March 8 was International Women's Day and that date kicked off a year-long campaign under the theme #balanceforbetter, which is aimed at improving gender equality and building a "gender-balanced world."
The theme is calling attention to the fact that despite women comprising nearly half the population around the world and more than half in Canada, they are under-represented in almost all facets of life.
Whether it's elected office or the boardrooms, the number of men still far out number women and the reasons vary from gender barriers to continued discrimination.
Many people struggle with the notion of gender barriers in today's society believing they are no longer an issue but some are so ingrained and systemic they escape notice. For example, according to Statistics Canada women have more career interruptions than men over their employment history. That is primarily the product of continued gender pigeonholing that mark women as primary caregivers of children. That means when families have children, it is usually women who sacrifice career progression for child care.
Today's technology and societal structure makes it possible for men to take up the child care torch, and, while many do, statistics show that much of that expectation still falls on the shoulders of women.
Women's representation in the media and the sports world also shows a continued bias and discrimination that focuses more on looks than ability. Those continued oppressive stereotypes are tools that continue to hold women back.
Sadly, the only place women are over represented is when it comes to violent crime. Victims of violent assault and sexual assault are still primarily against women. A Statistics Canada report revealed that eight in 10 women were victims of a violent offence, thirty per cent received services for sexual assault and women were twice as likely as men to be sexually assaulted. Those only account for reported offences and it is widely accepted that sexual assault is drastically under reported.
How women are treated in the justice system further illustrates the continued gender disparity that exists, with victim blaming and poor understanding of how people respond emotionally to sexual assault continuing to plague women's rights during a trial.
Those aren't just issues that exist here in Canada. Around the world women face even worse situations, ranging from human trafficking, denial of basic rights and murder without recourse.
Gender equality is something all societies should work toward and this year is everyone's chance to stand up and be heard as either strong women or their allies.
Take up the #balanceforbetter torch and help make tomorrow one that is equal for everyone.
To learn more about the #balanceforbetter campaign go to https://www.internationalwomensday.com/.
