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International Women’s Day: What Does #PressforProgress Mean?

Taking stock of where we're at on International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women’s Day, an occasion that has been in existence for over 100 years. It’s a day of rallies, marches, exhibits, speeches, business events, and more. It’s a day to celebrate women’s achievements in every facet of life and to strive for where we have yet to get to. This year’s campaign (2018) is #PressforProgress. It’s a hashtag that’s been lighting up Twitter and blogs but what exactly does it mean?

Taking stock of where we're at on International Women's Day
#PressforProgress is a call for gender inclusiveness. Photo via Pixabay (CC0).

Reaching for Gender Parity

The hashtag #PressforProgress is a call to join together to encourage and create gender inclusive environments. Gender inclusive means to be open to anyone, rather than just a select group. Being all-welcoming to any gender, whether it’s a workplace, government body, educational facility or anywhere else is the goal.

But how to get there? It takes all ages and all people from the community to support this goal. We’re getting there, especially with the rise of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and speeches like that of Frances McDormand at the 2018 Oscars when she encouraged all female nominees to stand and for Hollywood to back more women’s stories

The reality is there’s still a ways to go, though. The 2017 Global Gender Gap Report reports that “gender parity across the world will take over two centuries, 217 years to be exact.” Gender inclusiveness is happening in health and education, cites this Report, but it’s slow in work environments and politics.

There needs to be a push to put women into positions where they are leaders, across a range of industries and at different company levels. This involves not only a shift in hiring practices – for racialized immigrant women, for example – but also more women going for the next level (sometimes in spite of being felt they are “less” than men or feeling at risk for losing their current jobs if they speak up about promotions). This also may involve meeting employees regularly meeting with their supervisors to map out their careers, which can help women see opportunities available to them in the upper ranks and help them become more visible too.

Also, more organizations need to emphasize child care and focus on providing women (and men) benefits such as time off for specific family events. After all, females cannot drop their families for their career – that’s just not fair. If organizations want more women in leadership roles, then some of these changes would be beneficial. Yes, it requires effort on the part of the business, but women bring a lot to the table, provided they feel they can speak up in meetings and other workspaces. In other words, it’s worth the effort.

A more diverse leadership base would be great to see. Not only because fair representation is what we deserve but also because discrimination isn’t right. Plus, gender diversity has been found to have economic benefits, boost innovation, and improve how the organization runs.

More about #PressforProgress

As part of International Women’s Day, let’s press for progress to reach gender equality in the workforce as we stick to this year’s theme. Women still face workplace discrimination here in Canada. Yes, women typically make 74 cents to every dollar made by men in the country where I live. Women still aren’t reaching those notable leadership roles, and that’s a problem! It’s not only resulting in lower income for females but also is a barrier to buying a house and, sadly, abused women may not have the money to pay rent if they leave their abusers and so stay in violent situations.

Bettering the working conditions of women is something that needs to be a priority worldwide. And it starts right in our own communities. While we cheer on female achievements on March 8th, International Women’s Day, we also must continue to press for progress in the labor force. Find out more about 2018 International Women’s Day events happening across the globe and remember that if we all unite, then we can push for gender parity as a unit, which has the potential to truly make a difference.

35 thoughts on “International Women’s Day: What Does #PressforProgress Mean?”

    1. Christy B

      Wow look at those crowds – JUSTICE is achievable by working together, no matter what the specific topic, and that’s something I refuse to lose hope about! Thank you for the video shares and support, my friend.

    2. theburningheart

      Here a google translation not perfect, but close, of what they are singing:

      To strike companions, do not go to work
      Leave the saucepan, the tool, the keyboard and the ipad
      To strike ten, to strike a hundred, to strike mothers see you too
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, I for them mothers and them for me.

      Against the macho state we are going to get up,
      Let all women go on strike
      To strike ten, to strike one hundred, the portfolio says that comes too.
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, all to strike let’s go.

