#EachforEqual – International Women’s Day 2020
“An equal world is an enabled world” is one of the International Women’s Day mantras and speaks to the purpose of the day and the cause that it aims to raise awareness for. International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year and is aimed at establishing a society that promotes equal opportunity and a society that is free of gender-based bias and celebrates women’s achievements accordingly. Every year, the relevant organisation, also entitled International Women’s Day launches a new focus or theme for the year – and this year’s theme is #EachforEqual. The notion behind #EachforEqual acknowledges the fact that the society in which we all (collectively) participate in, is not an equal one. It promotes the idea that equality is not only a “women’s issue” but rather a global “business issue” too.
But what does this really mean and why is it necessary? #EachforEqual revolves around the notion of establishing a “healthier, wealthier and more harmonious” society through what’s known as ‘Collective Individualism’. Collective Individualism as the name may suggest, is about the role that we all play as individuals and the way in which we can positively and meaningfully contribute to the greater environment around us whether it’s through our participation in the workplace, boardroom, government, sports field, or in the media and through media coverage. Its premise arguably comes from Aristotle’s philosophy that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” which means that a collective effort can bring about change; however the collective is comprised of contributing individuals, so that “together, everyone achieves more.”
International Women’s Day has a rich world history and was first officially observed in 1911 by Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland by over a million people. The day was celebrated in many countries across the world at different times of the year: the US celebrated the day on the last Sunday of February, while Russia celebrated the day on the last Saturday of the month. Germany first observed the day on the 8th of March 1914, the day was dedicated to campaigning for the women’s vote, which didn’t happen until 1918. The United Nations began celebrating the day officially in 1975 – which was the International Year of the Woman.
The UN International Women’s Day theme for 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”. No matter the theme, the day is an important one as it highlights areas of our global society that are far from equal and encourages collective action in order to rectify them. The day has been amplified through the use of social media, with many companies and corporates getting involved too. The “global day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality.”