Every year on March 8th, people around the world come together to celebrate International Women’s Day, honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day also serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the importance of empowering women in all aspects of life.
The history of International Women’s Day dates back to the early 20th century when women began demanding better working conditions, equal pay, and the right to vote. The first official celebration took place in 1911, with rallies and demonstrations held across Europe. Since then, it has grown into a global movement, championing the rights of women and girls everywhere.
In 2024, the United Nations designated the theme of International Women’s Day as ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,’ with a focus on addressing economic disempowerment. This theme underscores the vital role that women play in driving economic growth and development, and the importance of investing in their education, health, and employment opportunities.
Additionally, this year’s campaign theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ highlights the importance of creating diverse and inclusive spaces where women from all backgrounds can thrive. Inclusion is not just about representation but also about creating environments where women feel valued, respected, and empowered to pursue their goals and aspirations.
“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.”
– Serena Williams
One area where the need for inclusion and empowerment is particularly evident is in the field of technology. Despite significant progress in recent years, women continue to be underrepresented in the tech industry, still facing barriers such as gender bias, discrimination, and lack of access to opportunities.
However, there are also countless examples of women breaking barriers and making significant contributions to the world of technology. From pioneering computer scientists like Ada Lovelace to modern-day tech entrepreneurs and engineers, women have played a crucial role in shaping the digital landscape we live in today.
I personally feel that International Women’s Day shouldn’t be just one day in every brand’s yearbook, in every company’s calendar where some half-hearted one-off campaigns are run, and some nice words about gender equality are spoken with little action throughout the year to back it up. This day should be a reminder that by investing in women’s education and training in STEM fields, promoting diversity and inclusion in tech companies, and supporting initiatives that empower women in technology and society, we can accelerate progress for women and all of us as a society.
That’s exactly what we at Stratodesk do. There is a culture of support at Stratodesk that ensures that women have not only a seat at the table, no, they can head the meeting, and that women (and everybody else) get the mentoring and training they need to succeed and progress in their careers.
I was very fortunate to grow up without a sense of feeling disadvantaged by my gender – an incredible byproduct of being surrounded by strong, independent women, who were great role models and forward-thinking men, who never let my gender hinder me from becoming whatever I wanted to be it an astronaut (when I was 8) or a veterinarian (when I was 10).
Unfortunately, not everyone has such awesome role models and such invaluable support systems. So let’s all work together and invest in women’s education and training, in empowering women so that one day International Women’s Day will be obsolete. Maybe it will be the year when the Gender Pay Gap will be closed.
If you would like to work for Stratodesk, an employer that values equality and offers equal opportunities please look at stratodesk.com/careers.
A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
