Marilyn Thipthorpe

International Women’s day is just around the curve on the 8th of March, the theme for 2016 is Pledge for Parity. Parity stands for equality. Women asking for equality have often been confused with the notion that they want to be superior. Some may perhaps say why not have a day for men? We do! It’s every day, it’s on the roads, it’s in homes, it’s in the workplace, and it’s in the air. The answer is self explanatory, men have always been considered the bread winners or leaders while women were the porcelain figures at home, hence with a
breakthrough in society and the dumping
of prejudiced mindsets, came the notion
of Women’s Day.
This day was first celebrated on 28th February 1909, in recognition garment workers strike in New York in 1908. Since that day women have begun to edge their way into ‘a man’s world’, taking on the big guns so to say.
The stereotype image of women being caregiver is gradually giving way to the more urban outlook of women. Now there are stay-at-home dads and a ‘manny’ instead of a nanny. Men are more willing to take an active role in their family and the lives of their children than before, a recent study stated that men wanted to be more active
around the house but we ridiculed for
doing so. The Australian Human Rights
Commission’s Supporting Working Parents Report has confirmed this report by saying that one in four men are discriminated against and bullied for wanting to take leave to care for the family.
In 1945, the Charter of the UN was signed in order to ensure the equal rights of both men and women. The UN has worked all these years to ensure that this Charter is acted upon through liaison with various countries and programs. Their goal is to advance the status of women worldwide.
When we speak of rights we must ascertain equal right under the law of the state or country, equal for all regardless of sex,
age, or gender. Equal in society and at work.
This is where the #pledgeforparity theme
comes into play this year. Their slogans include *Help women and girls achieve their ambitions *Challenge conscious and unconscious bias *Call for gender balanced relationship *value women’s and men’s contributions individually and *create inclusive, flexible cultures.
The movement has already kicked off on the International Women’s Day website. Don’t just sit and listen, take action. Make a Pledge to your future.