On March 8, the world will celebrate International Women’s day. The event is meant to celebrate the achievements of the Women’s Movement as well as to discuss ways in which women can continue to move towards complete equality in every part of the world and in every part of society.
Although many people feel the war for equality has been won, the reality is that there are still many battles to be fought.
For instance, there are women in many parts of the world who are still subjected to the rules of patriarchy, violence against women is still a widespread and growing issue, and in social, cultural and business contexts many women continue to be judged by their gender and not their skills.
Despite these hurdles, women have come a long way since the Women’s Movement first began in the early 1900s.
In Western society, women are considered equal to men, legally, they have the same rights and freedoms as men and are allowed to participate in all the same endeavors. Socially, however certain stigmas and preconceived notions still exist.
For example, the definition of femininity limits a woman by confining her to the attributes, careers and appearances that are deemed socially acceptable for females. Although many females are breaking boundaries, engaging in jobs once considered strictly for males, there remains the prejudice that they are women doing men’s work.
In the West, women have access to the same educational opportunities as men, but not so in many other parts of the world. Malala Yousafzai is a famous example of girls being banned from going to school.
However, in part due to Yousafzai’s story, the world is waking up to this inequality and attempting to help girls in these parts get an education. Therefore, as a society, we are progressing towards complete equality on an international level by acknowledging that inequality exists in other parts of the world and attempting to fix it.
It is important to recognize the many achievements of women across the world, as well as the barriers that still need to be crossed. International Women’s Day celebrates the accomplishments of women, congratulates them on how far they have come and directs the eye toward the future where further strides in equality can be made.
