International Women's Day - A reminder for us to celebrate women every day.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow."

International Women's Day (IWD) - celebrated annually on March 8 - is a day that commemorates the social, political, and economic achievements of women. Women in different parts of the world use this day to come together to celebrate one another and rally for equal treatment and representation.

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the power and potential of women. We recognise their courage, resilience, and leadership. We focus on the ways in which we are making progress towards a more gender-equal world.

We are like-minded people with a passion for empowering women to take action to lead and thrive in their professions, businesses, and personal lives while creating a lasting change in our communities.

Women face many challenges.

Many countries around the world have cultural aspects that regard women as second-class citizens.
The impact of COVID-19 causing increasing inequalities, fuelling poverty and violence against women and reversing their progress in employment, health, and education
The rights and wellbeing of women are causing insecurity at all levels, from individual, household, to national.

Rotary addresses these challenges locally with clubs like the Rotary Club of Strathfield, as well as on a global platform through Rotary International. Just a few to mention briefly:

We have the opportunity today to put women at the centre of our planning and action. to integrate gender perspectives into global and national laws and policies. We have the opportunity to re-think, re-frame, and re-allocate resources.
We have the opportunity to benefit from the leadership of women and girls' environmental defenders and climate activists to guide our planet's conservation.
We need Indigenous women's inter-generational knowledge, practices, and skills.
We must protect our hard-won gains in human rights and women's rights and lead decisively to leave no woman behind.
It will take unprecedented levels of global cooperation and solidarity to succeed, but there is no alternative to success.
We have a blueprint to follow. It involves women's full and equal participation and leadership in decision-making; their access to green jobs and the blue economy; and their equal access to finance and resources.
We need to ensure universal social protection and a care economy that protects us all. We have to scale up financing for gender-responsive risk initiatives to increase resilience. The solution is there. We resolved to pursue it. End all forms of discrimination against women everywhere.
We must eliminate all forms of violence against women in the public and private spheres, including trafficking, sexual and other types of exploitation.
We must also eliminate all harmful practices, such as child brides and forced marriages.
Let us make this International Women's Day a moment to recall that we have the answers to the advancement of gender equality. We look forward to working with each and every one of you to that end.
International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the progress that has been made in gender equality and women's empowerment, and to call for continued action.

Let us make this International Women's Day a moment to recall that we have the answers to the advancement of gender equality. We look forward to working with each and every one of you to that end.

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the progress that has been made in gender equality and women's empowerment, and to call for continued action.

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style." -Maya Angelou

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Thaya Ponnia