Facts and Figures You Need to Know About International Women's Day 2023
International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on the 8th of March to honor the achievements of women and to raise awareness of the challenges they face in their daily lives. The theme for International Women's Day 2023 is "DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender awareness". It is a call for gender equality and to challenge gender stereotypes and biases.
Did you know that the fight for gender equality did not start until the late nineteenth century?
If you were not aware of this fact, then you have come to the right place.
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Here are some International Women’s Day fun facts and important figures that you need to know.
Facts and Figures
- International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900s. It was first celebrated in 1909 in the United States, as a way to honor the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York. The first official International Women's Day was observed in 1911, with more than a million people attending rallies and marches in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
- International Women's Day was recognized by the United Nations in 1975. The UN has since held annual conferences on women's issues.
- International Women’s Day has official colors. The colors are purple, green, and white. Purple symbolizes justice and dignity, green symbolizes hope, and white symbolizes purity.
- International Women's Day is a public holiday in many countries, including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
- Women are underrepresented in leadership positions around the world. There are a total of 195 countries in the world. Only 26 countries have a female head of state or government.
- According to the World Economic Forum, women globally earn 5 than men. The gap is 4 cents for every $1 earned by a man. This gap is even wider for women of color and those in low-paying jobs. According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 202 years for this gap to close at the current rate of development.
- Violence against women is a global issue, with one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 30% of women and girls experience physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner. International Women's Day seeks to raise awareness of this issue and to call for action to end violence against women.
- Women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. According to the data, only 30% of researchers worldwide are women.
- Women are also underrepresented in sports, with fewer media coverage and funding compared to men's sports. In the 2021 Olympics, women made up only 49% of athletes, and there were still some countries where women were not allowed to compete.
To conclude, women have been denied basic rights since the beginning and they continue to fight to this day for equal opportunities and rights. International Women's Day is an important day to celebrate the achievements of women and to raise awareness of the challenges they face. From the gender pay gap to violence against women, there are still many issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve gender equality. We need to work towards a more equal and just world for all by raising awareness and challenging gender stereotypes and biases.
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Let’s celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of every woman. Happy Women’s Day 2023!
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