So, it is with International Women’s day that we celebrate women’s empowerment as well as recognising the injustice the female gender still faces today.After a long and chilly winter, we’ve finally reached the month of March. The long-awaited month where we welcome Easter, Spring and Mother’s Day to name a few. The icicles have melted, and we can feel the warmer weather on the horizon. As well as the named well known occasions, there is also another very important occasion we celebrate on March the 8th, International Women’s Day. This is a day I don’t want to sail by without giving it the recognition it deserves. It is very clear that in the year of 2018, we have taken a giant leap towards equality for all genders and orientations. However, this isn’t to say that we have reached the well anticipated destination. Sexism still exists in the world today, and there are many prejudices women across the globe still face on a day to day basis. In particular, the UK has one of the worst records on gender equality at work. On average, the full time working female earns ten thousand pounds less than the full time working male, with the gap widening further when part time work is taken in to account. So, this springs the debate: is it fair? In my opinion, it isn’t. Why should it be fair that two people with identical job roles have different paychecks due to the nature of their gender alone. I thought this was something that would have been left in the middle ages but apparently not; this is an existing battle women are still facing today.
The theme for this year is ‘Press for Progress’, a strong call to unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. For me, International Women’s Day is about celebrating the women we hold with profound respect; I’d like to dedicate this day to my mother, grandma and sister who continue to inspire and motivate me daily.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope your International Women’s Day is filled with progress, opportunity and a more positive movement towards equality for both genders.
By: Abi Robinson
