Nursery specialists and recipients of a UN Women initiative in El Salvador.
Once a year, on March 8th, the world comes together to celebrate International Women's Day. It's a day to recognise the amazing things women have done throughout history and across the globe. From social justice warriors to scientists, artists, and political leaders, women have made incredible contributions in every field imaginable.
International Women's Day isn't just about acknowledging the past, though. It's also a day to look towards the future and fight for an equal world. There are still many challenges women face, like getting paid the same amount as men for doing the same job, getting a good education, or having a say in how things are run.
This year, the United Nations is calling on everyone to "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress." They believe that by supporting women, we can make the world a better place for everyone. But there's more to it than just throwing money at the problem.
There are five key areas where we all need to work together:
- Investing in women is a human rights issue. Time is running out. Gender equality is the greatest human rights challenge, benefiting everyone.
- Ending poverty: Due to the COVID pandemic and conflicts, 75 million more people have fallen into severe poverty since 2020. Immediate action is crucial to prevent over 342 million women and girls from living in poverty by 2030.
- Implementing gender-responsive financing: Conflicts and rising prices may lead 75% of countries to cut public spending by 2025, negatively impacting women and their essential services.
- Shifting to a green economy and caring society: The current economic system disproportionately affects women. Advocates propose a shift to a green economy and care society to amplify women's voices.
- Supporting feminist change-makers: Despite leading efforts, feminist organisations receive only 0.13% of official development assistance.