March 8 marks the 100th international celebration of women, which is being honored in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, and other countries all over the world. To honor this day and the strength and economic, social, and political achievements of women, these countries are all hosting special events (1,506 worldwide) put together by corporations , women’s groups, schools, governments and charities.
Although International Women’s Day has had a history since the early 1900s, the first IWD event was organized in 1976 by the United Nations, and even though there was a twenty year gap of inactivity, the feats of women have been celebrated every year since 1996 without fail. The annual themes vary depending on the country and the organization from ending violence against women to gender equality, but one of the prominent themes for 2011 is focused on equal access to education and training for women in science, technology as a pathway to decent work for women. Women and organizations throughout the world are focusing their attention on giving women more access to predominantly male-dominated fields of study, research, and work. In the future, we should see more women in fields of engineering, science, mathematics, and technology.
Check out the International Women’s Day site for local events taking place in your country and/or city all over the world, and go meet some wonderful women leaders, join empowering organizations, acquire information about facets of women’s lives, network and make new friends, and take the opportunity to make a difference for yourself, your daughters, and sisters.
In the United States alone, 221 events have been organized. Here’s the link.
Grab this widget for your blog and help create awareness for this amazing celebration by blogging about it and spreading the word of female empowerment.
Related articles
- More work to do on gender equality (news.theage.com.au)
- Kari Henley: Celebate International Women’s Day By Honoring The Oldest Woman You Know (huffingtonpost.com)
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Marina DelVecchio
Thanks for sharing Marina! This is a great event to be aware of.
Unfortunately, schools are too busy having mardis gras and not at all focusing on women’s achievements. But thanks for coming by!