International Women’s Month 2017: Striving for equality

International Womens Month 2017: Striving for equality

Abigail Ferrier, Staff Writer

International Women’s Month is a global celebration that is dedicated to the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This month (March) also marked a call to action for accelerating gender equality. International Women’s Month 2017 has asked women to #BeBoldForChange as they strive for a more inclusive, gender equal world.

Womenai??i??s Month has been viewed since the early 1900ai??i??s and is now recognized each year during March. Feminism does not exclude any singular group, but does contribute enough power to bring together nations, governments, womenai??i??s organizations, and charities. This month has been marked with arts performances, talks, rallies, conferences, and marches to help promote gender equality.

Despite the collective achievements of many people, sexism today can seem an insurmountable obstacle. In recent years, it has become a challenge to fight the ideology that feminism is associated with ai???man hating.ai??? Feminism by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the belief that women should get paid the same as their male counterparts, that women should be able to make decisions about their own bodies, that socially, women are afforded the same respect as men.

Sadly, there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights, and there is no country that can say that they have achieved gender equality. The United Kingdom and Australia also celebrate Womenai??i??s Month during March to correspond with International Womenai??i??s Day (March 8).

Many women have influenced the focus for equality throughout history. In 1851 Sojourner Truth delivered her famous ai???Ainai??i??t I A Woman” speech at the Ohio Womenai??i??s Rightai??i??s Convention in Akron Ohio in 1851. Her speech demanded equality for women as well as all African Americans.Ai??

The UN Women have also started a solidarity campaign called HeForShe, with a mission to engage men and boys as advocates for change to take action against gender inequalities against women and girls. The gender equality movement wants everyone to have a voice and start change now by taking action to create a gender equal world.