International Women’s Day: Saluting Our Women

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 08 March. The day marks the emancipation of women and a continuous fight for their rights. After the Socialist Party of America organized a Women's Day in New York City on February 28, 1909, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed at the 1910 International Socialist Woman's Conference that 08 March be honoured as a day annually in memory of working women. The day has been celebrated as International Women's Day or International Working Women's Day ever since.

According to a 2018 World Bank report, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) among females in India was 26.97%, while the world average stood at 48.47%. The rate for women has been falling since 2005, from a high of 36.78%. As per this report, women make up 48% of the Indian population but have not benefited equally from India's rapid economic growth. Female child mortality is still a grave concern, with over 239,000 girls under the age of 5 dying each year. 65% of women are literate as compared to 80% of men. India has among the lowest female labour force participation rates in the world. Less than a third of women, 15 years or older, are working or actively looking for a job. 

Women are often discriminated against in the workplace - a set of underlying social, economic and political barriers limits opportunities for women. Moreover, a definite concern arises from the advent of technology, digitisation and automation that women who are largely employed in low skills and low paying jobs will lose their place in the workforce.

Women are just 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs globally, down from a record high of 6% in 2017, a dismal figure indeed. Women are only 7% of top executives in the Fortune 100 companies. Women occupy only 10% of top management positions in S&P 1500 companies.

Globally, software and IT services, manufacturing and healthcare industries have shown the highest increases in female hiring rate in the last 10 years, while the energy and mining sector ranked among the lowest. Primary factors driving the male-female gap include gender inequality at work and in society. Physical security and autonomy, legal protection, political voice and women’s role in essential services are all areas where India’s statistics lag in comparison.

Women have contributed immensely to the country’s economy in India. In the healthcare industry, their strength is above 50%, of which nursing staff contribute the bulk. Our women folk have put everything on stake, including their family lives, to look after the patients. They are among the most stressed employees globally, given their challenging task in healthcare delivery and in saving precious lives, while being comparatively lesser paid.

Women traditionally are more resilient and perform extremely well under the most stressful situations, a fact more evident in the healthcare industry daily. As per various scientific studies, compassion among them is innate and instinctual across the board. They cope with emergencies better and handle emotive issues more efficiently, making them indispensable in patient care across the care continuum.

On this International Women’s Day, let’s join our hands in saluting their sheer grit, sacrifice, determination, resilience and commitment. More powers to our women folk. God bless you all!

Happy Women’s Day to you all!