essay on international women's day 2023

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Happy International Women’s Day 2023 Speech: Best And Easy Essay Ideas For Teachers And Students On This Special Day

Happy International Women’s Day 2023 Speech: Look below for some easiest essay and speech ideas and tips to be the best orator ever and mesmerise the audience by your words.

• By Prerna Targhotra
• Updated: Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:27 AM (IST)
• Source: JND
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What’s International Women’s Day and why is it important?

As the world marks International Women’s Day on March 8, we take a look at the celebration, the theme and its origins.

March 8 is International Women’s Day.

Women across the world use this day to come together to celebrate and rally for equal treatment  and representation.

Keep reading

International women’s day: the exclusion of afghanistan’s women, why are women’s voices marginalised in nigeria, women rally in pakistan despite attempts to shut down protest.

Here is what we know about this year’s celebration:

What’s the theme for International Women’s Day 2023?

The UN’s theme this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

The topic highlights not only how technology is crucial to advancing rights, but a growing digital gender gap that is impacting everything from job opportunities for women and their safety online.

According to the UN, 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, and women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics professions.

“Bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality,” says the UN. “Their lack of inclusion, by contrast, comes with massive costs.”

Previous UN themes have included climate change, rural women and HIV/AIDS.

💙We will not stay silent. 🙌We will not stay still. 🔊We will raise our voices. ✊We will show our will. ⚡️We will #PowerOn until ✔️There is an equitable digital future for all girls and women. Are you with us? #IWD2023 pic.twitter.com/DywzqfziY9 — UN Women (@UN_Women) March 8, 2023

How did the International Women’s Day celebrations start?

The predecessor of International Women’s Day, previously known as National Women’s Day , was first observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, at the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel.

The idea of an international women’s day was suggested in 1910 during an International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

It was during this conference that Clara Zetkin, a German communist activist, universal suffragist and advocate of women’s rights, proposed the idea that there be a designated day for women everywhere to “press for their demands”. Her idea was met with unanimous approval from all the women present, representing 17 countries.

International Women’s Day was first celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19, 1911, following the agreement at the Copenhagen conference.

Russia celebrated its first International Women’s Day two years later on the last Sunday of February – February 23, 1913.

Why is International Women’s Day important?

While the UN’s theme this year underscores how the fight for gender equality has evolved in the 21st century, celebrations around the world are also focused on longstanding issues, including poverty and violence.

A 2021 World Health Organization report found that nearly one in three women worldwide is subjected to physical or sexual violence during her lifetime, an issue that ties in with women’s economic opportunities, access to sex education and reproductive rights.

The date is an opportunity to raise awareness of rights gaps, and organisers also use the day to celebrate progress and the achievements of individual women.

Tara Cookson, Canada research chair in gender, development and global public policy at the University of British Columbia School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, said this date works as an “advocate tool”.

“It’s one of the ways in which people sort of generate momentum,” Cookson told Al Jazeera.

“It gives us a moment to stop and reflect and learn something new, and maybe carve out 15 minutes, or half an hour, to take some action,” she added.

Cookson also highlighted the relevance of making the date “political”.

“This can be done by supporting an organisation or a member of government who is fighting for some element of women’s human rights, whether that is to institute affordable quality childcare or elder care, or it could be another issue that’s important to you or important to your community,” she added.

How are women marking this date?

Cities across the world are hosting marches, rallies and demonstrations, including Madrid, where broad tree-lined boulevards are regularly packed with a sea of purple, a colour often associated with women’s rights.

In Thailand and Indonesia, a few dozen women gathered in front of the country’s parliament to urge lawmakers to pass a long-awaited bill to protect domestic workers. Some chanted “long live Indonesian women”.

In Sri Lanka, women also protested against the country’s economic crisis.

There are many reasons to protest: In Afghanistan, the Taliban has banned women from attending universities , Iran has repressed protests against the death of Mahsa Amini , new US restrictions on abortion rights and the Ukraine war’s impact on women.

Global progress on women’s rights is “vanishing before our eyes”, according to UN chief Antonio Guterres who said gender equality would take another three centuries to achieve.

“Women’s rights are being abused, threatened, and violated around the world,” he added, pointing to Afghanistan, where “women and girls have been erased from public life”.

• UN Women HQ

In focus: International Women's Day 2023

Date: Thursday, 2 March 2023

This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023, join UN Women and the United Nations in celebrating under the theme  DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality .

From the earliest days of computing to the present age of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, women have made untold contributions to the digital world in which we increasingly live. Their accomplishments have been against all odds, in a field that has historically neither welcomed nor appreciated them.  

Today, a persistent gender gap in digital access keeps women from unlocking technology’s full potential. Their underrepresentation in STEM education and careers remains a major barrier to their participation in tech design and governance. And the pervasive threat of online gender-based violence—coupled with a lack of legal recourse—too often forces them out of the digital spaces they do occupy.  

