International Women’s Day has celebrated the economic, cultural, political and social achievements of women for more than 100 years. From Greta Thunberg becoming an international sensation with her campaign for climate change last year to Chloe Kim snowboarding loops around Olympic records at the PyeongChang Games in 2018, women across the globe have been challenging stereotypes and the status quo. The day isn’t simply a celebration — it’s a call to action for everyone to continue to push for complete gender equality. 1. What is its history? The early 20th century was a time when women were becoming more active in their protests against oppression and gender inequality, leading marches and campaigns to demand equal rights. According to the official International Women's Day website, during the International Conference of Working Women in 1910, Clara Zetkin of Germany's Social Democratic Party proposed that a day be set aside every year across the world to celebrate women and reinforce their demands. The proposal was ultimately accepted and put into practice, starting in Germany and Europe and spreading across the globe over the years. ... the length of time between when a constitutional amendment granting a woman’s right to vote was introduced in the U.S. Congress (Jan. 10, 1878) and when it was finally ratified (Aug. 26, 1920). Feminist activist Gloria Steinem joins marchers before the International Women's Day March in New York in 1975. Bettmann Archive via Getty Images file 2. When is it observed? The first International Women’s Day was observed March 8, 1914. Even though International Women’s Day was decided upon in 1910, the tradition of celebrating it on March 8 took a few more years to decide upon. In 1975, the United Nations announced that International Women’s Day would be an official day of observance for all of its member countries. Years later, the world body also instituted annual themes to promote the celebration of the day, such as “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future” and “World Free of Violence Against Women.” ... of the U.S. workforce is made up of women. 3. What is the 2019 theme? This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter, meant to promote a future in which both men and women are equal in professional status, media perception, the positions they hold in government and more. Whether it’s men supporting their female coworkers or women pushing into the STEM field, everyone has a part in promoting #BalanceforBetter. STEM programs stress education in science, technology, engineering and math. ... the ratio of active duty female U.S. military service members to their male counterparts. 4. What about a color? Purple is the internationally recognized color to symbolize women while the combination of the colors green, purple and white is meant to represent women’s equality, according to the IWD website. Purple, or the combination of those colors, may be displayed to celebrate International Women’s Day. ... of U.S. couples in which the wife earned at least $30,000 more than her husband. A demonstrator chants during a march for International Women's Day in Madrid on March 8, 2018. Pablo Cuadra / Getty Images file 5. How is it celebrated? Every country has its own special tradition for celebrating International Women’s Day. In Italy, for example, the day is celebrated by giving women a mimosa blossom. You can celebrate the day on social media by posting pictures of yourself with your hand out like a set of scales and using the hashtags #BalanceforBetter and #IWD2019. People also share posts of themselves celebrating the women in their lives and showing how they are actively working to support women. ... women with children younger than 18 who participate in the U.S. labor force 6. Why is it still observed? Women have come a long way since that conference in 1910, and many people believe that most of the battles have already been won for women. But according to the IWD website, women are still not getting equal pay, there are lower proportions of women to men in government positions, and women’s education is still being withheld across the world. Battles have been won, but the battles aren't over yet.<doc-sep>The holiday celebrating women around the world is observed on March 8 every year What to Know About International Women's Day 2019 On Friday, March 8, women across the world will celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 with rallies, panels, social media tributes and by spending time with the other fearless females they love and admire. What’s the history of this holiday, and what does it stand for? Here’s everything you need to know. Get push notifications with news, features and more. What is International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. According to the day’s official website, the holiday is “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” It is not hosted by any specific country, group or organization, so the day “belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.” The organizers of the day encourage women across the world to host events and celebrate women in a way that encourages “unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action.” RELATED VIDEO: See Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Step Out Together for International Women’s Day When was International Women’s Day first celebrated? International Women’s Day has been being celebrated for over a century. According to the website, the first unofficial celebration of the day in the United States was in 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights and fair wages. In 1909, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman’s Day on Feb. 28. Women continued to celebrate National Women’s Day on the last Sunday of February each year until 1913. The first global celebration of International Women’s Day was in 1911. In 1913 — once the holiday had become more widespread across the world — the date was changed to March 8. What is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day? The theme of the 2019 International Women’s Day is #BalanceforBetter. According to the holiday’s website, #BalanceforBetter advocates for gender balance in all areas of the world: from government offices to board rooms to media coverage. To celebrate online, organizers are encouraging people to use the hashtag #BalanceforBetter in any International Women’s Day posts. “From grassroots activism to worldwide action, we are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance,” the website reads. “We notice its absence and celebrate its presence.” Where are International Women’s Day celebrations taking place? Each year, different International Women’s Day celebrations take place across the world in different forms — from conferences and panels, to rallies and protests. Notable events this year include a march and rally in Los Angeles, a celebration in New York City where each woman will receive a flower with an inspirational message, and an International Women’s Day tea party for small business owners in Atlanta. To see what events are happening in your city, you can check here. What will celebs be doing to celebrate International Women’s Day? On Friday morning, Emma Watson posted an Instagram tribute for International Women’s day, writing, “Whether you’re marching, dancing, rising, resisting, protesting, striking, uniting or celebrating, wishing you all a wonderful #internationalwomensday.” This year, Meghan Markle kicked off International Women’s Day by doing what she loves — using her voice to empower young women. The Duchess of Sussex joined a panel discussion on Friday hosted by King’s College London. Others on the panel included musician and activist Annie Lennox, model and activist Adwoa Aboah and former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard.<doc-sep>The theme for International Women's Day 2019 is #BalancedForBetter, which encourages us to take action towards a "more gender-balanced world" - be it in the media, government, or workplace. Short of leading a protest at Hong Lim Park - just kidding, don't arrest me - there's not much I can do to spark overnight change in those departments. What I can do, however, is to take this opportunity to raise awareness and bring this conversation back to light. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2019 - #BALANCEFORBETTER So in celebration of International Women's Day on 8 March 2019, here are some observations on the current state of gender equality in Singapore - both in the workplace and at home. Enjoy. THE GENDER PAY GAP - WOMEN ARE PAID LESS IN SINGAPORE The issue of women earning less than men is a frequently discussed one. A commonly cited study is the one done in 2017 by ValuePenguin (now ValueChampion) which put the income gap in Singapore at a shocking 18 per cent to 19 per cent from 2006 to 2016. However, as Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo brought up at the Committee of Supply 2018, this number is likely inflated because the sample included both full- and part-time employees. Many of the employees who earned much less were probably women who juggled caregiving duties at home with part-time work, skewing the results. But no matter what sources and data sets you look at, the bottomline is the same: Women do earn less - it's just a matter of how much less. If you look at the most "legit" source, the Ministry of Manpower, the gender pay gap is at 9 per cent as of 2017. Adding to that, current hiring practices in Singapore perpetuate this existing wage gap, because many employers base their offers on the applicant's last-drawn salary. Making matters worse, despite drawing lower salaries… women are expected to pay more for a lot of things in Singapore. THE PINK TAX - WOMEN PAY MORE FOR THE SAME THINGS The pink tax is basically gender-based price discrimination whereby goods and services targeted at women are more expensive than similar goods and services for men. Put simply, it's the phenomenon of seeing floral pink razors selling for double the price of plain blue ones, and having to pay 10 per cent to 20 per cent more for a ladies' haircut instead of a men's one. [[nid:439804]] And women don't just pay more for frivolous stuff like toiletries and salon treatments. The discrimination actually extends into other more "serious" industries like insurance whereby young women pay more for things like critical illness coverage. Take the government CareShield Life scheme for instance: At 30 years old - when Singaporeans must take up the policy - women will pay $253 instead the men's $206. Premiums increase by 2 per cent each year for the first 5 years, adjusted as needed thereafter. According to Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, this was determined on an actuarially correct basis, considering that women have longer life expectancy, have a higher chance to be severely disabled by the end of their lives, and are likely to remain in disability for longer than men. This caused a huge uproar when it was announced in 2018 because many viewed it as a double penalty for women, who already earn lower wages and have less in the Medisave. GENDER ROLES AT HOME - THE "INVISIBLE" WORK WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO DO But enough about dollars and cents, how about unpaid labour like household chores and other duties at home? You guessed it: when the fridge is not stocked and there's dirty laundry left unwashed, it's the women who are penalised. I have never heard of a husband or father being blamed for the above, simply because nobody passes judgment on the men's dedication to his family when these household chores are left undone. Women bear the brunt of caring for elders as well, and it takes a toll not just on their health, but on their wallets too. They are heavily impacted financially when forced to give up or downgrade jobs. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat highlighted this during the recent Budget 2019, saying that majority of the beneficiaries of the $1,000 CPF top-up will be women as "many of them left the workforce early, and took up important roles as mothers, caregivers, or housewives." So while it may seem harmless on the surface, don't forget that domestic work is just that - work. To the men reading this… Better wake up your idea ah. Granted, we've generally become much more liberal in terms of gendered expectations and traditional roles, but we still have a long way to go - especially at home. CONCLUSION - SHOULD WE BE CELEBRATING GENDER EQUALITY IN SINGAPORE? Well, despite the above, I would still say yes. A huge part of the #BalancedForBetter movement is about celebrating our wins thus far, and Singapore has done relatively well at closing the gap on gender inequality. For one thing, Halimah Yacob was elected as president in 2017 - making headlines as Singapore's first female head of state, speaking leaps and bounds of our progress. The 9 per cent gender pay gap is also a vast improvement from the 20 per cent gap from 10 years ago. Additionally, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report (2018), Singapore ranks relatively high on the scale of gender parity. We are #67 in the world in terms of our overall score, and #2 for the "wage equality for similar work" subindex. We come in 6th in the region (East Asia & The Pacific), beating countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Korea. So yes, I genuinely believe that we are taking baby steps towards a more gender-balanced society. And until then, I will go ahead and enjoy accelerated rewards on my ladies' credit cards and free drinks on ladies night. This article was first published in MoneySmart.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>
From empowerment seminars to street strikes, pop-up art shows to business master classes, female voices will echo across the globe Friday with a resounding message: Women want balance. #BalanceforBetter is the theme for this year's International Women's Day, which is observed each year on March 8. The 2019 initiative is aimed at gender equality, a greater awareness of discrimination and a celebration of women's achievements, according to the International Women's Day website. That includes reducing the global pay gap between men and women and making sure all are equal – and balanced – in activist movements, boardrooms and beyond. "It's a time to reflect on the progress for women and call for ways to address the unfinished business in working toward equality," said Rachel Vogelstein, a board member at the National Women's History Museum. Here is what you need to know about International Women's Day: What is International Women's Day? The day celebrates "the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women," according to its website. It is not hosted by any country or specific movement, so organizers encourage women everywhere to host events that are "all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level." Where are celebrations taking place? From Uganda to the United Kingdom to the U.S., you can search for events in your city and country on the International Women's Day website. Celebrations don't have to be published on the website to mark International Women's Day, though, so check your local events to see events in your area. More:International Women's Day 2018 theme is #PressforProgress What kind of events celebrate International Women's Day? Overseas, there will be commemorations Friday and through the weekend. At Amsterdam's "Youth Tech Fest," girls 12 to 18 will learn how to code, develop apps and more. In Ireland, mass walkouts were planned for 3 p.m. local time Friday to demand action on various gender-based issues, including violence and harassment against women, the gender pay gap, labor conditions and reproductive rights, according to TheJournal.ie. In the United States, there will be International Women's Day events in more than 35 cities. Atlanta is home to an International Women's Day Tea Party for small-business owners. Minneapolis will hold a FeMNist Day with a breakfast event, workshops and a night market for female-owned businesses. Los Angeles organizers are hosting a women's strike with a march, rally and dance party at the city's Federal Building that targets wars on women, children, migrants and the Earth. A celebration at Washington Square Park in New York offers women flowers with inspirational messages. Do I have to go to an event to celebrate International Women's Day? You don't have to attend an event to mark International Women's Day. You can also participate by supporting female-owned businesses or by making donations to charity. At Campaign for Female Education, a non-profit that supports education for girls worldwide, organizers are encouraging everyone to "pause and consider the challenges many women face around the world" and how you can make a difference, according to to Brooke Hutchinson, executive director of CAMFED USA. Hannah Serimian, founder of Boxy Girl, a beauty organizer company, also called for women to create a dialogue among friends, family and coworkers to support women and their passions and ideas. "Women are great at organizing in their own communities and asking tough questions," Serimian said. "We're living in an amazing time where we can recognize the talents of so many women." What is the history of International Women's Day? International Women's Day was first observed in 1909 when an estimated 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding fair wages, labor standards and guaranteed voting rights, according to the International Women's Day website. The day was pioneered by socialist and voting rights activists, and by 1911, more than 1 million people celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In 1975, the United Nations officially declared the year International Women's Year and made March 8 International Women's Day annually. More:Wearing red, on strike or none of the above: A complete guide to #ADayWithoutAWoman How can I celebrate online? Organizers are encouraging all women to "strike the pose" with your hands out to represent balance between men and women. You can use the hashtag #BalanceforBetter to spread awareness about the day on social media. When is International Men's Day? International Men's Day is marked each year on Nov. 19.