Why women are worth celebrating

Surely it’s sexist to single out the female of the species for the spotlight? What about the men? Don’t they matter?

Aside from the fact they have their own day (on 19 November, although it is admittedly given a little less attention), there are many reasons why having a day dedicated to women is important.

The very fabric of our society has been forged and is still shaped by patriarchal thinking and there is still a way to go to close the gender gap.

Yes, women have made massive strides towards equality in rights, remuneration, representation and participation in recent decades, but as last month’s Ladies’ College debate about sexism revealed, misogyny is not only still a problem, it is quite possibly a growing one, particularly in the murkiest corners of the internet.

It is still far more common than it ought to be for women throughout the world to be ignored, objectified, silenced, abused, raped, even killed. In some countries they are prevented from accessing education, employment, or owning property.

Even defining what a woman is has become a political hot potato.

But women are not a minority – they make up roughly half of the world’s population. And they are not helpless victims either. More and more are smashing through the glass ceiling and becoming powerful role models for others in a variety of fields.

So it is important to celebrate women’s achievements and increasing visibility, while challenging gender stereotypes, calling out inequality and discrimination and embracing inclusion.

And that’s what today is all about.