How To Promote Gender Equality: International Women's Day 2023

International Women’s Day 2023 is coming up on Wednesday 8th March, with this years campaign theme being #EmbraceEquity.

The United Nations theme is ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.

This special day is celebrated across the world to look at women’s past, present and future achievements.

It’s also a way to shine a spotlight on social issues which women in the world are experiencing on the basis of their gender.

On that note, we’ll be focusing on the importance of international women’s day, the history of this annual day as well as how you can help to promote gender equality.

We may have come a long way with equality between men and women in the UK, but we’re not quite there yet!

Find out within our guide how to create a more gender equal world.

History Of International Women’s Day

The United Nations (UN) have recognised International Women’s Day as a global event since 1975.

However, the origin of IWD actually dates back to the early 20th century.

The earliest reported day dedicated to women was regarded as “National Women’s Day” and celebrated on February 28th 1909 in New York City, from the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel.

Then in 1910, at the International Socialist Women’s Conference the idea to create an International Women’s Day was proposed by Clara Zetkina, a German socialist and feminist.

The purpose of the day was so that women could press for their demands and campaign for women’s rights.

Then a year later on March 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.

IWD is celebrated on March 8th every year to remember the women’s rights march which took place back in 1908.

This was where 15,000 garment workers protested for better pay, shorter hours and voting rights.

Today, over a century since the first International Women’s Day, the annual holiday is celebrated across the globe.

It serves as a reminder of the progress that has been made regarding gender equality, and the work which still needs to be done within society.

The Importance Of International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is important as it celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The global day also helps to shed light on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

In recent times, we’ve seen many inequality problems which women across the globe are still facing on the basis of their gender.

Within Afghanistan, women’s human rights are being significantly impacted.

They are banned from attending higher education, leaving their house unless for urgent matters or showing their face or bodies in public.

These are some of the worst gender-based inequalities taking place in the world currently, but gender inequality unfortunately still exists in the UK too.

A few examples are the gender pay gap, women being more likely to be victims of domestic violence, less than a third of parliament members who are women, as well as how there are less women in higher-paid occupations.

In 2022 the UK ranked 22nd on the global gender gap index, which was below other European countries such as France, Germany, and Ireland.

This only brushes the surface of the gender-based discrimination issues which still exist throughout the country.

It’s vital that as a society we continue to raise awareness of the gender inequality problems which still exist in the world today, especially in third world countries.

On this annual day we can create positive change for women and help to promote gender equality.

How To Promote Gender Equality

Collectively we can all do more to help create a fairer world and promote equal rights between genders.

We’ll be focusing on some ways you can help do this for International Women’s Day 2023!

1. Educate Yourself & Others

There are a lot of things you can do to make a difference and help to promote gender equality.

Possibly the most important is to educate yourself and learn about the issues that women are facing across the world.

Some ways you can do this is by reading books or online articles, engaging with information on social media, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries and attending events.

By taking some time to learn about gender inequality issues and to know the facts, not only will you be more informed but you can also help to educate other young people too.

Remember, just because these issues aren’t directly impacting you, doesn’t mean they’re not important!

International Women’s Day is also celebrated to honour the achievements of women throughout history.

So, educate yourself on the progress which has been made to help us get to a more equal society too!

2. Actively Listen To Women’s Stories

If you are male, speak to the women in your life to give them a platform to share their stories and help shed light on discrimination they have experienced.

If a woman confides in you whether it be a friend, family member, partner or so forth, you should listen to their concerns and experiences properly.

Make sure not to downplay anything they share with you such as if they’ve faced sexist comments.

Be an active listener by paying attention to what women have to say, and don’t make judgemental comments as this can be unhelpful and condescending.

Remember, males have more privilege within society on the basis of their gender.

Instead, empower women to share their stories and be an ally to women in both your personal and professional life.

This way, you can gain a better understanding of the experiences and perspectives of women, and it can really affect change!

You should also remember that the burden of educating others on gender inequality shouldn’t fall to women.

So, make sure to do your homework and put in the effort to educate yourself.

3. Help To Challenge Sexism & Gender Stereotypes

Being an ally to women is about standing up for them and challenging gender stereotypes and sexist assumptions.

Sexism is experienced by women on a daily basis, with some examples becoming so normalised you may not even realise the problems which exist.

Even women themselves tend to overlook the casual sexism they experience within society.

Such as, catcalling has become the norm for women to experience, but its a form of harassment.

You can help to challenge sexism and gender stereotypes by questioning your own assumptions and taking action to change your language and attitudes.

You should also challenge others when you hear or see them being sexist or enforcing harmful gender stereotypes towards women, even if they play it off as a “joke”.

Rather than get into conflict, educate others on why these comments and attitudes are wrong.

After all not everyone may realise that their behaviour or attitudes are sexist or enforce gender based stereotypes.

4. Promote Gender Equality Online

Another way to promote gender equality is through using social media platforms to spread awareness on important issues.

Social media plays an important role in our daily life, and it can be a useful educational tool to help us share information and ideas with others.

It can also be a good platform to find out about upcoming events like protests for women’s rights.

Digital spaces have the power to help us tackle gender equality by bringing visibility to women’s rights issues.

Online platforms also allow us to hear stories about women’s challenges which can otherwise go unheard.

You can share resources online whether it be on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or TikTok.

You never know, one post for #InternationalWomen’sDay2023 could inspire someone else to help join the fight for gender equality!

5. Support Women’s Rights

Women and girls face discrimination throughout the world, you can support them by advocating for equal treatment through your actions and words.

You can help to support women’s rights by donating money to charities and volunteering your time to organisations.

Other ways to be supportive is through attending protests or events which aim to help fight against gender discrimination.

You could also speak up about violence against women, campaign to change laws and vote for women in politics.

Gender equality is an issue which everyone is responsible for helping tackle.

It’s not just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue.

This International Women’s Day do your part and help to make positive change within the world. Even small actions can help create a ripple effect within society!

We hope this blog has been useful for those of you living in luxury student accommodation.

Do let us know how you’re celebrating International Women’s Day 2023 @prestigestudentliving. 

Read next: How To Make The Most Of Artificial Intelligence At Uni.