International Women's Day 2020: Significance and purpose of the day

The International Women's Day is observed every year on March 8 in a bid to celebrate the women's movement and struggle for equality. This year the day is celebrated in the wake of the 25th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which is termed by the UN Women as the 'most visionary agenda for women's right and empowerment everywhere'. According to the UN Women, the theme for this year is 'I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women's Rights'. 

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The International Women's Day further endorses the need and necessity to knowledge every woman in every aspect of life, be it in the household or in the public domain. UN Women, with their Generation Equality campaign, is also bringing together people of every gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion and country to drive actions that will create the gender-equal world. The organisation also aims to mobilize to end gender-based violence. 

'Change can happen through collective activism'

Furthermore, the organisation also came out with a report to review the effect of Beijing Declaration which reveals 'important progress' in areas of education and health, while other sectors have seen 'stagnation and reversals'. The organisation also urges people around the world to fight for equal rights and take action together to achieve it. “This International Women’s Day, UN Women’s multi-generational campaign, Generation Equality, brings together past and present advocates to demand gender equality in this generation”. 

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A statement on the official website of UN Women read, “From the Liberian women’s sex strike paving the way for peace to the Icelandic “Women’s Day Off” demanding economic equality to the global impact of the #MeToo movement, history has taught us that change can happen through collective activism”. 

The UN Women's Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in a statement highlighted 2020 as the year for gender equality. She further called on everyone to tackle the persistent barriers against gender equality. 

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