It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. |
International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. International Women's Day (IWD) was honored the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19, 1911. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. 1975 was designated as 'International Women’s Year' by the United Nations to globally recognize contributions of women to the world's economy. Women's organizations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on March 8th by holding large-scale events that honor women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.
The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. Many multi-national corporations understand that to succeed their work force needs to be as diverse as their customers. Some major consulting firms and global industrial enterprises evaluate managers on how well they retain and advance women and minorities. Over the past 10 years, for example, IBM has seen a 393 percent increase in the number of its women executives. |
In March 2008, Accenture sponsors its fourth annual International Women's Day celebration, which includes live events for employees and clients as well as an online celebration for Accenture's 175,000 employees around the world.
Accenture's theme for the event, Discover Your Opportunities in the Multi-Polar World, focuses on the importance of being aware of the changing global economic balance and using that knowledge to make the right choices to achieve personal and professional goals. In conjunction with International Women's Day, Accenture publishes original research that looks at the future—and the challenges and opportunities—for working women globally.
Learn about one Accenture woman’s thoughts on women and the increasingly global workplace: Lin Chase, Director of Accenture Technology Labs in India talks about globalization and the differences between the US and India for working women.
View 2008 Women’s Research: One Step Ahead of 2011: A New Horizon For Working Women
See Accenture News Release : Less than Half of Female Professionals Feel Prepared to Succeed in Global Business Environment of 2011, Accenture Research Finds
Visit www.ExecutiveTeleclasses.com for the Same Workplace, Different Realities teleseminar series especially for women executives.