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March 8, 2009

International women's day

Today is International Women's Day. Each year this day is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Some people think that the cause of feminism is dead. This is not true. There is still cause to campaign for further change.

Women still do hold equal representation in the constitutional processes that govern the way the world works. Until we do, women's issues will never be truly represented - they will still be denied access to positions of power, healthcare, support for childcare, and denied the right to fulfil their true potential.

The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. The UN theme for this years IWD is ending violence against women.

• Women make up 51 percent of the world’s population, but hold only 16 percent of parliamentary and congressional seats worldwide.
• Women do two-thirds of the world’s work but receive only 10% of the world’s income.
• 70% of the world’s poor are women.
• In some countries, women are still criminalised for being raped.

And:

• Only 21% of all news subjects (people interviewed or whom the news is about) are female.
• Globally women comprise 42% internet users.
• Women use 20,000 words a day while men only use 7,000.

Write something today on your blog/Twitter/Facebook/MySpace/[Insert preferred web 2.0 tool here] about women, celebrate our achievements, point out the work which still needs to be undertaken, party, campaign. Do something positive and mark today as a day to take something forward.

Happy International Women's Day.

Posted by glittrgirl at March 8, 2009 10:51 AM

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