1975
In 1975, the UN began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March. Even so, it wasn’t until 1977 that the event was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 32/142.
This day is intended to celebrate women’s rights and remember the road to equality. Causes such as the right to vote, equal pay, greater representation in leadership positions, protection in situations of physical and/or psychological violence and access to education remain unfulfilled in various parts of the world.
1893
Women exercised their right to vote for the first time in New Zealand, in 1893, thanks to a movement led by Kate Sheppard. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, a doctor and republican, was the first woman to vote in Portugal, in the elections held for the National Constituent Assembly on 28 May, 1911.
342
According to the UN, at the current rate, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, a long way from the desired goal of complete eradication. Of these, 342 million (60%) will be female, around one in every twelve women on the planet.
64%
Human rights are the key to women’s economic empowerment. Globally, women have on average only 64 per cent of the legal rights enjoyed by men, according to the UN.
Key strategies for promoting women’s rights in terms of economic empowerment include the adoption of laws and policies that support women’s economic empowerment and the repeal of discriminatory laws and legal frameworks.
245M
Every year, 245 million women over 15 are victims of physical violence by their partners. One in five women gets married under the age of 18. Women do 2.8 more hours of unpaid domestic work than men every day and represent only 26.7% of the members of democratic parliaments.
