International Women’s Day, rights, equal opportunities and gender equality

REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO – March 8th, 2019 – International Women’s Day, which is celebrated every year on March 8th, is a global event to remember both the social, economic and political achievements, and discrimination and violence to which women have been and are still subject in all parts of the world.

The first time the national women’s day was observed, was in New York on February 28th, 1909. It was marked on March 8 in several European countries in 1914 in support of women’s suffrage. It became a truly global event only when the United Nations proclaimed March 8 as the International Women’s Day in 1975, focusing on women empowerment.

Over the last 100 years, in many countries women have gained more rights and have achieved the highest positions of leadership. However, the original goal of achieving full global gender equality is still a way off.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), gender gap will take at least 108 years to close, and 202 years for economic gender parity at the current change pace (https://www.hrdive.com/news/closing-the-gender-gap-will-take-108-years-pay-equity-index-shows/544847/; https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/international-womens-day-where-does-she-belong/).

Gender equality is a fundamental principle included in the list of global sustainability objectives to be achieved by 2030, as reiterated by UN Women (United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Empowerment). It is not only a fundamental human right, but also the necessary condition for a prosperous and sustainable world.
A strong theme, which constantly comes back to great relevance, and leads to a reflection on the role of women in the labor market, underlining the importance of their presence, with actions in favor of women engaged in small and medium-sized enterprises through professional qualification, in making decisions, improving education and training.

WUSME wishes to celebrate International Women’s Day, because women’s emancipation all over the world isthe engine of economic, social and political development.

Photo: World Economic Forum