Rome (Italy). Every March 8th the world level of the International Day of the Woman is celebrated. This year the theme is ” The Time is now: Rural and urban activists who transform the lives of women”. The celebration of this year follows an unprecedented global movement for the promotion of women’s rights, equality, and justice.
At world level, there has been a strong movement of awareness, of sensitization, of seeking justice to assert their rights regarding situations of sexual violence or not, of disparities in social, work, political, etc. opportunities.
The International Day of the Woman celebrates economic, political and cultural progress achieved throughout the world. Recognition is based on a universal principle that disregards divisions, be they ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
It is inspired by the activities of workers’ movements in the early twentieth century in North America and Europe. The First International Women’s Day was celebrated by the United States on February 28, 1909. The American Socialist Party later chose this day in honor of the workers’ strike in the women’s clothing sector during which they protested about the working conditions of the ‘era. The United Nations, whose Charter represents the First International Statute that in 1945 affirmed the principle of gender equality, has designated (since 1975) March 8th as the International Day of the Woman.
The United Nations has developed international strategies, goals, and projects to improve the status of women in the world by creating a precious heritage. Examples of such goals are the Beijing Declaration, the Platform for Action, and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
In 2010, the UN General Assembly founded UN Women, the UN body that targets gender equality and women’s empowerment. The birth of UN Women represents a historic step towards achieving the UN’s objectives for gender equality and the affirmation of women in society. (cf ONUITALIA.IT)
It is an opportunity to think together on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, above all objective no. 5 “to achieve gender equality and to empower all women and girls” and no. 4 “guaranteeing inclusive education and quality for all and promoting lifelong learning”.
The 2030 Agenda includes the following goals:
- Guaranteeing by 2030 to every girl and boy freedom, equity and quality in the completion of primary and secondary education that leads to adequate and concrete learning outcomes;
- Ensure by 2030 that every girl and boy have a quality child development, and access to pre-school care and education so as to be ready for primary school;
- Put an end, everywhere, to all forms of discrimination against women and girls;
- Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, both in the private sphere and in the public sphere, including trafficking in women and sexual exploitation and any other type;
• Eliminate any abusive practices such as arranged marriage, the phenomenon of child brides, and female genital mutilation (http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/).
