#EachforEqual ~ An EQUAL World is an ENABLED World - The Global Theme of International Women's Day for The Year 2020 - Dr. Sukanta Mishra, North Orissa University.

“#EachforEqual: An EQUAL World is an ENABLED World” The Global Theme of The Year 2020. Dr. Sukanta Mishra (Doctorate in Commerce & Management) Department of Business Administration, North Orissa University | Baripada | India.

\"I AM GENERATION EQUALITY: REALIZING WOMEN’S RIGHTS” International Women's Day 2020 Campaign Theme #EachforEqual INTRODUCTION The International Women's Day theme for 2020 is # EachforEqual, which reminds everyone that it’s on each of us to help create a gender equal world. Last year, the International Women’s Day 2019 theme was #BalanceforBetter, focusing on the importance of achieving a gender-balanced world. In 2018, the theme of International Women’s Day was #PressforProgress, the 2017 Women’s Day theme was #BeBoldforChange, and the 2016 theme was #PledgeforParity. UN Women also issued a 2020 theme: “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.” UN Women has a new multigenerational campaign for pursuing equality called Generation Equality. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap report, gender parity won’t happen for more than 200 years, so the global International Women’s Day campaign has its sights set on lowering that number by focusing on calls-to-action year round. International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th provides an important opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for greater gender equality. The global theme this year is “#EachforEqual: An EQUAL World is an ENABLED World” and events will be taking place worldwide throughout March 2020. SIGNIFICANCE International Women’s Day (IWD) is held throughout the world on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911. The day is not country, group or organization specific - and belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. It is a day to highlight the great progress we have made towards gender equality. It is also a day to recognize what still needs to be done and to create awareness about how we can play our part in making change for better. There are many ways that individuals, groups and organizations can get involved in International Women’s Day 2020 and share the message that gender equality and diversity benefits us all—families, organizations, communities and the state. No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. Many organizations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others. International Women's Day is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity. International Women's Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action - whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, 1|Page

International Women's Day has been occurring for well over a century - and continues to grow from strength to strength. Together, across all generations, we can make the World, a place where every girl has the opportunity to fulfil her potential. Every generation can make a difference, #GenerationEquality GLOBAL FOCUS ON THE THEME #EachforEqual On 2 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously voted to create a single UN body tasked with accelerating progress in achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. The new UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – or UN Women – merged four of the world body’s agencies and offices: the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues, and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. The Progress and Sustainable Developmental Goals are as follows:  GENDER EQUALITY The United Nations is now focusing its global development work on the recently- developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Women have a critical role to play in all of the SDGs, with many targets specifically recognizing women’s equality and empowerment as both the objective, and as part of the solution. \"Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls\" is known as the stand-alone gender goal, because it is dedicated to achieving these ends. Deep legal and legislative changes are needed to ensure women’s rights around the world. Women’s rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include:  the right to live;  free from violence, slavery, and discrimination;  the right to be educated;  the right to own property;  the right to vote; and  the right to earn a fair and equal wage. As the now-famous saying goes, “women’s rights are human rights.” That is to say, women are entitled to all of these rights. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls are still denied them, often simply because of their gender. Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or girl; it is also about changing how countries and communities work. It involves changing laws and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong women’s organizations and movements. 2|Page

