International Women’s Day 2019

Better the Balance, Better the World

#balanceforbetter

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March of every year around the world, which is also a common practice in Trinidad and Tobago since 1950. IWD provides a common day for globally recognizing and applauding women’s achievements as well as for observing and highlighting gender inequalities and issues. But not just on IWD, but all year round, many organizations and individuals work tirelessly to support gender equality through a multitude of initiatives, causes and actions. As a result of such work in Trinidad and Tobago, since 1988 a need for a National Gender Policy was recognized and the advocacy to implement one continues.

The theme for International Women’s Day, 2019 is #balanceforbetter.

The future is exciting. Let’s build a gender-balanced world. Everyone has a part to play – all the time, everywhere. From grassroots activism to local government to national and worldwide action. We are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance. We notice its absence and celebrate its presence.

Balance drives a better working world. Let’s all help create a #BalanceforBetter.

The Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women intends to promote and create awareness for the issue and will raise our voice for it through the various activities planned for the International Women’s Day 2019 Celebrations.

The 2019 #BalanceforBetter campaign runs all year long. It does not start or end on International Women’s Day. The campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize continuous collective action, with #BalanceforBetter activity reinforced and amplified all year.

Let’s build a gender-balanced world

Balance is not just a women’s issue.  The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sport coverage.

Collectively we can all play a part

Collective action and shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.

The first International Women’s Day occurred in 1911, supported by over one million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.

Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

Theme-paper-2019