Commemorating International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on the 8th March. It provides a platform to reflect on progress realized in achieving women’s recognition in all spheres of life. It is time to appreciate the determination by ordinary women through the roles they play in their communities. The global theme for IWD in 2021 is ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’. The theme celebrates the remarkable 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 IWD is time to celebrate the progress that women have made towards equality and a time to celebrate the achievements of women in socioeconomic or cultural spaces.
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 in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes in all spheres and at all stages of pandemic response and recovery.