      They have taken my neighbor, in one more roundup,
      And for not having papers there they want to deport her.
      To strike ten, to strike one hundred, This time we want all the cake
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, all to strike let’s go.

      We work precariously without contract and health
      And the work of the house is never shared.
      To strike ten, to strike a hundred, this time dinner I will not do.
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, all to strike let’s go.

      Privatize teaching, we can not pay
      But we never appeared in the subjects to be studied.
      To strike ten, to strike one hundred, in history we will appear.
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, all to strike let’s go.

      o strike ten, strike one hundred, strike mothers see you too.
      To strike a hundred, to strike a thousand, I for them mothers and them for me.

      I for them mothers, and them for me.
      I for them mothers, and they for me
      I for them mothers, and they for me
      I for them mothers, and them for me.

      Best regards Christy! :-)

  3. themedicalmamacom

    International Women’s Day is a wonderful day that means a lot to me. Even though I am too young to know what it meant back in the day for women’s rights movements and those marches and rallies my grandmother was a huge part of that. I am thankful to her every day for that. If not for people like her we wouldn’t be where we are today. There needs to continue to be progress and I think this article helps push for women to see that. Thank you for sharing!
    P.S. I’m shocked I got a minute to read an article with the new baby. :)

    Reply
  4. mohuasblog

    l wonder why such a day is celebrated when still it is said it’s a man’s world..still women bitch about each other .. a woman is blamed when she marries a married man and that she is the husband snatcher while the man seem to be so innocent .. it is woman who put another woman down .. so what’s the use of women’s day

    Reply
  9. gritofbeingfit

    Great article Christy! Enjoyed it as always. I also think this can become a norm if women in power or just women in general chose to lift each other up rather than tear each other down because of jealousy, intimidation etc. We cannot progress if we cannot genuinely support one another.

    Reply
  14. Amy Caudill

    Our ancestresses fought for our rights to vote, but that was only the beginning. It’s our duty to continue, so that hopefully our daughters will truly live in a society of equals. Happy Women’s Day and God bless you.

    Reply
  15. robbiesinspiration

    Women should be paid the same as men for the same job it is true. When it comes to children, however, I suppose women must be prepared to do the same as a man if they want a specific job. It isn’t really fair for preferential treatment to be given because a woman has children – I don’t believe that is the case in commerce anyway.

    Reply
  16. Gallantly, gal

    I love this. Yes to everything!
    I agree that it’s not fair for women to have to choose between family and career, and I also believe that men deserve time with family, too. Just because they didn’t birth the child does not mean they can’t spend time with the baby and solidify a bond.
    I love that you mention minority women, and I agree that I feel uncomfortable talking to men in authority positions, like if I suggest a raise or propose a new idea, I feel self-conscious as if I am being viewed as a “silly woman” or patronized. This might stem from them actually condescending to me or my own beliefs molded by society growing up as a woman that I’m somehow undeserving. Either way, it needs to end.
    Happy International Women’s Day!!!

    Reply
  18. emilyreadsandwrites

    I love this and the insight it provides into #PressforProgress – sending all the love from Scotland! I wrote a very TMI women’s day post about contraceptive choices and I’d be grateful if you could check it out! :)

    Reply
  19. Rajat Malik

    Completely agree with you, Christy. I was going point out about the way women get less salary as compared to men and that too for the same work, but you’ve already covered that thing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and telling the meaning of #PressforProgress . Though I know about #Timesup but I really didn’t knew about this.
    I also wrote something for women. It you want to check it out

    And yes! Happy Women’s day :)

    Reply
  23. Carolyn Page

    I was so pleased to hear on the news this evening, Christy, in recognition of International Women’s Day, a prime Australian company has (overnight) boosted the pay packets of 350 women who were getting less than their male counterparts (at a yearly cost of $1.2million). The managing director, a woman, has stated an apology that it has taken so long to ‘bridge that gap’.
    A step in the right direction. A beginning, just a beginning.

    Reply

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