At the same time, digital technology is opening new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls and other marginalized groups. From gender-responsive digital learning to tech-facilitated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the digital age represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality.   

This 8 March, we are calling on governments, activists and the private sector alike to power on in their efforts to make the digital world safer, more inclusive and more equitable. Facing a multiplicity of global crises, we have a chance to create a better future—not just for women and girls, but for all humanity and all life on Earth. Join us.  

International Women’s Day 2023

by Asya Varbanova, UN Women Turkiye Country Director

This year’s International Women’s Day is marked under the shadow of the devastating earthquakes that struck South-Eastern Türkiye just over one month ago, killing over 46,000 people and injuring thousands more.

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Decolonization Is Women’s Work

March 8, 1950—international women’s day—marked the embrace of a feminist battle against imperialism.

The 12-day Asian Women’s Conference in Beijing saw attendees from across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America and “forged a movement for all women to fight against colonialism and demand equal rights with full sovereignty,” gender studies scholar Elisabeth B. Armstrong writes. Pictured above is the Korean delegation for the conference. Courtesy of Sophia Smith Archives, Smith College.

by Elisabeth B. Armstrong | March 8, 2023

It was 1950, and the world was in flames: In Vietnam, Iran, Madagascar, Algeria, West Africa, South Africa, Tunisia, Malaya, Burma, and Cuba, wars of counterinsurgency were being waged against colonial powers that refused to leave. Women, with weapons in their hands and the courage to hide soldiers, grow food for the frontlines, and pass messages across their battlefronts, took part in fighting these wars for independence. At the same time, they sought peace, freedom, and women’s rights.

On March 8, International Women’s Day, they erupted in protests to demand an end to imperialism—the starting point for imagining decolonization as a global culture.

Today, corporate sponsors have sought to commodify International Women’s Day and turn it into women’s access to rule like capitalists. But this 1950 fight for decolonization built a culture that—if you look closely—still fuels the revolutionary spirit, and promise, of the day.

International Women’s Day began as a way to join working-class women’s struggles for basic rights to livelihood with middle-class women’s fight for the vote. At the International Socialist Women’s Congress, held in Copenhagen in 1910, German activist Clara Zetkin proposed holding an international women’s day in March. These meetings and demonstrations incited protests, including the Russian Revolution in 1917. From 1922 onward, the day was mostly celebrated as a holiday in the USSR and socialist countries to honor women’s rights gained under socialism.

The need for a decolonial agenda around International Women’s Day arose from the Global South, during the anti-imperialist Asian Women’s Conference held in Beijing, China, in December 1949. There, attendees found solidarity and carried that spirit back home in countless manifestations of anticolonial feminist activism. During those 12 days in Beijing, women from across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America forged a movement for all women to fight against colonialism and demand equal rights with full sovereignty. Many women from colonized countries had already joined their countries’ battles to crush colonial occupation. They had their own slogans: Bury the corpse of colonialism! If anyone is oppressed, no one is free! And they demanded that women from colonizing countries dismantle their countries’ war machines.

Women at the conference gathered at the National Art Academy tables. Courtesy of Sophia Smith Archives, Smith College.

Attendees took that charge with them when they got back home. Just two weeks after returning from Beijing, for instance, Jeanette Vermeersch, a parliamentarian and member of the French Communist Party, addressed the French parliament to call for the withdrawal of France from Vietnam: “The Vietnamese people are fighting a just war,” she said, “a war in the defense of your aggression. You are fighting an unjust war, a colonial war, a war of aggression.”

Through networks of anti-imperialist and socialist women’s groups, the message of the Asian Women’s Conference traveled around the world. It would be a global, coordinated refusal of imperialism. The conference resolution spread: Celebrate International Women’s Day, a day for working-class women’s struggles, like never before.

When International Women’s Day arrived, it joined together women from all around the world in the anticolonial struggle for their full emancipation, as women from colonizing countries like France and the Netherlands demanded an end to imperialism in solidarity with women from Vietnam, Indonesia, Tunisia, and beyond. This included the demand that women hold equal rights to fully enfranchised men, not the truncated rights of colonized men with negligible rights to vote, apartheid rules of unfree movement, fettered access to jobs, and stolen lands.

The day punctuated ongoing insurgencies by people who were geographically far from each other, but were bound by common occupiers of colonial nations.

