A Day for Women: #womensday
International Women’s Day was this past week on March 8th. It’s my 4th favorite celebrated day of the year behind my birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas- haha. IWD isn’t celebrated in the States as much as it is in other countries. But, America is where I firstly heard about it when I interned for the Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) in Washington, DC a few years ago. We spent weeks planning for a delegation of 10 women parliamentarians to take part in activities, lectures, trainings, and dinners.
Because my experience with WDN impacted my life to want to celebrate women, every year I try to host an event in some way. And this year, since I’m working at an international bilingual school, I cleared it with my boss, and worked with a colleague to host a special assembly of 5 women panelists for the 3rd – 5th grade students in honor of this day for women. The students loved it and were engaged, asking very detailed questions about women’s disadvantages and struggles.
Caroline Schmitt, Journalist for Deutsche Welle speaking about how she was different in school, and that students shouldn't feel bad about being "weird" or "different-" something that she wishes she would have known when she was their age. A good weird that is. Her love of photography and writing from an early age, and her dislike of Math helped her realize her career choice of becoming a journalist. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
Marcela Fernandez Alvarez, Marketing Director for Hematology and Neurology for the Latin American Region at Bayer Pharma AG & a Grade 4 mother looks on at the students during the panel discussion. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
International Women's Day at Berlin Metropolitan School. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Fine Artist, Writer and Creator Adi Wolf speaking about her experience as a woman in the Entertainment Industry. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
To make a difference or to host an event doesn’t mean you have to be well-known with a lot of resources at your fingertips. Sure, these things do help! But for IWD, you just need the passion, tenacity, drive, and a good group of women to talk about gender equality, their experiences, and there you go, you will have a successful event. If you build an event people will come.
The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.” The theme reflects on how to accelerate existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.
Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
Both boy and girl students were engaged during the Q&A time. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
Daphne Cheng, an Interface Graphic Designer & Student in Berlin talking about this generation of women in China. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
What is International Women’s Day?:
The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
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. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. [1]
Silvia Ziegler, a Foreign Service Officer at the German Foreign Service (Das Auswärtiges Amt) speaking about her experiences growing up in a small German village in the South of Germany and her experience of having been a diplomat in countries where women are more marginalized, compared to women in Germany. Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
Photo Credit: Tommy Clarke
So, if you have a passion for something in life. Don't be afraid to host an event and bring awareness to it! Be the change that you wish to see in the world!
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[1]-International Women's Day: http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml
