4 reasons why Oxfam supports the International Women’s Strike on the 8th March

4 reasons why Oxfam supports the International Women’s Strike on the 8th March

The past few decades have seen important gains in women’s rights, including increasing numbers of women participating in political processes, decreases in maternal deaths and increased access to education for girls. Despite this progress, women and girls still face gender inequality in every aspect of their lives. On the 8th March 2017, International Women’s Day, Oxfam will lend its voice to thousands of women and women’s organisations around the world that are coming together to say enough. We are supporting the International Women’s Strike, taking place in more than 40 countries in the world. These are just some of the reasons why:

1) Violence against women and girls is a global crisis

More than a billion women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime – that’s one in three women. Women and girls who face discrimination because of their race, disability, gender identity and sexuality and poverty, are impacted most.

2) Economic inequality affects more women than men

Women continue to be marginalised in the economy, overrepresented in the lowest-paid most insecure jobs. At the current rate of progress, it will take 170 years for women and men to be employed at the same rates, paid the same for equal work, and have the same levels of seniority. Issues such as tax dodging by wealthy individuals and corporations mean governments have less money to spend on the essential public services that poor women need.

3) Women do far more than their share of unpaid care work

Worldwide, women are still seen as primarily responsible for domestic work and taking care of children and elderly. This work is worth $10 trillion to the global economy each year, equivalent to over an eighth of the world’s entire GDP, and more than the GDPs of India, Japan and Brazil combined. Women’s disproportionate responsibility for this work squeezes the amount of time that they have to go to school, earn a living and rest and recuperate.

4) Women’s rights to own land are under attack

Women, particularly indigenous women, are seeing their land rights eroded. Women are generally responsible for feeding their families but they are routinely denied access to land and incomes to buy food. Lack of access to land leaves women vulnerable and means when food is limited women go hungry first. 60% of the world’s hungry are women. The potential for lasting change lies in the hands of millions of women currently living in poverty. That's why we put women's rights at the heart of everything we do.

This International Women’s Day, take a stand for women! Take the Bano Nayi Soch pledge.

Gender Justice

We campaign to change patriarchal mindsets that influence violence against women  

Read More

Related Blogs

Blogs

Stories that inspire us

Gender Justice

20 Mar, 2023

Delhi

International Women's Day Round Up

This International Women's Day was celebrated across our office in their own unique ways. From felicitating women farmers to launching a new brand of product, this International Women's D...

Gender Justice

02 Dec, 2022

Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh

Striving for Financial Inclusion: Need Women-Friendly Ecosystem

In India, one half of the population i.e.women contribute enormously, whether it is in the formal sector or the informal sector or unpaid care work. It’s almost a thankless job for women ...

Gender Justice

28 Nov, 2022

New Delhi

Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls And the Role of Civil Society Organisations

The issue of violence against women and girls has become a pandemic in the current situation, especially in South Asian countries where strict patriarchal norms and structural inequality ...

Gender Justice

15 Sep, 2022

New Delhi

India Discrimination Report | 8 Things You Need To Know

Discrimination in the labour market occurs when people with similar abilities are treated differently due to their identity or social backgrounds. So far, very few attempts have been made...