“On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment”, said the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres.

March 8th is International Women’s Day. On this momentous occasion, Creator and Social Enterprise Research Institute proudly honour the achievements and struggles of those who came before us, and acknowledge everybody who contribute to promoting equality and diversity. In some countries, the day looks remarkably like Valentine’s Day, with women receiving bouquets of flowers from their friends and from their partners. On the other hand, legions of activists hit the streets to demand policy changes and to express societal concerns.

On March 8th 2017, women and like-minded individuals around the world recognised and celebrated International Women’s Day in various ways. In Latin America and in Russia, many men reportedly rushed to gift flowers and plan extravagant arrangements for the women in their lives. Behaviours seemed to switch up United States, where women joined forces in a strike titled as “A Day Without Women”, highlighted the important role that women play in both domestic and global economy, and demanded improved working conditions. In countries where certain protests are banned, women face challenges in the pursuit of gender equity.

In Hong Kong, several workers’ organisations staged a protest in solidarity for International Women’s Day, and raised awareness for men and women who silently suffer in domestic violence.

In addition, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Gender Research Centre at the Chinese University Hong Kong held a joint press conference and issued a statement calling on the Hong Kong Government to launch public consultations, and introduce legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status. Supported by wide range of professional sectors in Hong Kong, the statement was supported by 75 other organisations and academics.

On a more encouraging note, while there are generally more girls than boys enrolled in schools in recent years, there remains work to be done in developing countries with regards to limited access to education.

Image sources (used with permission): Eric Thayer, Daniel Garrett, Peter Reading/EOC-HK

(Photo & Article: IWD-CNN / CreatorMag.HK.)