International Women’s Day 2021 and its Significance

International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

The global theme for International Women’s Day in 2021 is ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’.

The theme acclaims the incredible efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers, and as some of the most exemplary and effective national leaders in combating the pandemic. The crisis has highlighted both the significance of their contributions and the disproportionate burdens that women carry.

The first International Women’s Day befell on March 19 in 1911. The introductory event, which incorporated rallies and organized meetings, was a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The March 19 date was chosen because it venerated the day that the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that he failed to keep. The International Women’s Day date was moved to March 8 in 1913.

Much progress has been made across the world to protect and promote women’s rights in recent times. However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men, according to the UN.

ADRA in Bangladesh is playing an inevitable role in terms of empowering the underserved women in the left-behind communities across the country. ADRA provides a wide variety of Income Generating Activity (IGA) training aiming to build their capacity so they can achieve financial emancipation.

ADRA in Bangladesh is working tirelessly to develop the interpersonal and technical skills among the underprivileged women so they can contribute to the economy and can bring out a sustainable change among society.

To uphold women’s rights and fully leverage the potential of women’s leadership in pandemic preparedness and response, the perspectives of women and girls in all of their diversity must be integrated into the formulation and implementation of policies and programs in all spheres.