This month marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. A significant echo of applause should celebrate our history as women from the early 1900’s took a stand against women’s oppression and inequality to create a day to celebrate the contribution of women to society. Today, 100 years later, International Women’s Day (IWD) has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike.
- 1975 was designated as ‘International Women’s Year’ by the United Nations.
- March 8 is now observed for IWD events around the globe.
- The United States designates the month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’
- IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia.
- Global corporations actively support IWD with their own internal events and financial support of external organizations’ events.
- Media and search engine giant Google has in some years changed its logo on its global search pages on March 8.
The way forward for women in the new millennium.
Great improvements have been made. In recent years IWD marks a celebration of women’s positive accomplishments. However, we are all aware women worldwide are still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, gender pay equity still gaps, and there is much to be done to improve women’s education, health and safety from violence.
We celebrate the contributions of our members: global and local financial institutions and our affiliate members for their continuing focus on providing women access to capital, resources and networks. Through sharing best practices in a collaborative way, we strive to increase global awareness and the potential worldwide impact of women’s economic contribution. Thinking globally and acting locally will create a future for all women for the next 100 years!
Sincerely,
Teri Cavanagh
Executive Director
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