We are working to #breakthebias International Women’s Day! Marked annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness for women’s equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities. It is a day for women across the globe to celebrate one another and promote equality. This year’s theme “break the bias” focuses not only on recognizing gender-based biases but also on working to remove them from our society. There are many fronts to inequality and bias. We can only break these biases by addressing women’s struggles and creating solutions for equality. 

The United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day in 1977, although it was first observed in the United States in 1908, to fight for women’s labor rights working in garment factories (United Nations). During the last century, women have made great strides towards equality, yet women today are still far from equal, especially in the workplace and those living in poverty. Addressing the problems women worldwide face now will allow future generations to grow and meet their own potential.

Despite present-day advancements for gender-based equality, gender-based discrimination and biases persists in 2022. For instance, women are often paid less than their male counterparts for performing the similar occupations which required the same qualifications. In the United States, the rates of women with higher education have increased dramatically over the past fifty years, rising from 11.2 percent to 47.2 percent (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics & U.S Census Bureau). Despite this increase, women are still paid less and underrepresented in high-level work positions. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics). Women in the United States suffer from disparities in pay, currently making 83 cents for every dollar men earn (National Partnership For Women and Families).

Additionally, women are overrepresented in lower-paying industries contributing to the growing rates of impoverished women in America despite women composing the majority of the workforce at 51.7 percent of laborers in the U.S (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics & U.S Census Bureau). Currently, 3.4 million women live below the poverty line compared to 2.9 million men (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics).

These issues are just a glance into the struggles women face in today’s climate. The inequity and unjust treatment of women is an undeniable problem in the United States. International Women’s Day creates a space for these issues to be understood and questioned. Because of these struggles, we must continue to celebrate International Women’s Day. We must #breakthebias in 2022 by commemorating women while also continuing to demand change.