Happy International Women's Day

Hello & welcome to another edition of the GK Nugget. I want to take this opportunity to wish all the female recipients of this nugget a very happy International Women’s Day (IWD). As you all know IWD is celebrated across the globe on 8^th March every year. Today’s Nugget will turn back the pages of history to find out when & where did this celebration originate.

IWD was observed for the first time on Feb. 28, 1908. About 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and the right to vote.

On the same day the following year, women staged another demonstration — this time with the blessing of the Socialist Party of America.

In 1910, a woman called Clara Zetkin – leader of the ‘women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany – tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She suggested that every country should celebrate women on one day every year to push for their demands.

A conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries agreed to her suggestion and IWD was formed. In 1911, it was celebrated for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19.

Since European women were staging their own demonstrations at different times throughout this same period, a consensus was reached in 1913 to observe IWD on March 8. It's the day women around the world have observed ever since.

So, the first IWD to be officially recognised was in 1911, so the centenary was celebrated in 2011. This year is the 106th. But it was only in 1975, that the UN recognized International Women’s Day. The day has now come to be also known as the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

Every year the UN creates a theme for International Women’s Day. This year the theme is "Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030". It is being promoted with the #BeBoldForChange.

Unfortunately, the original aim – to achieve full gender equality for women across the world – has still not been completely realised. A gender pay gap persists across the globe and women are still not present in equal numbers in business or politics. Figures show that globally, women’s education, health and violence towards women is still worse than that of men.

According to the World Economic Forum, the gender gap won't close until 2186.

On IWD, women across the world come together to force the world to recognise these inequalities – while also celebrating the achievements of women who have overcome these barriers. The day is marked around the world with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches.

Here’s hoping that this gender gap is eradicated very very soon.

On a lighter note, there is an International Men’s Day too. It takes place on November 19 each year and is celebrated in 60 countries around the world.

That’s all on this weekend’s GK Nugget. See you next time.