March 8th, 2022 marks International Women’s Day. A day where women from all over the world are celebrated for their courage, strength, knowledge, and immeasurable contributions to society. Here at HFR, we like to acknowledge women for all they have accomplished, all they are doing currently, and what they will continue to do in the future. From single moms to political figures, every woman should be honored for all she does.
Started in 1909 by Theresa Malkiel in the United States, “National Women’s Day” came to be, followed by what we now know as “International Women’s Day” that was launched in the European nations of Denmark, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland in 1911.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, women are still seen as inferior men in so many different aspects. Physically, in the work field, and just about anywhere, women still face gender inequality. Let’s take a look at some statistics:
- In a report done by the World Economic Forum, they found that it would take 108 years to close the gender gap
- In the same report done as that statistic above, they state that only 6 countries give women the same legal work rights as men (Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden)
- The UN states that 60% of chronically hungry people are women and girls
- The UN states that women make up more than ⅔ of the world’s illiterate people (that’s about 796 million people)
Data like this shows exactly why celebrating women for all they do is so important. Not only are the women being celebrated, but having a day where the inequality faced by women is highlighted. Since Health Fitness Revolution values women and all they do, let’s take a look at things women have accomplished in the 2020s:
- Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman to serve as Vice President (plus, she is the first Woman of Color to serve as VP!) She also made our 2021 list of Fittest Heads of State 🙂
- Avril Haines became the first woman to become Director of National Intelligence
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was the first woman and African to lead the World Trade Organization
- Greta Thunberg received Nobel Peace Prize nominations for all she does towards climate change
As we’ve seen, women continue to do amazing things while being statistically inferior to men. With celebrations like International Women’s Day, women are able to showcase their accomplishments without the comparison of men where they can relish in their excellence and hopefully gain traction on moving forward with closing the gender gap. Here at HFR we wish all strong and intelligent women a happy International Women’s Day!
