BLOGGING THE VIEW: 5 reasons International Women’s Day 2023 is important

Every year on 8 March, the globe unites in celebration of International Women’s Day, with the 2023 event themed #EmbraceEquity.

This is not simply a call for people to say thank you to the women around them, but to actively work to change entrenched mindsets about gender inequality, and ensure everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

While we may be under the illusion that women have more freedom today, the reality on the ground is often much different.

Here are 5 reasons this is such an important day globally.

1. South Africa’s GBV

Human Rights Watch has literally called South Africa the ‘rape capital of the world’, and we boast some of the world’s highest GBV rates, including femicide and domestic abuse. The sad reality is that GBV impacts not only the women being targeted, but society as a whole. It’s a threat to the mental, physical, and reproductive health of women, it contributes to the HIV/Aids crisis, and places families at risk.

2. Attack on Iranian women

Once a vibrant and modern country, Iran’s women now live some of the most horrific daily realities after the country’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, ordered a crackdown on women’s rights. This called for stricter enforcement of the country’s mandatory dress code that requires all women to wear the hijab head covering. When Mahsa Amini (22) refused, she was arrested by the morality police, beaten, and killed.

3. Educational ban for Afghanistan women

Women living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan are banned from higher education, which is not only impacting the rights of women, but their human rights too. When women are unable to benefit from an education, they are more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, marginalisation, and abuse. As the Guardian reported: “Women have been pushed out of many government jobs or are being paid a slashed salary to stay at home. They are also barred from travelling without a male relative, and must cover up outside the home, ideally with a burqa. In November, they were prohibited from going to parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.”

4. War’s impact on women in Ukraine

Alongside the humanitarian crisis created by Putin’s war in Ukraine, the rights of women and children are being severely targeted with an increased rate of GBV. Children, in particular, are being used as weapons of war, taken from their families to be forcibly adopted by Russian families as part of an attempted ‘re-education’ of Ukrainian citizens.

5. Abuse against women online

While cyberbullying is a far-reaching problem, indications are that women and children suffer the brunt of it following the pandemic. According to Unesco’s Combatting Online Violence Against Women & Girls: A Worldwide Wake-up Call: “Research shows that one in three women will experience some form of violence in her lifetime. Now, the new problem of ‘cyber VAWG’ could significantly increase this staggering number, as our research suggests that 73% of women have already been exposed to, or have experienced, some form of online violence.”

It’s almost impossible to believe we’re hearing phrases like ‘morality police’ and ‘re-education’ in 2023 as part of some mainstream government agendas. It’s time for us all to realise this war on women never truly ended, and it won’t until everyone takes a hard look at how they honestly view and treat women daily, and what they can do to change this worrying trend.

SOURCES:
https://thursd.com/articles/6-interesting-facts-about-international-womens-day
https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/gender-based-violence-against-women-in-south-africa
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-being-beaten-by-morality-police-over-hijab-law
https://www.cfr.org/blog/women-week-protests-iran-demand-end-decades-womens-oppression
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/20/taliban-ban-afghan-women-university-education
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/international-womens-day-dramatic-deterioration-in-respect-for-womens-rights-and-gender-equality-must-be-decisively-reversed/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/24/ukraine-stolen-children-maria-lvova-belova/
https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/highlightdocumentenglish.pdf

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