International Women’s Day 2020 Strives For a Better World

An equal world is an enabled world is more than just the 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme. #EachforEqual is all about celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness about bias and what you can do to make the world a better place.

Achieving gender equality is not a feminist issue, it is a global issue. Gender equality in governments, boardrooms, and workplaces according to the IWD organization is essential for economies and communities to thrive.

Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world so how will you support the #IWD2020 #EachforEqual theme? ???? https://t.co/knLCytAHVt pic.twitter.com/Q6Y8W2b504

— Women’s Day (@womensday) February 16, 2020

Women have traditionally been an untapped resource in societies that have prioritized education for boys. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, 16 million girls will never attend school and women constitute two-thirds of illiterate adults. This leads to women doing a disproportionate share of the world’s unpaid work and far less participation in the workforce. An unequal world leads to increased poverty for women, their families and their communities.

When women are able to attend schools at the secondary level and beyond, they are able to have professional jobs and contribute to leadership roles. This significantly closes the gender gap in potential earnings.

In fact, the council said that closing this gap in both the underdeveloped and developed world could add $28 trillion to the global GDP and would raise the standard of living for all.

International Women’s Day began in 1911 by over a million women in four European countries to celebrate working women but it has grown into a global movement of year-long activities.

Check out this incredible entry for the #IWDstreetart competition! ???? Well done https://t.co/WM3FJOqkRw and https://t.co/Qba5H2gTuK for this inspiring creation. There’s still time to submit your entry! ????https://t.co/EWxknmKjBq #eachforequal #IWD2020 pic.twitter.com/NiFsMdKXFz

— Women’s Day (@womensday) February 27, 2020

In the US, International Women’s Day was the inspiration for Women’s History Month which was proclaimed on IWD’s 100th anniversary by former president Barack Obama. It is the kick-off event for the March commemoration of women’s accomplishments.

The day is not country, gender, or organization specific, but rather, belongs to everyone. That’s why everyone everywhere can get involved in International women’s Day activities.

There are conferences, festivals, concerts, corporate events, and fun runs that celebrate women and raise awareness of the need for a gender equal world. You can find an activity near you by searching on the organizations website.

The organization is also supporting a number of competitions. The Best Practice Competition highlights various grassroots efforts and global campaigns from the many groups that support International Women’s Day that can give direction to and inspire other groups.

Be inspired by award-winning rapper @ItsCCane and submit your own #IWD2020 #EachforEqual Rap ???? and get your skills seen ???? Post your rap tagging #IWDrap #IWDrap2020 – but first watch the #CCane kick-off rap #TellMe See details at ???? https://t.co/WAEQD9i14M pic.twitter.com/J3duDhj6yt

— Women’s Day (@womensday) February 24, 2020

 A WD 2020 Women’s Rappers Competition to create an IWD 2020 #EachforEqual campaign theme was kicked off by C Cane. Other competitions include photography, women’s street artists, typographers, and one that even celebrates cakes.  

You can even strike the #EachforEqual pose and put it up on Facebook. There really is something for everyone. Collectively, we can make the world healthier, wealthier and fairer by doing our part to promote gender equality.