Is International Women’s Day Sexist?
The purpose of international women’s day is not only to urge members of society to call for change in society but also to reflect on the progress that has been made. Although the world has made significant advancements there isn’t one country in the world that has achieved gender equality.
Did you know that: In 1970 the Equal Pay Act was passed, this prohibited any less favorable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and although this Act was passed 50 years ago women on average are payed 23% less than men. And sadly, it’s not just economic disparities between the gender but also social. Although period poverty often seems like a distant problem and we like to think that the UK is a developed country, period poverty sadly affects a large proportion of girls as 1 in 10 girls are unable to afford menstrual products in the UK and as a result often miss multiple days of school.
But the question that is still being asked is: Is international women’s day sexist? Isn’t there already equality in society and what difference does 23% really make? And to answer whether equality has been achieved I urge individuals to observe the above statistics and ask whether is this what an equal society looks like?