In Mar del Plata, Argentina, leftist women’s groups—such as the Union of Argentine Women and the Women’s Cultural Group—held the Congress for Peace in dozens of cities around the country to evade the authorities (who had banned their activities) and fight for a decent standard of living and political rights. In Brazil, women chose to protest the high-level U.S. economic delegation visiting Rio de Janeiro. They printed 100,000 leaflets and covered the city with 20,000 posters under the name “Protect Brazilian Petrol” to condemn the economic treaty signed with the United States. Their slogans sought peace and an end to U.S. interference in the Brazilian economy—its own form of neoimperialism—and protested the high cost of living.

Across the world, in Damascus, the Union of Syrian Women led a demonstration of women and children to the parliament to condemn war. Their protests were not without cost. Amine Aref Kassab Hasan, who had recently returned from the Beijing conference, was beaten and arrested, along with two other women and a 5-year-old girl. In Homs, another delegate of the Asian Women’s Conference, Salma Boummi, along with five other women and girls were arrested for a similar protest for peace. But in the face of the Syrian government’s violent response, 13 Syrian women’s organizations presented a memorandum to the Constituent Assembly to demand women’s equal rights, particularly equal pay for equal work. Though they were beaten back, the movement pressed onward.

Anticolonial leaders of the women’s movement, like Celestine Ouezzin Coulibaly (familiarly known as Macoucou) and Baya Allouchiche, took the lead in organizing working-class women in their countries, but also in their regions of North Africa and West Africa, respectively.

The Mongolian delegation at the conference. Courtesy of Sophia Smith Archives, Smith College.

In Ivory Coast, Coulibaly toured Sudan, Upper Volta, and Ivory Coast to spread the word after attending the Beijing conference. She described the solidarity of women she witnessed, and she told of the success won by communist women in the People’s Republic of China, who drove out an army that had far greater armaments supplied by the Americans. After touring the region, Coulibaly led demonstrations of thousands of women on International Women’s Day in Grand Bassam, the French colonial capital of Ivory Coast, in protest of police repression and the murder of women who, in December 1949, had demanded the release of political prisoners who fought for independence from French colonial rule.

Like Coulibaly, after Allouchiche returned from the Asian Women’s Conference, she galvanized women in Algeria to join the anticolonial struggle. She toured Algeria and Morocco, spending 12 days in the radical province of Oran, where women were not yet organized. She described a world of solidarity among women, one that refused to buckle under the yoke of colonialism nor the yoke of patriarchy. She dared them to imagine: “the sun that has risen in Beijing will shine for us too!” Her speeches held in the month of February tipped the balance toward solidarity and a wage strike among dockworkers. Only a week before International Women’s Day 1950, over 300 Algerian women joined the strike on the docks of Oran to protest poor working conditions and to refuse to load ships with soldiers and supplies for the colonial counterinsurgency frontlines of Vietnam.

Global anticolonial solidarity required resistance in colonial centers. Delegates from the Netherlands, the United States, France, and England who attended the conference in Beijing took direction and brought colonized women’s struggle home. On the same day as the protests in Syria, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Brazil, and Algeria, Dutch women supported dock workers who refused to load ships with American armaments bound for the Dutch occupation of Indonesia by laying in the road and blocking the trucks from reaching the docks. In Enshede, Dutch women connected Dutch peoples’ high cost of living to the priority given in the national budget for military purposes over the needs of the working population of the Netherlands. Bread not Barracks , they shouted.

Formal colonialism fell in the decades after the 1949 Asian Women’s Conference. But economic colonialism continues today. Economic blockades have human rights consequences and debt packages dictate national policies. But women’s struggles for decolonization, peace, and equal rights hasn’t ebbed. If we turn our heads to Latin America, one memorable slogan from strikes held on International Women’s Day—“What they call love, we call unpaid work!”—draws the connections between the debt bondage and the need for women to provide structural networks of care. Femicide, drug trafficking, border policing, and U.S. intervention in Central America and Mexican economies have fueled endemic murders of women and girls. We see inspiration, too, from women in Mexico reacting to this, to join their internationalist call against systemic femicide, for “Ni Una Mas!” (Not One More).

International Women’s Day in 1950 revived the fight for anticolonial, anti-imperialist solidarity on the terms of the people most oppressed. Our regional and national women’s struggles are still global, still marked by economic and political colonialism in new forms. Survival for many is still precarious—we have a strong tradition in International Women’s Day to imagine an alternative future without inequity.

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International Women’s Day 2023: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

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The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 (IWD 2023) is, “ DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” . This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67) , “ Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls ”.  

The United Nations Observance of IWD recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. IWD 2023 will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities. The event will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.

Bringing women and other marginalized groups into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality. Their lack of inclusion, by contrast, comes with massive costs: as per UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report , women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade—a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action. Reversing this trend will require tackling the problem of online violence, which a study of 51 countries revealed 38 per cent of women had personally experienced.

A gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology and digital education can increase the awareness of women and girls regarding their rights and civic engagement. Advancements in digital technology offer immense opportunities to address development and humanitarian challenges, and to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. Unfortunately, the opportunities of the digital revolution also present a risk of perpetuating existing patterns of gender inequality. Growing inequalities are becoming increasingly evident in the context of digital skills and access to technologies, with women being left behind as the result of this digital gender divide. The need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is therefore crucial for a sustainable future.

The United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day under the theme, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, will be marked by a high-level event on Wednesday, 8 March 2023, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. EST. The event will bring together technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and gender equality activists to provide an opportunity to highlight the role of all stakeholders in improving access to digital tools and be followed by a high-level panel discussion and musical performances.

• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Innovation and technology

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International Women's Day 2023 campaign theme: #EmbraceEquity

(Looking for IWD 2024 information?  Click here )

For International Women's Day and beyond, let's all fully #EmbraceEquity .

Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have.

A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA.

And it's critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.

The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough . People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. Read more about this here .

All IWD activity is valid , that's what makes IWD inclusive.

So give equity a huge embrace

We can all truly embrace equity .

It's not just something we say. It's not just something we write about.

It's something we need to think about, know, value and embrace.

It's what we believe in, unconditionally. Equity means creating an inclusive world.

And we can all play a part

Each one of us can actively support and embrace equity within our own sphere of influence. 

We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion. 

Collective activism is what drives change. From grassroots action to wide-scale momentum, we can all embrace equity.  

Forging gender equity isn't limited to women solely fighting the good fight. Allies are incredibly important for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women.

Everyone everywhere can play a part.

All IWD activity is valid.

That's what makes IWD so inclusive.

Collectively, we can all forge positive change.

Being included, and a sense of belonging, feel right

When we embrace equity, we embrace diversity, and we embrace inclusion.

We embrace equity to forge harmony and unity, and to help drive success for all.

Equality is the goal, and equity is the means to get there. 

Through the process of equity, we can reach equality.

Embracing equity is the right thing to do

Don't just say it. Think it. Be it. Do it. Value it. Truly embrace it.

Embrace equity in all its forms.

How will you embrace equity?

Share the passion and excitement that comes from valuing and supporting difference.

Reflect on how we can all be part of the solution, not the problem.

Encourage and rally your friends, family, colleagues, and community to embrace equity .

Together we can work collectively to impact positive change.

Together we can all help forge an equal world.

Let's all embrace equity today, and always.

Strike the #EmbraceEquity pose

Are you in? Will you embrace equity ? 

Show the world your huge embrace. Strike the IWD #EmbraceEquity pose to show solidarity.

Share your #EmbraceEquity image, video, resources, presentation, and articles across social media using #IWD2023 #EmbraceEquity to encourage others to help forge an inclusive world.

Send in your #EmbraceEquity images

2022 saw thousands of people across the world send in images showing their support and solidarity for the International Women's Day #BreakTheBias campaign theme that served to elevate a global focus on identifying and calling out conscious and unconscious bias in order to help drive positive change for women worldwide.

Let's forge that tremendous worldwide unity and support again for 2023.

Check out just some of the many #EmbraceEquity images from across the world coming in. 

Be part of the movement: Engage & participate for IWD

Know your mindset and actions count. You can make a difference for women in the world.

All IWD activity is valid. IWD is inclusive, not exclusive. 

Everyone, everywhere can build on IWD's century-plus history.

Be part of it.

Let's all step forward and commit to #EmbraceEquity .

#IWD2023 #EmbraceEquity

embrace - verb - ɪmˈbreɪs - to willingly and enthusiastically accept, adopt, and espouse 

Want to reflect on the IWD 2022 #BreakTheBias campaign theme? Click here .

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International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.

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International Women’s Day 2023: Accelerating Equality and Empowerment

On the occasion of  International Women’s Day 2023 , we at the World Bank Group will celebrate women’s achievements and contributions with a series of events and engagements – we look forward to your participation!

The UN theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is  “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” .  This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.   

Gender equality and empowerment remains a priority for the World Bank Group – both in our operations and in the organization. To drive transformative change, the World Bank Group’s yearlong  Accelerate Equality  initiative throughout 2022 explored the important progress made and lessons learned over the last 10 years since the  World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development (WDR2012) , and developed ideas and a momentum for the future while strengthening partnerships with a diverse group of stakeholders.  In 2023, the World Bank Group is transitioning to the preparation of the 2024-30 WBG Gender Strategy Update, to be launched in early 2024.

We at the World Bank Group are working with our clients to find innovative solutions to help women and girls unleash their human capital and become leaders, entrepreneurs, and agents of change for green, resilient, and inclusive development. Engaging women is key to development, including climate action.  Women’s economic empowerment, in conjunction with girls’ education, family planning, reproductive and sexual health, and reduced child marriage, can facilitate the transition to low-carbon economies, help improve resource use, and assist in lowering environmental damage and land fragmentation, as well as increase resilience.There is more work to do, so, together, let us accelerate gender equality and empowerment today for a more sustainable tomorrow!

