International Women’s Day 2015
Date:
In 2015, International Women’s Day, celebrated globally on 8 March, will highlight the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women’s rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain.
This is the time to uphold women’s achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part. The Beijing Platform for Action focuses on 12 critical areas of concern, and envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.
To this end, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is the clarion call of UN Women’s Beijing+20 campaign “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!” Join governments and activists across the world in commemorating the ground-breaking Conference of 1995. We celebrate the many achievements that have come since then and galvanize action to address the gaps that still remain in making gender equality a reality.
For more information about events in Asia Pacific, visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and spread the word!
Activity map of International Women's day in Asia Pacific
IWD 2015 events & activities around Asia and the Pacific. Click here to view big map.
See also:
Live feed from twitters
Speeches and messages
“We call on countries to ‘step it up’ for gender equality”
In her message for International Women's Day 2015, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says gender parity must be reached before 2030, so that the sluggish trajectory of progress can be reversed that condemns a child born today to wait 80 years before they see an equal world. She calls on all countries to “step it up” for gender equality, to reach ‘Planet 50-50’ before 2030.
Live Event
Join our Facebook Live event with UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, 8 March (1 p.m. EST).
Asia Pacific local times for the conversation with Emma:
Delhi - Sunday, 8 March 2015, 22:30:00
Bangkok - Monday, 9 March 2015, 00:00:00
Beijing - Monday, 9 March 2015, 01:00:00
Suva - Monday, 9 March 2015, 05:00:00
Or check your local time here
Join the conversation for #IWD2015!
Main hashtags: #IWD2015; #Beijing20
Main Twitter accounts: @unwomenasia @unwomenindia
Main Facebook accounts: UN Women Asia and the Pacific, UN Women Pacific, UN Women India
Change your Facebook and Twitter cover image with the banners available in English, Spanish and French (under “General”) here.
On 8 March, follow our Facebook Live event with UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson through the below webcast.
Follow our accounts for live coverage from the different events and share content from our social media package, which is available with images, videos and sample promotional messages in English here.
About IWD
The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.