What is International Women's Day?
According to their website:
"International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900's - a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. International Women's Day is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity. No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. Many organizations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others.
"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," says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. Thus International Women's Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action - whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women's Day has been occurring for well over a century - and continue's to grow from strength to strength."
What can you do today, and well any day, to celebrate:
- Support women owned businesses
- Join, help or support a professional women's networking group like Professional Women of Putnam - their next meeting is March 22
- Mentor a young woman interested in your career
- Attend or support an women's empowerment event like Putnam Score's Empowering Women in Business workshop on April 28
- Contact a local Girl Scout troop to help them learn about your career or contact Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson to volunteer.
- Make a #PressforProgress commitment and be inspired by examples of positive behaviors
- Maintain a gender parity mindset
- Challenge stereotypes and bias
- Forge positive visibility of women
- Influence others' beliefs / actions
- Celebrate women's achievements