International Women’s Day has been transformed into a day when governments and multinational companies pat themselves on the back for ending sexism
The 8th March is International Women’s Day. We were reminded this year, as we are every year, of the achievements of historical women and the progress they made. There were posts on social media, statements from politicians, and articles highlighting women’s contributions to history. Yet these gestures seem to have forgotten the spirit in which international women’s day was first recognised.
The catalyst for the day was a protest in 1908, when 15,000 women in New York demanded the right to vote and pay equality. Three years later the suggestion of what would evolve into International Women’s Day was proposed to The International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen. This group was composed of primarily working class women campaigning not only for their right to vote but also for their place in left wing politics. It was at this conference that the idea of an international day of concerted action to protest for female suffrage was established. It was designed as a protest, a day to demand better for women, a very different idea from today’s celebrations. The very date itself, the 8th March, was decided as it marks the beginning of a women’s strike in Russia that resulted in Russian women being granted the vote.
Since its foundation as a day of protest, International Women’s Day has been transformed into a day when governments and multinational companies pat themselves on the back for ending sexism. The White House can issue a proclamation honouring the achievements of American women while conveniently lying about the pay gap among White House staff. The official report from the White House states that there is only a one percent gap, but a Washington Post analysis found the gap to be closer to twenty percent.
The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan in August saw a return to a segregated society between men and women, with girls unable to attend secondary education
We cannot forget that women’s rights and safety around the world are still under threat. The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan in August saw a return to a segregated society between men and women, with girls unable to attend secondary education, women removed from positions of power, and a ban on women travelling without a man. The murders of Sarah Everard and Aisling Murphy in the UK and Ireland sparked public debate on the safety of women in public spaces, but since Everard’s death more than 125 women have been murdered by men in the UK. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased childcare burden due to school closures – a burden that fell primarily to women. The pandemic also saw an increase in domestic violence; a UN study based on thirteen countries showed that during the pandemic, 45 percent of women experienced domestic violence themselves or knew someone who had.
There has of course been progress in the last year. The US elected its first female vice president, Tanzania swore in its first female president, New Zealand introduced bereavement leave for those suffering miscarriages, and Colombia decriminalised abortion until viability. But some of this progress may be less impactful than it seems. The term ‘purplewashing’ refers to presenting something as being good for women’s rights when in reality it has a negligible or even outright negative effect. A recent example of this can be seen in the election of Hungary’s first female president. Katalin Novák was sworn in as president earlier this month, but what should have been a celebration of progress was instead replaced by skepticism about how much progress had actually been achieved. Novák is a loyal supporter of Hungary’s conservative prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Under his leadership Hungary ranks 26th out of 27 on the EU gender equality index.
We have made much progress since the first International Women’s Day, but we cannot allow it to be transformed into a day used to congratulate institutions that are still wilfully ignoring or actively participating in the withholding of rights from women around the world.