IWD: How women's role in human history has been downplayed

Every year, March 8, is International Women's Day. On this day, women from all over the world celebrate the day together, forgetting the country, religion, caste, language, politics, and social discrimination.

International Women's Day and Women's History Month are organized because women's role in human history has been downplayed or even ignored in the histories told and written by men. Everyone, including school, politicians, the media, and the public, must recognize this flaw in history and take steps to correct it.

Women in Canada are at higher risk than men from domestic violence, assault, sexual harassment, and sex trafficking. On violence against women, the government spent taxpayers 7.4 billion of dollars every year to deal with the consequences of domestic violence.

We live in the 2020s, but violence against women is even greater than it was in past years. Overall, the rate of violence against girls and young women under the age of 24 is 1,394 victims per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 1,030 men. Violence against women generally peaks at the age of 15, with 2,684 victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

The latest data shows that nearly 96,000 people in Canada were victims of intimate partner violence in 2017, accounting for more than a quarter (30 percent) of all victims of violent crime reported by the police. Four out of five victims of all intimate partner violence reported by the police are women (79 percent), representing more than 75,000 female victims. Women account for an even higher proportion of intimate partner homicides: In 2017, 84 percent of those affected in intimate partner homicides were women.

The level of sexual assault is another key issue. Police have reported an increase in sexual crime rates, especially among young women and girls. Following the #MeToo campaign, police-reported about 25,000 sexual assaults in 2017 alone, a 13 per cent increase since 2016.

The #MeToo movement has also led women to talk about violence in the workplace. Women are twice as likely to report physical violence against women as men, and five times more likely to report sexual harassment or unnecessary sexual attention than men. This is especially true for women working in women-led sectors, such as health care, education, social services, and reception staff, which suggest occupations that are highly interactive with the public. A survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions in 2017 found that 61 percent of nurses had experienced extreme violence in the past few months.

If we look back at history, the struggle for equal rights was initiated by ordinary women. In ancient Greece, a woman named Lysistrata started the movement, demanding that the war be ended during the French Revolution. Today, a group of Persian women marched in Versailles, causing widespread war on the front lines. In 1909, the American Socialist Party celebrated Women's Day for the first time in the United States on February 28. Women's day was founded in 1910 in Copenhagen by Socialist International.

In 1911, millions of women organized demonstrations in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. Centralization requires a range of issues, such as voting rights, changing government executives, and eliminating labor discrimination. During World War I of 1913-14, Russian women first celebrated the establishment of peace on the first Sunday in February. There were also protests against the European War. By 1917, two million Russian soldiers had been killed in World War I; Russian women went on strike that day in search of bread and peace.

Despite politicians' opposition, the women did not listen to their voices and continued to agitate. In the end, the top bureau craft in Russia had to resign, and the government had to announce the right to vote for women. Women's day is now celebrated in almost all developed countries. This is a day to show women their strength, social, political, and economic progress, and to commemorate those who work hard to empower women.

The United Nations has established policies, programs, and standards that apply to protect women's equal rights worldwide. The United Nations believes that social, economic, and political problems in society cannot be solved without the participation of women. Oppression of women is increasing in many countries around the world, especially in developing countries.

Of course, today, worldwide, many women have reached the top government offices and hold the rank of Prime Minister, President, CEO, and more. Even today, women still hold different positions as a minister, governor, prime minister, deputy commissioner, judge, police officer, etc.

Throughout history, women have been mistreated, and to this day, continuing discrimination in the workplace continues to treat women cruelly and inhumanely. Directing attention and efforts further, reconciling discrimination through awareness-raising and association for positive change is part of what International Women's Day represents.