TODAY, March 8, is being celebrated worldwide as International Women’s Day (IWD), under the theme ‘Be Bold for Change’.

It is a call for individuals to help forge a more inclusive, gender-equal world.

For the United Nations, the focus is on ‘Women in the changing world of work: Planet 50-50 by 2030’, and Secretary-General António Guterres has called for all to “pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment”.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says across the world, too many women and girls spend too many hours on household responsibilities — typically more than double the time spent by men and boys.

“We want to construct a different world of work for women. As they grow up, girls must be exposed to a broad range of careers, and encouraged to make choices that lead beyond the traditional service and care options to jobs in industry, art, public service, modern agriculture and science,” she said.

She said addressing injustices will take resolve and flexibility from both public and private sector employers. Incentives will be needed to recruit and retain female workers; like expanded maternity benefits for women that also support their re-entry into work, adoption of women’s empowerment principles, and direct representation at decision-making levels.

“Big changes must be made: for men to parent, for women to participate and for girls to be free to grow up equal to boys. Adjustments must happen on all sides if we are to increase the number of people able to engage in decent work, to keep this pool inclusive, and to realise the benefits that will come to all from the equal world envisaged in our agenda 2030 for sustainable development,” she said.

Locally, Dr Denise Chevannes, executive director, National Family Planning Board-Sexual & Reproductive Health Agency (NFPB-SRHA), said in commemoration of the day, the NFPB-SRHA is reflecting on the “pernicious challenge of violence against women, including sexual violence”.

“…In Jamaica, the problem has been increasingly reported in the media in recent times. The prevention of such violence will save lives and money. The investments made to stop violence against women including sexual violence before it occurs will protect the physical, mental and economic well-being and development of individuals, families, communities and whole societies.”

Activities locally for IWD include this afternoon, when the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport with support from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Jamaica and various other partners, will host a march and concert to call the nation to action to end gender-based violence, beginning at 4:00 pm at Emancipation Park.

And the Eagle’s Outreach Club from Excelsior Community College, the Voices for Jamaica Today Foundation, and the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica will host a seminar titled ‘Raising the Bar: Women Who Inspire’ this afternoon at 4:30 at the college.

It will feature female guest speakers from various backgrounds who will explain bold actions they took to help improve or develop aspects of their own livelihood, careers or businesses which helped them to become phenomenal women.