“Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for
Gender Equality”
*The United
Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during
International Women’s Year 1975.
*International
Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn
of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.
*Since those early
years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women
in developed and developing countries alike.
Source: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day#sthash.b2Zf3PVq.dpuf
*There are currently 17 countries with women as head of government, head of state, or both, which according to UN, has more than doubled since 2005.
Source: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day#sthash.b2Zf3PVq.dpuf
*There are currently 17 countries with women as head of government, head of state, or both, which according to UN, has more than doubled since 2005.
*The number of
women owning small and medium-sized businesses is estimated to be between 8
million and 10 million, and although this is still far fewer than that for men
owning similar enterprises, numbers are slowly growing.
*In south Asia
more than 80% of men and women work in the informal sector, and in sub-Saharan
Africa it is 74% of women and 61% of men.
*There are also
more women in formal paid work today than at any point in history. They now
make up about 40% of the global formal labour force, and 43% of the
agricultural labour force, although this varies considerably from country to
country.
*The highest
positions are even more elusive for women: only seven of 150 elected heads of
state in the world are women, and only 11 of 192 heads of government.
*In the private
sector, women are on most boards of directors of large companies but their
number remains low compared to that for men.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/29/women-better-off-far-from-equal-men
*International Women’s Day events are held worldwide on March 8.
*Various women,
including political, community, and business leaders, as well as leading
educators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and television personalities, are usually
invited to speak at various events on the day.
*In some
countries, including Afghanistan, China and Russia, International Women’s Day
is an official holiday for women.
* In some
countries, including Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, the custom is for men to
give flowers (or a small gift) to the women in their life, e.g. mother, sister,
grandmother, wife, and girlfriend.
*UN-Women Organisation envisages a world where all women and girls have equal opportunities and rights by 2030. Step It Up asks governments to make national commitments that will close the gender equality gap – from laws and policies to national action plans and adequate investment.
Now is the time to Step it Up!
See more at: http://beijing20.unwomen.org/en/step-it-up#sthash.XxAr08CC.dpuf
