Happy International Women’s Day!
Here in Berlin, International Women’s Day is an official holiday and we can spend the day with our friends and families, relax at home or join one of the many rallies in the city, advocating women’s empowerment.
Despite the significant progress towards gender equality our society has made over the last decades, challenges such as the gender pay gap, discrimination and harassment, healthcare and reproductive rights, economic inequality and women’s underrepresentation in leadership, politics, education, and media still pose persistent obstacles we have yet to overcome.
This year’s theme “Inspire Inclusion” highlights the fact that women are not a homogenous group but that all of us have our own unique challenges and needs. We are not just women but friends and partners, daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers. We are employees, managers and colleagues; we are engineers, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs and experts. We are smart, creative, determined, caring and kind. And we need and we deserve safety, equal rights, financial security, and recognition for our achievements.
International Women’s Day also reminds us that we are not alone but constitute half of the world’s population. We need to support each other as friends, mentors and role models. Let’s share our knowledge, wisdom and experiences, offer guidance, encouragement and compassion and cultivate connections that overcome the boundaries of age, ability, culture and ethnicity.
And it is important to tell our stories and listen to the stories of other women. In recognition of International Women’s Day, we asked some of our colleagues around the world how the day is acknowledged in their countries and what issues are important to women in their regions at the moment.
“In China, women get half a day off. Most companies will also prepare little gifts like flowers or chocolates. We use this day to get a little time off from our family and work obligations and maybe enjoy afternoon tea or a shopping spree with our girlfriends. Here, women strive for more independence and freedom of choice. We want the same amount of respect no matter if we choose family or career.” (Jessica Guo, International Technical Sales Manager at CLR)
Read more about what is important for our colleagues in Indonesia and France and how International Women’s Day is acknowledged here.