International Women’s Day – One Year of Accelerate Equality

Here are some inspiring global examples and helpful resources to learn more and get engaged. 

Previous Events

• March 22, 9:00 AM EST:  Global Vendor Forum for Women-Owned Businesses:  Accessing Consulting Opportunities at the WBG  hosted by Corporate Procurement
• March 21, 7:00 AM EST:  IWD Invitation: Promoting Safe Mobility Options for Women in Pakistan
• March 10, 2023:  CSW67 Side Event: Pathways to women’s economic empowerment: The interlocking roles of finance, law, and data   hosted by the UN
• March 8:  Gender Leadership Award Innovation through Female Entrepreneurship  [watch replay]
• March 8: Including Women with Disabilities in World Bank Operations
• March 8: Accelerating Equality & Empowerment: How Women's Leadership & Collective Action Can Make a Difference  [watch replay]  for an inspiring conversation with women leaders from across the globe about the power of collective action to drive progress towards gender equality and empowerment. The event was headlined by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Laureate and former President of Liberia. 
• March 2:  Launch of the 2023 Women, Business and the Law Report   [watch replay]
• Feb 21:  Empowering Women to Shape the Future of Jobs   [watch replay]
• 2023 Women, Business and the Law Download Report [PDF] | Event Replay
• Insights from LSMS+: Women lag behind in asset ownership and are burdened with domestic work
• Gender Equality and Development +10 #AccelerateEquality
• Gender Strategy Update (2024-30): Accelerating Equality and Empowerment for All
• Gender Dimensions of Forced Displacement (GDFD) Research Program
• Strengthening Gender Statistics
• Resources Gender Home | Gender Data Portal

International Women’s Day 2023: Three important facts (and charts) from the World Bank’s Gender Data Portal

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International Women’s Day, 2023 - Unleashing Our Region’s Most Untapped Potential: Harnessing the Digital Age to Empower Women & Girls

• Opinion by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana ( bangkok, thailand )
• Wednesday, March 01, 2023
• Inter Press Service
• The writer is Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The following opinion piece is part of series to mark International Women’s Day, March 8.

BANGKOK, Thailand, Mar 01 (IPS) - New technologies and innovations are reshaping our world and its future, often at a dizzying pace. Yet women and girls continue to be left behind in this burgeoning digital universe. How, then, can we harness these developments to create a better future for all of us?

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” seeks to answer exactly that question.

The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 is, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” . This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (6-17 March 2023) , “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” .

We know that women and girls are less likely than men and boys to use the internet or own a smartphone. In fact, only 54 per cent of women in Asia and the Pacific have digital access, cut off from opportunities to move any digital needles forward.

The root causes are many and varied: deep-rooted discriminatory social norms, increased gender-based violence (including online violence), and the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work. Addressing these impediments to women realizing their full potential requires our joint and immediate attention and response.

One child, one teacher, one pen

When and where women and girls are discouraged from studying and working in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields, we let them down. And we have left a whole generation of women and girls behind. We need the talents and voices of women and girls brought to the boardrooms and coding rooms.

Today many innovations in AI, medicine, entertainment, transportation, work and other fields treat men as the standard and ignore women’s physical and social differences – to the detriment of half of the world’s population.

Getting more women into careers in technology starts with breaking down the gender stereotypes that prevent girls from studying STEM subjects. Comprehensive changes to the way STEM subjects are taught and targeted programs to support girls’ learning are needed.

In Viet Nam, the Ministry of Education and Training has updated the country’s National Early Childhood Education curriculum on “de-stereotyping” women and girls and has included gender-sensitive budgeting into the Education Sector Plan. Through changes such as these, governments can foster girls’ enthusiasm for technology, expanding the future digital workforce.

Harnessing technology to support women entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs play a key role in developing economies. Supporting them to start and grow businesses through technology will lead to more sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Women have historically struggled to access capital because they are less aware of funding options.

They are less likely to own land or have large savings to offer as collateral and have not been included in traditional financial networks. Technological innovations provide an opportunity to connect women entrepreneurs across the region with new financing models that cater to their particular needs.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship project has unlocked almost USD 65 million in capital to support women entrepreneurs in several countries.

Through identifying and backing a number of experimental technology-driven business models, the project has supported women-led micro, small and medium enterprises through a range of technology solutions such as payment platforms, online marketplaces, bookkeeping and inventory management.

Enabling women to become drivers of inclusive innovation

If we pair the untapped potential of women and girls to contribute to our common future together with the potential of the innovations of digitalization, science and technologies, we may well have cracked the code to rectifying many of the inequalities and injustices created by generations past.

