We are less than a week away from March 8. The day when men and women all over the world will celebrate International Women’s Day. Something we have been doing for, well, over a hundred years now. But it isn’t just about giving flowers and giving chocolates. March 8 is a much more significant day. It marks the celebration for gender equality. The celebration for ending violence against women. The celebration for empowering women. For making them feel safe, loved, welcomed and appreciated in all walks of life.
Source: internationalwomensday.com
More than a hundred years after the first International Women’s Day official celebration and we are still unable to claim that women live in a world free of abuse, free of being pushed aside or discriminated. But if anything has changed, that is communication. And the ways and the means by which we communicate with one another can make for a very powerful change instrument in the world.
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Make it Happen.” And we wanted to share some of the initiatives that have been taken worldwide in relation to women’s well being, which are communication, technology and mobile-apps related. Just to emphasize on the idea that anyone can make it happen. That we all can make it happen.
SAFE, the comprehensive sexuality education mobile app
The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) launched the app SAFE on May 28, 2014. Sexuality Awareness For Everyone or SAFE was designed to provide relevant and useful information for Malaysian youth on issues of sex and sexuality, contraception, pregnancy, sexual health, and issues of consent and coercion. We salute their initiative to make this app accessible and relevant to youth in other parts of the world as well.
This is such a good use of technology, to inform young women and all youth on matters that are life changing and sensitive. We can always use more technology and information to help teenagers and youth make good choices and stand up for themselves.
Safety apps for women in India
One too many times women and girls in India have been in serious life threatening situations. Especially following the 2012 Delhi bus tragedy, safety for women in India has become more important than ever. Numerous mobile safety applications have been designed to help women in danger.
Of course, women’s safety should not depend on mobile applications. We need education and awareness to make the world safe. But they are an important tool that everyone can use to help make this world more of how we want it to be.
International Women’s Day Hackathon 2015
To celebrate this year’s March 8, HackerEarth has invited all women programmers to come out, ideate and build cool products and be the catalyst that bring more women to the technology industry. They’re counting on women to design some awesome web/mobile applications related to productivity, social welfare, fun/gamifications or multi-channel retail.
What a fantastic way to give back to the community and celebrate women, by inviting them to be part of something they love to do, to create technology that makes this world better, that makes things happen.
Source: internationalwomensday.com
Right now, there are 59.3% female managers in Jamaica, more than in any other part of the world. In 2012, the number of women at the Olympics reached 44.2% and it’s continued to grow. In the 21st century, about 50% medical and doctorate degrees in the biomedical sciences were awarded to women. And many other women continue to contribute to other sectors in our society just as important. Let’s keep on welcoming women. Let’s keep on making it happen.
