On 8 March 2019, along with the rest of the world, Britain will be celebrating International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is ‘Balance for better’ which calls for driving gender balance across the world. The origin of IWD is traced back to the time when thousands of women workers from garment industries marched through the city of New York, protesting against dismal working conditions in 1908, organised by the Socialist Party of America, followed by the observance of National Women’s Day in 1909. This then expanded to thousands of women coming together in Europe and Soviet Russia seeking voting rights and better working conditions and protesting against the ongoing World War I.
The United Nations declared 1975 as the International Women’s Year and began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March from 1975 onwards. On Tuesday morning, as we went to press, City Hive, a Network for Change that champions a more balanced asset and investment management industry, with a positive and inclusive culture, opened the trading at the London Stock Exchange, kick-starting a full week of activities focussing on equality and concluding on Friday with International Women’s Day. One of the key missions of the network is to promote gender diversity and connect women across industry in a purposeful way.
In a statement, Bhavini ‘Bev’ Shah, the CEO and co-founder of City Hive told Asian Voice, “For us, the IWD celebrations on March 8th will be particularly apt as this year’s theme – #Balanceforbetter – sits well with our vision of a more balanced asset and investment management industry, with a positive, inclusive culture that enables everyone to be rewarded on merit.” Women have been strong since birth but it is only recently that the society started understanding the true strength of gender. Society's views are finally changing, little by little. The journey and growth of women power in the last 100 years has been considerable. Yet so many of us feel disempowered in most situations. For example, women are more likely to take time out to care for children than men: by the time their first child is aged 20, women have, on average, been in paid work for four years less than men.
The relevance of women now, in a world of turbulence, is significant. While today’s world needs more care and nurturing-a beam of hope in the otherwise imperfect world, it needs women who can stand up for the weak and also say ‘no’, impervious to combustible situations. Asma Khan, of Darjeeling Express, is a British Indian chef who became the first to be featured on Netflix Chef’s Table. It calls for a celebration for many reasons. First, the first ever British chef on this famous show is a woman. Second she is of Asian origin. Third she promotes an all women kitchen. But more than anything she stands for what women empowerment and balance stand for in an unbalanced world. During the screening of the show at a private event, a teary-eyed Asma addressed a room full of audience, celebrating womanhood, eternal friendships and giving women a sense of belonging, a burning desire to prove their worth.
Rupa Ganatra Popat and Rupal Sachdev Kantaria have organised the first BAME International Women’s Day Showcase in the Parliament on this IWD. The showcase is a unique chance for all to reflect on the achievements and ongoing challenges facing BAME women. Our special 4 pages in Asian Voice this week also talks about women in different walks of life- a homage to those setting examples, a footstep for generations to follow.
As Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt, the Minister for Women and Equality said on Monday, “I hope that in today’s world there is more light than there has been, but for too many women – in the UK and overseas still find themselves without. We must help move them, whether they find themselves in the dead of night, or the twilight, into the radiance they need, to be all they can be.”