Women have the know-how to harness technology and innovation. Given equal opportunities, they will flourish and contribute to creative solutions to tackle the world’s multi-faceted challenges.

Women leaders in Asia and the Pacific are already using technology to address inequalities and gender-based violence. Founded by Virginia Tan, Rhea See, and Leanne Robers, She Loves Tech , headquartered in Singapore, runs the world’s largest start-up competition for women and technology and aims to unlock over USD 1 billion in capital by 2030 for women-led businesses.

Safecity is a crowd-mapping platform for people to share experiences of sexual harassment in public spaces and allows communities to identify problems and work towards solutions. The platform was launched by three women, including current leader Elsa Marie D’Silva, in response to incidents of gender-based violence in the region.

“We can all do our part to unleash our world’s enormous untapped talent – starting with filling classrooms, laboratories, and boardrooms with women scientists,” said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently. Indeed, we need women in leadership roles in all science and technology spaces to accelerate inclusive innovation.

Let’s work together towards our dream of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. What better way to do so than to use innovations and new technologies to overcome inequalities in the digital age?

IPS UN Bureau

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© Inter Press Service (2023) — All Rights Reserved Original source: Inter Press Service

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International Women's Day 2023

The United Nations 2023 Observance of International Women's Day (IWD) is under the theme “ DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality ”, which recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

The observance will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities, and it will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.

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Essay on Women’s Day 2023 – Short & Long Essay in English and Hindi

Published by team sy on march 6, 2023 march 6, 2023.

Essay on Women’s Day:  International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th every year, as a way to honor the achievements of women and to call for gender equality. It is a day to reflect on the progress made towards women’s rights, and to recognize the challenges that still exist.  Women’s Day Essay  is an important aspect of this celebration, as it allows individuals to share their thoughts and opinions on the significance of this day. In this article, we will explore the Women’s Day Essay in English, as well as the Women’s Day Essay in Hindi. We will provide a short essay on Women’s Day in 200 words, and discuss the importance of essay writing on Women’s Day. Join us as we dive into the significance of International Women’s Day and the role of Women’s Day Essay in this celebration.

Attempt Quiz on Women’s Day Here!

Table of Contents

Short Essay on Women’s Day in English

Below we have provided a sample essay on women’s day in 200 words. This can be referred by school students for the assignment of essay writing on women’s day.

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8th, to honor women’s achievements, and promote gender equality and women’s rights. It is a day to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality and to recognize the challenges that still exist.

As we celebrate this day, it is important to acknowledge the struggles faced by women all around the world. Women have been subjected to discrimination and inequality for centuries. Despite the progress made in many areas, women still face numerous challenges, such as gender-based violence, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare.

One group of women who face unique challenges are short women. Height discrimination is a form of bias that often goes unnoticed, yet it can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Short women may face discrimination in the workplace, in social situations, and even in dating.

However, short women have also made significant contributions to society. They have excelled in various fields, including politics, entertainment, sports, and science. Some notable short women include Mother Teresa, Simone Biles, J.K. Rowling, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among others.

On this Women’s Day, let us celebrate the achievements of all women, regardless of their height, and work towards creating a more equal and just society for everyone. Let us continue to fight against discrimination and inequality, and empower all women to reach their full potential.

Read the Speech on Women’s Day Here!

Long Essay on Women’s Day in English

Below we have provided a long women’s day essay in English. This can be referred by college-going students for the assignment of essay writing on women’s day.

International Women’s Day is a day of celebration, but it is also a day to reflect on the struggles faced by women all over the world. It is a day to honor the progress made towards gender equality and to recognize the challenges that still exist.

For centuries, women have been subjected to discrimination and inequality. They have been denied basic human rights, such as access to education, healthcare, and political representation. They have been the victims of gender-based violence and have been paid less than men for doing the same job.

Despite these challenges, women have made remarkable progress in many areas. They have broken down barriers and shattered glass ceilings in politics, business, entertainment, sports, and science. Women have proven time and time again that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to, regardless of the obstacles in their way.

However, there is still much work to be done. Women continue to face discrimination and inequality in many areas of life. For example, in some countries, women are still not allowed to vote or hold public office. In other countries, they are denied access to education, healthcare, and even basic human rights.

Women also face unique challenges that are often overlooked. One group of women who face particular challenges are short women. Height discrimination is a form of bias that can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Short women may face discrimination in the workplace, social situations, and even in dating.

Despite these challenges, short women have made significant contributions to society. They have excelled in various fields, including politics, entertainment, sports, and science. Some notable short women include Mother Teresa, Simone Biles, J.K. Rowling, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among others.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Choose to Challenge”. It is a call to action to challenge gender bias and inequality wherever we see it. We must all commit to challenging the stereotypes and biases that hold women back, and work towards creating a world where women are treated with the dignity, respect, and equality that they deserve.

