According to the UN, the theme for International Women’s Day (March 8), this year is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”.
International Women’s Day 2017 Theme
Across the world, too many women and girls spend too several hours on household responsibilities. Typically more than double the time spent by men and boys. They look after younger siblings, older members of the family, manage unwellness in the family and manage the house.
In several cases this unequal division of labour. At the expense of women’s and girls’ learning, of paid work, sports, or engagement in civic or community leadership. This shapes the norms of relative disadvantage and advantage, of where women and men are positioned within the economy, of what they’re skilled to do and where they’re going to work.
This is the unchanging world of unrewarded work, a globally familiar scene of withered futures. It is where girls and their mothers sustain the family with free labour, with lives whose trajectories are very different from the men of the household.
We want to construct a distinct world of work for women. As they grow up, girls must be exposed to a broad range of careers, and inspired to form choices that lead beyond the traditional service and care options to jobs in industry, art, public service, modern agriculture and science.
Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030
We have to begin change at home and in the earliest days of school, in order that there aren’t any places in a child’s environment where they learn that girls must be less, have less, and dream smaller than boys.
This will take adjustments in parenting, curricula, educational settings, and channels for everyday stereotypes like TV, advertising and entertainment; it’ll take determined steps to safeguard young girls from harmful cultural practices like early marriage, and from all forms of violence.
Women and girls must be able to be a part of the digital revolution. currently only 18 per cent of undergraduate computer science degrees are held by women. We have a tendency to must see a major shift in girls everywhere the world taking STEM subjects, if women are to compete successfully for high-paying ‘new collar’ jobs. Currently just 25 per cent of the digital industries’ workforce are women.
UN Observations on International Women’s Day 2017
International Women’s Day 2017: Achieving equality in the workplace will require an enlargement of decent work and employment opportunities, involving governments’ targeted efforts to market women’s participation in economic life, the support of necessary collectives like trade unions, and the voices of women themselves in framing solutions to overcome current barriers to women’s participation, as examined by the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Women’s Economic empowerment. The stakes ar high: advancing women’s equality may boost global GDP by USD 12 trillion by 2025.
It also needs a determined focus on removing the discrimination women face on multiple and intersecting fronts over and on top of their gender: sexual orientation, disability, older age, and race. Wage inequality follows these: the average gender wage gap is 23 per cent but this rises to 40 per cent for African american women in the united states. In the European Union, elderly women are 37 per cent more likely to live in poverty than old men.
In roles where women are already over-represented but poorly paid, and with little or no social protection, we should make those industries work better for women. For example, a robust care economy that responds to the needs of women and gainfully employs them; equal terms and conditions for women’s paid work and unpaid work; and support for women entrepreneurs, including their access to finance and markets.
International Women’s Day 2017: UN
Women within the informal sector also would like their contributions to be acknowledged and protected. This calls for enabling macroeconomic policies that contribute to inclusive growth. It significantly accelerate progress for the 770 million people living in extreme poverty.
Addressing the injustices will take resolve and flexibility from each public and personal sector employers. Incentives are going to required to recruit and retain female workers. It just like expanded maternity benefits for women. This also support their re-entry into work, adoption of the Women’s authorisation Principles, and direct illustration at decision-making levels.
Attendant this, vital changes within the provision of advantages for new fathers are needed. It should along with the cultural shifts that make uptake of paternity and parental leave a viable choice. Thus a real shared benefit for the family.
International Women’s Day 2017 Goals agenda: A focus on gender equality
“The world of work is dynamic, and with important implications for women. On one hand, we’ve globalisation, technological and digital revolution and the opportunities they bring. Also on the other hand, the growing informality of labour, unstable livelihoods and incomes and trade policies. All of that addressed in the context of women’s economic empowerment,” stated UN-Women prior to the observance.
The UN’s sustainable Development Goals agenda too has a focus on gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. Hence, it aims at ‘achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. It rests upon unlocking the complete potential of women within the world of work’.
The UN also suggested the ‘measures that are key to making sure women’s economic empowerment in the dynamic world of work. It should include bridging the gender pay gap, that stands at 24 per cent globally’. This urged the community of nations to make sure ‘gender-responsive economic policies for job creation, poverty reduction, inclusive growth’ . Along with promoting ‘women’s access to innovative technologies and practices and defend women from violence within the work place’.