On8thMarchthisyeareventsmarkingInternationalWomen’sDay(IWD)wereheldinmanycountriesaroundtheworld.Inmostcountriestheeventshaveapoliticaltone:theytendtocelebratetheadvanceswomenhavemadetowardseconomicsocialandpoliticalequalitywithmenandtopressforchangeinthoseareasoflifewherethereisstillprogresstobemade.
Inothercountriesmeanwhile8thMarchistraditionallymoreaboutexpressinganappreciationofwomen:itisadayonwhichmengivepresentstotheirwivesgirlfriendsandmothersanditthereforehassomesimilaritieswithStValentine’sDayandMother’sDay.
Backin1911thefirstIWDeventsinAustriaDenmarkGermanyandSwitzerlandwerecertainlypolitical.Theywereprotestsbywomenagainstformsofgenderdiscriminationthatwouldnowbeunthinkableinmostpartsoftheworld:almostnowherewerewomenallowedtovoteandFinlandwastheonlycountrywithanyfemalemembersofanationalparliament.Thegeneralexpectationworldwideacrossdifferentcontinentsandcultureswasthatwomenwouldspendtheirliveslargelyinthehomedevotingthemselvestolookingaftertheirhusbandsandchildren.Theproportionofwomenwhohadpaidemploymentwasfarlowerthantodayandwhenwomendidgoouttoworktheytypicallyearnedverylittlemeaningtheywereeconomicallydependentonmen.
Acenturylatergenderinequalityinemployment–particularlypayinequality–isstilloneoftheissuesIWDtriestodrawattentionto:itremainscommonofcourseforwomentoearnlessthanmenfordoingexactlythesamejob.
Limitededucationalopportunities(therearemanycountriesinwhichgirlsgenerallystayfeweryearsinschoolthanboys)anddomesticviolencetowardswomenhavealsobeenhighlightedbyeventssurroundingIWDinrecentyears.
AndyetastheIWDwebsitenotes____________________.Asjustoneexampletoreturntotheissueofwomenelectedtoofficethechangeoverthelasthundredyearshasbeensignificant.Since1911whenthesmallgroupofwomenintheFinnishparliament(nineteenofthemtobeprecise)weretheonlyfemalesinpublicofficeworldwidethegovernmentsofmorethanfiftydifferentcountrieshavebeenledbywomen.In2011atleastonecountryineverycontinenthasafemaleleaderincludinghigh-prof