Let us use this day as a reminder of the progress we have made, but also as a call to action to continue fighting for women’s rights and gender equality. Only by working together can we create a world where all women have the opportunity to thrive and succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Essay on Women’s Day in Hindi

अंतर्राष्ट्रीय महिला दिवस प्रत्येक वर्ष 8 मार्च को मनाया जाता है, जो महिलाओं की उपलब्धियों को सम्मानित करने और लिंग समानता के लिए आवाज उठाने के लिए एक दिन के रूप में मनाया जाता है। इस दिन के महत्व को समझने के लिए और इसे समर्थन करने के लिए लोगों द्वारा लेखिका का उपयोग किया जाता है। महिला दिवस पर लेख लिखना महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि इससे लोग महिलाओं के उपलब्धियों के बारे में अपने विचारों और रायों को बांट सकते हैं।

इस दिन के महत्व को समझने के लिए और इसे समर्थन करने के लिए लोगों द्वारा लेखिका का उपयोग किया जाता है। महिला दिवस पर लेख लिखना महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि इससे लोग महिलाओं के उपलब्धियों के बारे में अपने विचारों और रायों को बांट सकते हैं। विभिन्न विषयों पर लेख लिखकर आप महिलाओं के सम्बन्ध में अपने विचारों को व्यक्त कर सकते हैं, जैसे कि महिलाओं को शिक्षा का अधिकार मिलना चाहिए, महिलाओं को भी समाज के सभी क्षेत्रों में उनका अधिकार होना चाहिए। 

इस दिन के अवसर पर लेख लिखने से महिलाओं के उत्थान और सम्मान के साथ-साथ समाज के सभी वर्गों में महिलाओं के लिए समान अधिकार की मांग को आगे बढ़ाया जा सकता है। इससे महिलाओं के लिए आगे के दिनों में उन्नति और समानता की दिशा में काम किया जा सकता है। इसलिए, हर वर्ष 8 मार्च को महिला दिवस मनाकर महिलाओं के सम्मान और समानता को बढ़ावा दिया जाता है।

In conclusion, Women’s Day is an important day to celebrate the achievements of women and to call for gender equality. Through essay writing, we can express our thoughts and ideas on the importance of this day, and on the challenges that women still face. As we celebrate Women’s Day, it is important to remember that gender equality is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue that affects us all. We must all commit to challenging gender bias and inequality wherever we see it, and work towards creating a world where all women have the opportunity to thrive and succeed. By standing together and continuing to fight for women’s rights, we can create a better future for all. Let us continue to celebrate Women’s Day and work towards a more equal and just world for everyone.

Essay on Women’s Day 2023

Women’s Day is a global day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

Women’s Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality, to highlight the struggles women face in society, and to recognize the contributions of women in different fields.

Writing an essay on Women’s Day is significant as it helps to express one’s thoughts and opinions about women’s rights, their achievements, and the challenges they face. It also helps to spread awareness and promote the idea of gender equality.

Women’s Day is celebrated in different ways across the world. Some countries organize parades, rallies, and cultural events to mark the day, while others use the occasion to raise awareness about women’s issues and to advocate for gender equality.

This year, the theme for the UN International Women’s Day is ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.

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Digitall: innovation and technology for gender….

8 March 2023

DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality - UN Observance of International Women's Day 2023

Aligned with the priority theme of CSW67, the UN observance of IWD recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education and curtailing the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.

The high-level event will bring together technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and gender equality activists to provide an opportunity to highlight the role of all stakeholders in improving access to digital tools. The opening remarks will be followed by a high-level panel discussion and musical performances.

Participants will include:

• E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
• E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly
• E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Chair, 67th Commission on the Status of Women
• Marie Bjerre, Minister for Digitalization, IT Technology and Gender Equality, Denmark
• Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, via video message
• Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director
• Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunications Union
• Gitanjali Rao, 17-year-old inventor, innovator, author, STEM promoter, UNICEF Youth Advocate

UN Women webpage

International Women's Day 2023: Europe's women taking charge

Monday, March 6, 2023

Article summary

As the profile of women's football in Europe continues to rise, so too does that of its referees, who continue to break new ground across the continent and beyond.

Article top media content

Article body

As we mark the week of International Women's Day and prepare for the forthcoming quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League, we speak to three of the best in the business, each with their own perspective to share.

North Macedonia's Ivana Projkovska is a talented former player who has risen through the ranks as a top official in one of Europe's smaller national associations, fulfilling her dream of refereeing at UEFA Women's EURO 2022 last summer.

Fellow Women's EURO official Rebecca Welch is England's leading female referee, recently becoming the first woman to take charge of a men's second-tier match in the country.

