and historical figures, but have you taken the time to truly know their story? Do some digging and learn about what their life was like. Chances are they’ve been through their fair share of trials and tribulations, and you’ll be inspired by their perseverance

 

5 FACTS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

  1. Recognized by the U.N.

    In 1975, the United Nations officially adopted International Women's Day.

  2. A day for mothers

    Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and Uzbekistan celebrate International Women’s Day and Mother's Day together.

  3. Theme change

    Each year International Women's Day has a theme and for 2020 it was "An equal world is an enabled world."

  4. Wage gap

    In 2015, the U.N. reported that women still earn an average of 24% less than men do worldwide. Another study reveals that women get to save less than men with a 68 cents to a dollar ratio, for retirement.

  5. Women are in session

    In Algeria, women make up 70% of the country's lawyers and 60% of its judges.

 

WHY WE LOVE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  1. It’s international and inter-organizational

    No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women’s network, or media hub is solely responsible for International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day was established and has been celebrated for a long time! As Gloria Steinem says, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” We agree! The day is all about intersectionality, whether that's the organizations that support International Women’s Day or the type of women the day celebrates.

  2. It’s a global holiday

    International Women’s Day is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, and more with flowers and small gifts. There might be cultural differences between countries, but the appreciation of women and their accomplishments transcends all boundaries.

  3. It raises awareness around the world

    It may seem that we have progressed very far by now. Although some progress has been made, yes, a recent study of 145 nations showed that there's still a gender gap. Iceland has come closest to equality in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, and that's definitely a start. But in other places like Yemen, women are only considered half a witness in court cases. They're even forbidden to leave the house without their husband’s permission. IWF was created to strive toward a standard of gender equality for all countries. Because, as we all know, raising awareness about women’s plight around the world helps elevate all women.

Sarah Benedict
MCC Wellness Council
03/08/2022