International Women’s Day: Pledge for Parity

Today on March 8th, we are celebrating International Women’s Day to help raise social awareness of women’s issues, as well as celebrating women’s achievements. Here is a brief history of how IWD began back in the early 1900’s.

Back in 1908, 15,000 women took to the streets of New York to demand the right to vote, shorter workdays, better pay and an end to child labor. At this time, women where starting to be more vocal about their rights in the workplace. Two years later, in 1910, over 100 women from 17 countries formed to organize and celebrate the first Women’s Day, or as it was known at the time, “International Working Women’s Day.”

While woman eventually “won” the right to vote, there are still major inequalities that are present in workplaces all across the globe. In present day 2016, over a hundred years after IWD’s inception, there is still a gender pay wage gap that exists between female and male workers. This is on top of other troubles, such as sexual discrimination and harassment. As long as these issues still exist, so does the need for International Woman’s Day.

This year is the 105th Anniversary of IWD, and this year’s theme is Pledge for Parity, and is a call for people around the world to focus on equality for women. Join us today in a celebration of women’s achievements, and a call to action for the end of gender inequality.

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