Global Fund for Women exists to support the tireless and courageous efforts of women’s groups who work every day to win rights for women and girls. These groups are working to ensure women can own property, vote, run for office, get paid fair wages, and live free from violence – including domestic violence, sexual assault, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. A. Women’s Rights We want every woman and girl to realize the rights that are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also stand for other rights that are vital for women’s equality. We stand for a woman’s right to decide if and when she has children, and to have high-quality health care that means she won’t die in pregnancy or during childbirth. We know female genital mutilation is a violation of girls’ rights, and must be eliminated. And we stand for the right of every woman to live equally and free from discrimination, no matter her sexuality or identity. We support two critical documents for women’s rights that have followed the UN declaration. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international bill of rights for women, requires governments to end gender discrimination and affirms women’s rights to health services, including family planning. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the UN’s Fourth World Conference in Beijing, was a rallying cry to embed gender equality and women’s rights in every facet of life. B. Women’s Rights and the Global Goals The UN Millennium Development Goals set specific targets to reduce poverty, including targets for increased gender equality in education, work, and representation. UN Women found that progress was uneven. Globally, more women are now in school and work. Yet girls are still more likely than boys to be out of school (particularly at the secondary level). And although the number of women in elected office has risen, they are still only 21.8 percent of parliamentarians. What’s more, women’s rights remain at risk in many areas not addressed in the millennium goals – from violence against women to sexual and reproductive rights. And women who are already marginalized because of their race, caste, sexuality, income, or location see the fewest gains of all. The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hold real promise to embed advances in women’s rights, and include a specific goal (Goal 5) for gender equality. Goal 5 is more broad-based than the last gender goal and includes targets on ending gender-based violence, eliminating child marriage and female genital mutilation, and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health. It also includes equal access to education, expanding women’s economic opportunities, and reducing the burdens of unpaid care work on women and girls. Now it is up to all of us to hold governments accountable for their commitments and make sure the goals are met. Involving women – and funding the solutions of grass-roots women’s groups – will be critical to success. 3|Page

C. The Future of Women’s Rights The future of global women’s rights is at stake. The U.S. administration’s proposed cuts to foreign aid and stringent policies—from abortion and refugee resettlement to climate change— pose a direct threat to the health, dignity, and well-being of women and girls everywhere. We must reflect: Will women globally lose hard-won rights, or will the backlash instead catalyze new wins? This moment calls for energizing new efforts and focus on strengthening women’s movements to help lead the charge for social change on the most pressing issues of our time. Global Fund for Women is committed to turning these challenges into opportunities for women to assert their leadership, action, and voice. By 2020, Global Fund for Women will ensure that movements for women’s rights are powerful, influential, and achieving lasting gains. Now is the time to stand with the global women’s movement. Global Fund for Women is working for a world where every woman and girl can realize and enjoy her human rights.  Only when women and girls have full access to their rights – from equal pay and land ownership rights to sexual rights, freedom from violence, access to education, and maternal health rights –true equality will exist.  Only when women have taken leadership and peacemaking roles and have an equal political voice - economies and countries will be transformed.  And only then all women and girls will have the self-determination, they are entitled to.  GENDER-INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE Given the key role that language plays in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias. Being inclusive from a gender language perspective means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes. These Guidelines include recommendations and materials, created to help United Nations staff use gender- inclusive language in any type of communication - oral or written, formal or informal - and are a useful starting point for anyone.  ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN The UN system continues to give particular attention to the issue of violence against women. The 1993 General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women contained “a clear and comprehensive definition of violence against women and a clear statement of the rights to be applied to ensure the elimination of violence against women in all its forms”. It represented “a commitment by States in respect of their responsibilities, and a commitment by the international community at large to the elimination of violence against women”. 4|Page