An elite referee since 2013, Hungarian Katalin Kulcsár gave birth to a baby boy in July 2022. Already back on the pitch in domestic action, she has returned to VAR duty with UEFA and was recently reunited with her colleagues from across Europe at our elite referees winter course in Rome.

Sitting down with UEFA.com, the trio discussed their journeys so far, the challenges they have overcome and the attraction of refereeing.

What first attracted you to refereeing?

Katalin Kulcsár : I started refereeing when I was 15. My father was a referee, and had a very nice community within refereeing, and I loved that. As a girl at that time, there was no real chance to play football. So, this was my chance to be in football, and I wanted to be in football.

Rebecca Welch : I was a little bit older - I was 27 when I started. I had a really good friend who was a referee, I never really understood why you’d want to be. But then as soon as I’d done the course and started refereeing, I fully understood why people make the choice to become a referee.

Ivana Projkovska : I became a referee by accident. I played football for a long time, as a left-winger or as a striker, and I was constantly getting punished for being in an offside position. I wasn’t happy with the referee’s and the assistant referee’s decision, and I don’t want to say that I fought with them, but I refused to accept their decisions. So, one day, the referee in our game told me that I should become one and see things from their point of view. And on the very next course for new referees, I applied, and since then, I am a referee.

What are the best things about being a referee?

Welch : It’s really difficult to pinpoint before you do it and then when you’re walking out at three o’clock on a Saturday, as it is in England, you’re involved in football and having the best seat in the house. I played football but I was never really that good, so my progression in the game would’ve stopped. As a referee, you’ve got the chance to go on and referee in professional women’s leagues, professional men’s leagues. So, that’s definitely the reason why I keep doing it: that buzz at three o’clock when I walk out.

Kulcsár : I like the community, I like being in the refereeing family. I like the challenge; it’s never the same. The same situations don’t happen one after another, every game is a new thing. You have to focus; you have to face new things, meet new people. And I like the challenge - I like to have a challenge in football.

Projkovska : I love being a referee because of all the challenges that come with it. It's a lot of work, we have to train a lot, be professional. We have to do many things at once: running, make the right decision, read the game, communicate with the players, the coaches, and work with other colleagues.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced so far in your refereeing career?

Kulcsár : The biggest challenge I faced is being a woman in the men’s game. Because when I started, I was a kid, I was 15 years old; I didn’t really think about being a woman, but I realised, when I was 20-something, that I was the only one on the pitch that was a woman and not a man. This was a hard one. But then, I loved refereeing, I loved the game and loved being there, so I wouldn’t have stopped just because I was a woman among men. Being a girl in football was harder, or more difficult, 10, 20, 30 years ago; but I can see through my own career that it’s getting much, much easier. I feel that we have more respect from the younger generation, which is a great step forward. Obviously, the fitness challenges are very high, as women we need to work very hard to meet the requirements.

How do you learn to cope with criticism?

Projkovska : Usually, older referees give us support, telling us that we should keep working, that we cannot achieve everything in one day, and that one day, we will be very successful and then people will respect us.

Welch: The biggest support I’ve had is from my mum and dad. I’m very lucky in that respect, where my dad comes to most of my games, so he’s always there. He was never a referee, but he now knows a lot about refereeing through me. My mum’s philosophy is, "As long as you go out and you do your best, I can’t ask for anything more." My mum doesn’t know a lot about football, so she always just thinks if I go out and do my best, then she’s happy. They’re always there on the good days but also, more importantly, on the bad days to help pick me up and keep me going.

Katalin, how does it feel to be resuming your career after pregnancy?

Kulcsár : I said the biggest challenge is being a woman in the men’s game, but I find motherhood an even bigger challenge, which I’m facing right now, coming back from pregnancy. Up until now, there haven’t really been many examples of this at the top level – in elite refereeing – where someone was returning to the same level after having a baby. I’ve been a referee for 24 years, so this is the ‘normal’ me, and I love being back. I hope that with this comeback, I can be a good role model for the next generation: the fact that one can continue with their career, alongside having a family, and going back to performing at a high level again, where they previously achieved success.

What is your advice for young women and girls thinking of getting involved in refereeing?

Projkovska : They should never stop, follow their dreams, work hard and never listen to negative people around them. Stay positive and everything is possible. If I have achieved some of my goals, they can follow me and achieve their goals.

Kulcsár : For either girls or boys, refereeing is a type of career or hobby – depending on how one looks at it or how far one goes – where they can be a part of football and attend matches. If someone likes football and would like to be a part of it, refereeing is also a way in. Perhaps this is the closest to football after being an actual player. There's always something new in store for us and we're in the middle of these matches – we don't see it from a distance as the fans or anyone else does.

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