Honoring the Achievements of Women
Celebrated annually on March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day dedicated to honoring the achievements of women throughout history and across the globe. It’s a day for all people from different backgrounds and cultures to band together to push for gender parity and women’s rights. The United Nations has been observing IWD since 1975 as a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Why March 8 was Selected
IWD has been unofficially observed since the early 1900s. At that time in history, the industrialized world had a booming population growth and the rise of different ideologies. This was especially the case among women. Years of women’s oppression and inequality had challenged women to have their voices heard and campaign for change. It was on March 8 in 1908 when more than 10,000 women marched through New York City (NYC) demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. Also on that day women workers in the needle trades marched through NYC to protest child labor, working conditions in sweatshops, and demand women’s suffrage. Beginning in 1910, March 8 became observed as the annual day to celebrate women.
International Women’s Day Today
By the time 1911 came around, IWD had exploded to gain support of over a million people worldwide. IWD collectively belongs to everyone and is not specific to any country, or group. It has also become a national holiday in many parts of the world. Its mission in the area of technology is, according to the IWD website, “To elevate and advance gender parity in technology and celebrate the women forging innovation.”
Many companies since then have honored the day with celebrations and recognitions of their own employees. Our DELMIA employees – and in fact throughout Dassault Systèmes – will have a worldwide celebration by showcasing photos, attending learning sessions, lunches and more.
How to Get involved
Focus on STEM
With many industries providing extraordinary opportunities for women, one area of focus for IWD is in a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) career. Today, one of the goals of IWD is to help pave the way for women in STEM and in particular, technology. According to the IWD website, its Mission is “To celebrate digital advancement and champion the women forging innovation through technology.”
Choose a STEM Career
Dassault Systèmes DELMIA continues to provide careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Find your opportunity by visiting the Dassault Systèmes Career page.
Listen to our podcast series, “Let’s Get Technical: Meet the Outstanding Women in Manufacturing and Technology”
Episode 21 with Angela Grigonis Regan
Read our blogs on IWD
International Women’s Day: Choose to Challenge
Closing the gender gap in the workplace
International Women’s Day 2022
Last, but not least…
#EmbraceEquity