International Women’s Day: March 8, 2024

Between 1909-1911, working women in the United States united to protest against low wages, lack of protective legislation, and, harsh working conditions. The tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in March 1911 in New York City, claiming the lives of over 140 working girls, primarily Italian and Jewish immigrants, triggered demonstrations especially against appalling working conditions and unfair labor practices.

In Europe, Clara Zetkin and the Socialist Women’s International advocated for March 8th to be recognized as International Women’s Day (IWD), annually celebrating working women worldwide.

The United Nations officially recognize March 8 as International Women’s Day, an annual global commemoration recognizing women’s accomplishments and the need for women empowerment and gender equality.

The 2023 Global Gender Gap Report noted that that gender parity is 131 years away, that it will take 131 years to close the global gender gap!

There has been progress observed, however.

In sports for example.

In the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, women made up 5% of the athletes. In the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 100 years later, women will make up 50% of athletes for the first time ever, the first Games to reach full gender parity!

Out of the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games, 5,250 will be men and 5,250 women!

While the 2023 Global Gender Gap acknowledged gaps in educational attainment and health/survival nearly closed, it also noted, however, that progress on gaps in economic participation and opportunity and political empowerment continues to lag worldwide.

“If current trends continue, more than 342 million women and girls could be living in extreme poverty by 2030.

To ensure women’s needs and priorities are considered, governments must prioritize gender-responsive financing and increase public spending on essential services and social protection.

Policymakers must also value, recognize, and account for the vital contribution women make to economies worldwide through paid and unpaid care work.

Women spend around three times more time on unpaid care work than men and if these activities were assigned a monetary value, they would account for more than 40 per cent of GDP.”

Hence, the significance of this year’s official United Nations theme for International Women’s Day: Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress. “Investing in women and championing gender equality turbocharges a future where everyone in society can thrive, creating a world of boundless opportunity and empowerment for all.”

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) joins and has lined up activities for this March 8 International Women’s Day. The PCW has also earmarked the whole of March as Women’s Month with activities “aligned with national and international agreements, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (1995-2025), the Framework Plan for Women, and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The national commemoration intends to mobilize support for gender equality and inclusivity and the commitment to leave no one behind, with the hashtag-#WEcanbeEquALL!

The 2024 National Women's Month Celebration capitalizes on the recurring theme “WE for gender equality and inclusive society,” introduced in 2023.

“WE represent Women and Everyone, highlighting the collective responsibility for gender equality, not solely resting on women but involving everyone.  WE also symbolize Women’s Empowerment, a goal achievable when various entities, ranging from agencies and institutions to private partners and duty-bearers at national and local levels, ensure women equal rights and opportunities. Inclusive society goes beyond a gender-responsive approach; it champions a society that surpasses the distinctions in class, ability, generation, status, culture and SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), a society where every individual, each endowed with rights and responsibilities, plays an active role, and a society that embraces and celebrates diversity.”

This March, our big salute/thanks also to our women eco-warriors who joined us for our Love Our Earth campaign!