Celebrating International Women's Day

International Women’s Day is a global occasion to celebrate women’s past achievements and campaign against continuing inequalities, and is an official holiday recognized in various countries throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. Wherever you are, chances are there’s an event happening somewhere nearby (if you’re in the United States, you can also partake in Women’s History Month events today and throughout the rest of the month). Participate in a rally, hear leaders and activists speak, or even catch a flick or two.

At the very least, give your mother a call, she’ll appreciate it.

Since the inception of International Women’s Day in 1911, several developments have improved the standing of women in the international arena. Various multilateral agreements have recognized the specific obligations incumbent on states and private actors to guarantee that women can freely exercise their rights. Some of these agreements, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), ahem, acknowledge many of the larger, systemic gender inequities. Other instruments, like the human trafficking protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime attempt to develop legal regimes to tackle more specific violations of women’s rights.

Just as important as the development of formal international norms, if not more so, women have increasingly ascended into decision-making roles in society. In various communities throughout the globe women have not only successfully demanded suffrage and other participatory rights, but they have also risen to the highest ranks of government, business, academia and civil society.

While there’s a lot to celebrate today, International Women’s Day is also a call to action for the many profound injustices that continue to occur along gender lines. The contributions women make to society continue to be undervalued, both in terms of compensation and perception.

Countless women also continue to suffer deprivations – both official and unofficial – of their rights to free expression, property, political participation, and freedom from discrimination. Additionally, violence against women continues to be a prevalent problem throughout the globe. Many communities are unwilling or unable to seriously address the issue, and in various places, shameful honor codes authorize or encourage the perpetration of such acts. Aside from a commemoration of past achievements, today should also serve as an acknowledgement of the challenges women throughout the world continue to face and an invitation to campaign for the development of true social progress and equality.

Beyond examining the more apparent women’s rights deprivations, the day also serves as an occasion to acknowledge the more subtle ways in which a gendered perspective is essential to fully comprehend the scope of current and future societal dilemmas. In many rural communities, for example, women are responsible for most of the agricultural labor and food production while lacking independence in terms of mobility and finances. In these situations, gender-blind environmental norms or refugee laws can, in practice, work to subtly disadvantage not only those women, but those that depend on them.

So take stock of the history of women’s rights, campaign against continuing injustices, and reflect upon the unique perspectives women have to offer. And then, do it again tomorrow, and the day after … there’s only 364 days until the centenary International Women’s Day, after all.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons