Why We Celebrate International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day has been celebrated annually since March 8th, 1911, and is unique in that it’s celebrated by a diverse range of countries and is not specific to any one group or organization.

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights,” renowned feminist Gloria Steinem once explained.

The day commemorates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while also existing as a call to action for greater gender equality.

The previous years have seen remarkable strides made in the name of equality. The “Me Too” movement has continued to ramp up and expose sexual harassers and abusers of power. In the US, more than 36 women were elected to the House of Representatives. Ireland voted to repeal some of the harshest abortion laws in the world. Ethiopia elected its first female president. And women in Saudi Arabia were finally legally permitted to drive.

These are all incredible steps forward, but there is much more work to be done. More than 130 million girls around the world are not granted access to proper education. There are 750 million women who have been married before the age of 18. The UN estimates that there are at least 200 million women who have undergone forced female genital mutilation. While 1 in every 3 women have experienced either physical or sexual violence.

Only together can we work to create a more equal and compassionate world.

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