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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY |
Today is International Women’s Day – a time to celebrate what women have achieved and to look at the challenges which they still face. The UN estimates that at the present rate of progress humans will reach Mars before we achieve Gender Equality!
This year’s theme is “Inspire Inclusion” which means including women in all aspects of life – in Education, Health, Work, Leadership and Decision – Making. They do after all make up almost half the world’s population.
How to Promote Inclusion
- Working towards Women’s economic inclusion
- Recruiting, retaining and developing diverse talents
- Supporting women into leadership and decision – making roles
- Ensuring that women and girls have access to high quality education and training
- Encouraging women and girls to study non -traditional subjects for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Helping women and girls to make informed decisions about their health
- Involving women in sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
- Promoting Creative and Artistic Talents
- Encouraging participation and achievement in all fields including business, politics, media and sport
More Ways to Celebrate International Women's Day
- Learning about the experiences of women from different cultures and diverse backgrounds and appreciating their contributions and challenges too
- Speaking up and taking action if you see discrimination, harassment or violence towards women ( anyone really) taking place and challenging the stereotypes which underlie them
- Cultivate solidarity with other women and be especially supportive of women and girls who face additional challenges such as poverty, disability, racism or other forms of discrimination. Help them to get the opportunities and resources which they need
- Share your stories of inspiring or being inspired by other women on Social Media using the Hashtag #IWD2024 or get more ideas and resources here.
National and Local Action
Individual countries may also have specific themes and activities. In Australia the focus has very much been on helping women to achieve economic security through its “Count Her In: Invest in Women” Campaign.
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It is about supporting women in the workforce, closing the Gender Pay Gap and preventing them falling into poverty and homelessness later in life due to career interruptions such as child rearing. It also seeks to encourage greater representation at leadership and decision – making levels in business and government. To this end, the Australian Government has launched a number of initiatives as detailed in its “Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality” released yesterday, with many more in the pipeline.
The most pressing issue however, and not just here in Australia is that women should be able to remain safe wherever they are. This is the topic I’ve been working on all week so I hope to be able to post more on that shortly.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Many thanks to all the strong and wonderful women who have inspired and encouraged me throughout my life.
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