Violence against women is a pandemic affecting all countries, even those that have made laudable progress in other areas. Worldwide, 35 per cent of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. In September 2017, the European Union and the United Nations joined forces to launch the Spotlight Initiative, a global, multi-year initiative that focuses on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on 25 November. VALUES ~ That Drives Action for the Theme #EachforEqual International Women's Day means different things to different people, but the global focus on equality and celebration is clear. Throughout ancient and modern history, women have collaborated and lead purposeful action to redress inequality in the hope of a better future for their communities, children and themselves. Whether through bold well-documented action or through humble resistance that never made it into the history books, women have united for equality and achievement forever. And along the way, one particularly powerful collaboration lead to the formation of a globally united moment for women across countries to come together in hope and action. That moment is \"International Women's Day\". Started in the early 1900's, the almighty and tenacious Suffragettes forged purposeful action for equality. It was the Suffragettes who started International Women's Day, with the first officially named \"lnternational Women's Day\" event held in 1911. And still to this day, International Women's Day continues to be a powerful platform globally that unifies tenacity and drives action for gender parity, while celebrating the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women. Values that guide International Women's Day provide direction for the type of action, behaviour and ethos associated with this critical and globally-supported day. Ten values that guide International Women's Day are:  Justice  Tenacity  Dignity  Appreciation  Hope  Respect  Equality  Empathy  Collaboration  Forgiveness As modern day Suffragettes - female, male and all genders - let us continue the work and spirit of the almighty Suffragettes, fighting the good fight. And let us recognize, honor and celebrate the important and impressive achievements of women globally.  JUSTICE While the concept of justice may differ across cultures, the notion of justice is based on respect and equality amongst people. The Suffragettes toiled unreservedly for justice, dignity and hope. Justice means being afforded the same equal rights and opportunities as men. Today through International Women's Day, the call for justice across the world still prevails as women seek equal treatment, conditions and opportunities to that of men. 5|Page

 DIGNITY A leading organization campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) that existed from 1903 - 1917 with membership and policies tightly controlled by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, adopted from 1908 the colour purple to symbolize dignity. Dignity, as a value, refers to the idea that all people have the right to be valued, respected and receive ethical treatment. The word is derived from Latin dignities meaning worthiness.  HOPE Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. The Suffragettes campaigned tirelessly for a better world, one where they trusted that women would receive equal rights and opportunities. The Suffragettes symbolized the value of hope with the colour green. The Suffragette colours were used on banners, flags, rosettes and badges.  EQUALITY Equality means ensuring all people have equal opportunities to make the most of their lives and talents, and that no one has poorer life chances due to their background or status - the very core of International Women's Day. Gender equality refers to women receiving and accessing the same opportunities and benefits as men - but throughout history, women were deemed to have no place in politics. They couldn't stand as candidates for Parliament and they weren't allowed to vote as it was assumed husbands would take responsibility for political matters because a woman's role was seen to be child-rearing and taking care of the home.  COLLABORATION Just as Suffragettes rallied together, as did the earlier Suffragists, so too do modern day women (and men) who understand that there is power in unity. Strength in numbers and voice are critical in driving change. International Women's Day was founded on collaboration, and continues to be a key element of its power to this day. Across the world individuals and groups unite, not only to celebrate the achievements of women, but to continue to call for action supporting greater gender parity.  TENACITY Tenacity was a key principle of both the Suffragists and the Suffragettes, and their tireless effort in fighting the good fight changed history. \"Deeds not words\" was the Suffragettes' motto and they devoted considerable attention and effort to forging the rights of women. Around the world today, as in the past, exists an extensive number of groups and networks all working to improve the social, economic, cultural and political status of women - and International Women's Day is the major day for rallying action, driving visibility and applauding women who make a difference through their achievements. 6|Page

 APPRECIATION International Women's Day provides a specific and designated moment each year to identify and celebrate the successful achievements of women. Through celebrating success, populations not only become more appreciative of the role women play in contributing to society but awareness and expectation is increased that women will not be marginalized, discriminated against or absent from future successes moving forward.  RESPECT Equality can only be achieved if the diversity, differences and qualities of women are truly valued. Respect for others is a key value underpinning the ethos and agenda of International Women's Day. Respect for others and respect for self-play an important part in forging gender equality.  EMPATHY Seeking to understand others, caring for and valuing diversity, and appreciating difference are key to forging deep relationships to affect change. It's through the ability to understand and share the feelings of others that differing situations and perspectives can be grasped. International Women's Day calls for global understandings about the plight of women - the challenges faced, obstacles endured and changes desired for an inclusive and progressive world.  FORGIVENESS Throughout history women have been mistreated - and still to this day women suffer harsh and inhumane treatment through to continuing discrimination in the workplace. Focusing attention and effort on the way forward, reconciling discrimination through encouraging awareness and banding together to affect positive change is all part of what International Women's Day stands for. THE OBSERVANCES ~ INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY | OTHER INTERNATIONAL DAYS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS International Women’s Day is observed annually on 8 March. International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. It is a day, observed by many countries around the world, on which women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Besides International Women’s Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN observes other international days dedicated to raising awareness of different aspects of the struggle for gender equality and women empowerment. On February 6, the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation is observed, February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, June 19 is the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, June 23 is International Widows' Day, October 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child and on October 15 the International Day of Rural Women is observed. 7|Page

CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY The Theme for International Women’s Day (8 March) 2020 is, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights. The theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, the Beijing Platform for Action is recognized as the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere. The year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. It will also mark several other galvanizing moments in the Gender Equality Movement: a five-year milestone towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security; and the 10th anniversary of UN Women’s establishment. The emerging global consensus is that despite some progress, real change has been agonizingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the world. Today, not a single country can claim to have achieved gender equality. Multiple obstacles remain unchanged in law and in culture. Women and girls continue to be undervalued; they work more and earn less and have fewer choices; and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces. Furthermore, there is a significant threat of rollback of hard- won feminist gains. The year 2020 represents an unmissable opportunity to mobilize global action to achieve gender equality and human rights of all women and girls. The United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2020 will take place at the United Nations Secretariat in New York on Friday, 6 March 2020, from 10 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. The Observance aims to bring together the next generations of women and girl leaders and gender equality activists with the women’s rights advocates and visionaries who were instrumental in creating the Beijing Platform for Action more than two decades ago. The event will celebrate change makers of all ages and genders and discuss how they can collectively tackle the unfinished business of empowering all women and girls in the years to come. The Observance will include addresses by senior representatives of the United Nations system, an inter-generational dialogue with gender equality activists, and musical performances. COLOURS - That signify International Women's Day Internationally, purple is a colour for symbolizing women. Historically the combination of purple, green and white to symbolize women's equality originated from the Women's Social and Political Union in the UK in 1908.  Purple signifies justice and dignity.  Green symbolizes hope.  White represents purity, but is no longer used due to 'purity' being a controversial concept. 8|Page

CONCLUSION The world has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation may feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so each year the world inspires women and celebrates their achievements. IWD is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc. with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more. Many global corporations actively support IWD by running their own events and campaigns.  So make a difference, think globally and act locally!  Make every day as International Women's Day!  Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding. REFERENCES:  \"International Women's Day\". United Nations.  \"International Women's Day History | International Women's Day | The University of Chicago\". iwd.uchicago.edu. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 7,2017. 9|Page

 \"United Nations page on the background of the IWD\". Un.org. Retrieved March 8,2012.  \"International Women's Day 2019: Think equal, build smart, innovate for change\". unwomen.org. UN Women. October 16, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2019. Websites:  https://www.internationalwomensday.com/2020Theme  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women’s_Day  https://www.globalfundforwomen.org  https://www.un.org/en  https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html  https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/gender-equality  https://www.un.org/pga/73/2019/03/08/international-womens-day-2019  https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day  https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/11302/Purple-is-a-great- color-and-back-in-2018-saw-it-reign-most-popular  https://www.whowhatwear.com/international-womens-day-colors-to-wear  https://celdng.org/2018/01/icogas-2017-putting-gender-and-sustainability-in- emerging-economies-on-the-front-burners/  https://celdng.org/about-us/message-from-the-ed-2019/  https://www.metlife.com/blog/metlife-stories/cindy-pace-purpose-at-work/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_CEOs_of_Fortune_500_compani es  https://www.deseret.com/2018/3/8/20584191/10-companies-you-didn-t-know- had-female-ceos-and-coos  https://sydney.edu.au/about-us/vision-and-values/diversity/gender-equity.html  https://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/meetings-and-events/international-womens-day  https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/projects/women/international-womens- day-2020 10 | P a g e

A Woman is the one who is Wonderful, Outstanding, Marvelous, Adorable and Nice to the situations she Faces and comes out in Flying colors.