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International Women's Day 2016: What is it? Why was it set up? Is it still needed? | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
International Women's Day has marked the plight and achievements of women for more than a century – but is now looking ahead another 15 years to the world's gender equality goals. | International Women's Day has marked the plight and achievements of women for more than a century – but is now looking ahead another 15 years to the world's gender equality goals. |
Themed this year around "Planet 50-50 by 2030", the United Nations-backed event will be celebrating women's rights in more than 40 countries. | Themed this year around "Planet 50-50 by 2030", the United Nations-backed event will be celebrating women's rights in more than 40 countries. |
It will look at how to ensure the 2030 Agenda - which positions women's empowerment as at the centre of global sustainability plans - can be concretely achieved over the coming years. | It will look at how to ensure the 2030 Agenda - which positions women's empowerment as at the centre of global sustainability plans - can be concretely achieved over the coming years. |
Yet the idea itself dates back more than 100 years, and has had various reasons for becoming the established celebration that it is today. | Yet the idea itself dates back more than 100 years, and has had various reasons for becoming the established celebration that it is today. |
Socialists first put forward the idea of advancing women's suffrage through a day to mark women's enormous contribution to humankind. | Socialists first put forward the idea of advancing women's suffrage through a day to mark women's enormous contribution to humankind. |
An annual "international women's day" was first organised by the German socialist and theorist Clara Zetkin along with 100 delegates from 17 countries in March 1911. | An annual "international women's day" was first organised by the German socialist and theorist Clara Zetkin along with 100 delegates from 17 countries in March 1911. |
The event was marked by more than one million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, with hundreds of demonstrations across the Austro-Hungarian Empire. | The event was marked by more than one million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, with hundreds of demonstrations across the Austro-Hungarian Empire. |
When it first began, women were demanding that they be given the right to vote - which they received in Britain in 1918 but just last year in Saudi Arabia - to hold public office and to be given equal employment rights as men. | When it first began, women were demanding that they be given the right to vote - which they received in Britain in 1918 but just last year in Saudi Arabia - to hold public office and to be given equal employment rights as men. |
Today, when only a fifth of parliamentary seats are held by women and only 19 heads of state out of a possible 196 are women - only seven more women than 20 years ago - there is much progress still to be made. | Today, when only a fifth of parliamentary seats are held by women and only 19 heads of state out of a possible 196 are women - only seven more women than 20 years ago - there is much progress still to be made. |
The number of female cabinet ministers has at least tripled between 1994 and 2014 - but remains low compared to men, at only 17 per cent. | The number of female cabinet ministers has at least tripled between 1994 and 2014 - but remains low compared to men, at only 17 per cent. |
Women are also predicted to face another 118-year wait for the gender pay gap to close, with only 55 of the 500 richest people in the world being women. | Women are also predicted to face another 118-year wait for the gender pay gap to close, with only 55 of the 500 richest people in the world being women. |
The United Nations first began celebrating the day on 8 March in 1975, and each year has given focus to women's status around the globe. | The United Nations first began celebrating the day on 8 March in 1975, and each year has given focus to women's status around the globe. |
The current goals fit in with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. | The current goals fit in with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. |
They follow on from an event hosted by UN Women and the People's Republic of China for global leaders to commit to action on women's empowerment and access to capital. | They follow on from an event hosted by UN Women and the People's Republic of China for global leaders to commit to action on women's empowerment and access to capital. |
The new agenda, which is meant to build on the unfulfilled Milennium Development Goals, has a stand-alone goal just for the empowerment of women and girls as a core means of tackling economic underperformance, global overpopulation and poverty worldwide. | The new agenda, which is meant to build on the unfulfilled Milennium Development Goals, has a stand-alone goal just for the empowerment of women and girls as a core means of tackling economic underperformance, global overpopulation and poverty worldwide. |
It also celebrates the achievements of women throughout history. | It also celebrates the achievements of women throughout history. |
In some countries, the day is a national holiday and sisters, grandmothers, mothers, women and partners are given presents to mark it. | In some countries, the day is a national holiday and sisters, grandmothers, mothers, women and partners are given presents to mark it. |
Aside from the older motivations surrounding political office and the pay gap, there is also increasing awareness of the disproportionate amount of abuse women suffer at the hands of others. | Aside from the older motivations surrounding political office and the pay gap, there is also increasing awareness of the disproportionate amount of abuse women suffer at the hands of others. |
An estimated 120 million girls and women under the age of 20 have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse or other forced sexual acts - around 10 per cent. | An estimated 120 million girls and women under the age of 20 have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse or other forced sexual acts - around 10 per cent. |
A huge majority of cases, which often involved partners and relatives, also go unreported - and convictions for rape remain very low in Britain alone. | A huge majority of cases, which often involved partners and relatives, also go unreported - and convictions for rape remain very low in Britain alone. |
More than a third of women worldwide have also experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, with this being most common between a woman's teenage years and menopause. | More than a third of women worldwide have also experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, with this being most common between a woman's teenage years and menopause. |
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of a billion more women are in the global workforce today than a decade ago, but they are only earning what men did in 2006, according to the World Economic Forum. | Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of a billion more women are in the global workforce today than a decade ago, but they are only earning what men did in 2006, according to the World Economic Forum. |
And one in 10 married women are not consulted by their husbands on how their own cash earnings will be spent. | And one in 10 married women are not consulted by their husbands on how their own cash earnings will be spent. |
Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, said he had been on a personal campaign to promote women and ensure their democratic representation in parliaments across the world. | Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, said he had been on a personal campaign to promote women and ensure their democratic representation in parliaments across the world. |
“We have shattered so many glass ceilings we created a carpet of shards,” he said. | “We have shattered so many glass ceilings we created a carpet of shards,” he said. |
“Now we are sweeping away the assumptions and bias of the past so women can advance across new frontiers.” | “Now we are sweeping away the assumptions and bias of the past so women can advance across new frontiers.” |