10 Reasons We Need International Women's Day

10 Reasons We Need International Women's Day

This Sunday is International Women’s Day. It’s a day of celebration, a day to recognise the achievements of incredible ladies all over the world. It’s also a day to reflect on just how far we are from achieving true gender equality. Because, just this week the UN reported that almost 90% of people are prejudiced towards women globally.

This is a day for us to stand up for women who are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Early Forced Marriage, women who are paid less than men because of their gender, girls who are raped or abused, those who are denied the right to an education, simply because they are female.

More than a century after International Women’s Day was launched, so much still needs to be done to protect and free millions of women from the reality they face every day.

Here are just ten reasons we still need International Women’s Day:

1. Because 90% of the world is prejudice towards women

This week, a UN report found that almost 90% of people hold at least one bias towards women globally. That means they have at least one discriminatory attitude across areas such as politics, employment, violence, reproduction and education.

Terrifyingly, this report found that near a third of people think a husband has the right to beat his wife. In 2020.

2. Because conviction rates for rape are only 2% in the UK

Harriet Wistrich, founder of the Centre for Women’s Justice, has spoken out many times to say that rape is essentially ‘decriminalised’ in this country because 98% of reported rapes – which figures say is only 32% of actual rapes – do not result in a conviction.

3. Because the numbers of women in positions of power is actually decreasing

In 2018, it was reported that there are just 30 women in full-time executive roles at FTSE 250 firms, down from 38 from 2017 – amounting to 6.4% of the total. More than that, there are only 220 female MPs out of a total 650 members of parliament.

4. Because women still aren’t trusted to make decisions about their own bodies

Only last year was the eight amendment repealed in Northern Ireland, and elsewhere around the world women’s rights to abortion are either non-existent getting weaker and weaker. Take the US, for example, where just this week the US Supreme Court heard a case that could put an end to Roe v Wade.

5. Because women’s health concerns are ignored and vastly underfunded

On average, endometriosis diagnosis, which affects 1.5 million women in the UK, takes seven years. Seven years of often excruciating pain before women are believed and treated for a condition that has received huge press coverage thanks to celebrities speaking out. What about all the others?

6. Because women still have to choose between their careers and having children

Last year, it was reported that 45% of new mums have their responsibilities stripped when they return from maternity leave. Essentially, we have to reach a peak in our careers before we can even consider starting a family.That same UN report from earlier also found that women work more hours than men on average, but often for unpaid care work. British women today contribute 20 hours of weekly domestic effort to British men’s 12, a 60% domestic labour gap that hasn’t changed since the 1990s.

7. Because the gender pay gap

The gender pay gap in the UK means that women are paid an average of 18.4% less than men. Now that companies with more than 250 employees are required to publish their gender pay-gap data it's been revealed that the problem is actually getting worse rather than better. And better yet? Half of men think the gender pay gap doesn’t exist. Yes, seriously.

8. Because female homicide victims are at their highest level since 2006

This week, it was reported that the number of women being murdered is at the highest level for a decade. According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, the number of female murder victims has risen by 10% to the highest level since 2006. In the majority of these cases, the perpetrator is a current or former partner. CHECK

9. Because the rough sex defence was used against 59 murdered women

Last year following the tragic death of Grace Millane, Grazia launched a petition to end the rough sex defence which has been used by 59 men in the UK to receive not-guilty or lesser sentences by claiming a woman's death took place during 'rough sex' and therefore the violence was at least partly consented to. This week, the government announced a review of the defence tactic, but we still have a long way to go before it becomes law.

10. Because there are countless more reasons

Like the fact that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, there are still countries where it’s still made impossible for women to vote, where they don’t have equal access to education, jobs, healthcare and so much more. Because International Women’s Day is about looking beyond just the inequalities you or your communities face, beyond what’s on your doorstep or in your country and understanding that there are countless women around the world who need our help and support just to have basic human rights.