Sansad TV: International Women’s Day | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

International Women's Day (IWD) has been celebrated for over a century and is often thought of as a feminist cause. However, its roots are found in the labour movement and were first organized in 1911 by the German Marxist, Clara Zetkin. This year, International Women's Day was observed on March 8 with the theme "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality."

What colors symbolize International Women’s Day?

The colors that symbolize International Women's Day are purple, green, and white. Purple represents justice and dignity, green symbolizes hope, and white represents purity, although the concept of purity is controversial.

Economic Empowerment

• To achieve economic empowerment of women, measures need to be taken to provide social security, fair wages, decent working conditions, pensions, health benefits, maternity benefits, childcare, safety, and occupational health for women in the unorganized sector. In the services sector, where gender ratios are poor, special tax incentives could be given to women-headed enterprises, women employees, and women's entrepreneurial ventures.
• Skill development and vocational training could be provided to promote employment opportunities for women, particularly in the unorganized sector. Toilets, housing, and drinking water facilities need to be constructed or facilitated for rural and urban poor women. Efforts must be made to promote young talent, especially young women entrepreneurs, and to encourage women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology.

Need for an International Women’s Day:

The need for International Women's Day is evident as women, particularly young women, are leading movements for social justice, climate change, and equality worldwide. Despite their contributions, women under 30 account for less than 1% of parliamentarians globally. This is why this year's International Women's Day is a rallying cry for Generation Equality to work towards an equal future for all.

Reasons for Decreased Women's Employment Participation:

• Factors contributing to declining participation of women in the workforce include the shrinking agriculture sector and lack of a robust manufacturing sector, especially affecting rural women.
• Concerns over safety and harassment at the workplace, both explicit and implicit, also act as a deterrent.
• Maternity-related issues such as a lack of adequate paid maternity leave and increased costs for companies may prevent women from rejoining the workforce.
• A patriarchal society that places the burden of childcare on women also contributes to a decline in women's employment.

Social Empowerment:

• Measures to promote women's empowerment include curbing violence and discrimination against women in all aspects of life.
• Promoting the value of the girl child and improving child sex ratios.
• Encouraging education for girls and women at all levels, bridging gender gaps.
• Promoting women's leadership roles and decision-making positions.
• Effective implementation of laws such as the Dowry Prohibition Act, Domestic Violence Act, PC-PNDT Act, and Immoral Traffic Act.
• Strengthening delivery systems through State Commissions for Women and District Legal Service Authorities.
• Encouraging gender mainstreaming and promoting positive programming and information dissemination on laws and schemes through the media.
• Efforts towards environmental protection, promotion of art, culture, and Indian heritage.
• Recognition of positive actions carried out by villages/groups in favor of women and girls.

Way Forward

Having a gender-balanced workforce is crucial for a knowledge economy to thrive, and science requires the best scientists regardless of gender. Women need to have access to the three C's: Confidence, Capabilities, and Capital, and it's important for men to recognize women as equals. To promote female employment in society, government policies should target behavioral changes, and schemes should aim to address cultural and social factors that reinforce patriarchy.