International Women's Day 2020
Although we should celebrate them every day, women do have one special day to have the whole world bringing them to the spotlight. We in MasterPeace did not only celebrate women, but also got to cheer for men who equally and powerfully stand up for equality across the globe.
‘From #SunriseToSunset’ – Celebrating Women for 24 hours across 4 continents
MasterPeace celebrated women during 24 hours from sunrise to sunset in 4 continents. This was done on the official International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, when we brought attention to topics of gender equality and appreciated women’s efforts in peacebuilding.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights. After the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day on February 28, 1909, in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference suggested a Women’s Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975, and today, International Women’s Day is a public holiday in some countries and largely ignored elsewhere.
All in all, this MasterPeace campaign aimed at a public engagement track: MasterPeacers asked our supporters everywhere to make one small action to recognize women in their own community, from a simple ‘thank you’ to organizing workshops, events, community breakfasts and many others as a bow of respect to amazing women in our lives.
Now we take a quick snapshot of women around the world:
The Netherlands
For this International Women’s Day, MasterPeace joined a few students from the Dalton College in Alkmaar, the Netherlands who organized their own Young Women Day for their fellow students in partnership with STAD. The main purpose of this day was to stimulate women’s engagement among themselves and connect with topics such as cross-border behavior.
The day kicked off with feminist speaker Milou Beelen and was continued with statements that the students discussed. Followed by multiple workshops such as yoga, action painting, poetry, photography, theater and reinventing clothes. The day ended with pink drinks and donuts!
Click here for the whole article
Burundi
Our MasterPeace Club in #Burundi organized a girls’ soccer tournament where they trained girls and women as referees to gain confidence and build perspectives.
The initiative is part of ‘Football for Peace’ a project our clubs in Burundi and beyond are implementing to train youngsters on dialogue and sports as a tool for peacebuilding in some of the most challenging and fragile communities.
Mexico
This year’s International Women’s Day, our MasterPeace Club in Mexico organized a new (tourist) experience called ‘5 women that transformed the history of Mexico …and you didn’t know’, giving visibility to the work and value of 5 Mexican women, for a three-hour walk. After the official kick-off on 7 March, they experience is offered as a solidary experience at the Airbnb platform.
Watch the video here
Pakistan
For this International Women’s Day, our MasterPeace Club in Pakistan organized a play on empowering women with the help of PECHS Girls School. The theatre show is about underprivileged girls and is called ‘The big shoe’. The story is based on an old woman who lived in a shoe.
MasterPeace women coordinator and early childhood professional wrote the script representing women of different eras. The young kids depicted the real image of 21st century women. Today’s women are equal to men and if they get the right shoes they can conquer the world and perform duties in this world equally with men.
Malawi
For this International Women’s Day, our MasterPeace Club in Malawi is focusing on rebuilding resilience to local women using sustainable solutions. In the pictures we are training women how to make compost manure. We can raise the status of our women by empowering them with local knowledge #MasterPeaceMalawi
India
Our club in India Odisha organized three events on the occasion of International Women’s Day. First of all, training rural women and girls on protection of girl child and newborn care attended by 56 rural women of Chilika island villages. Second, honoring 4 newborn girls below one-month age in public by providing hygiene kits and dress materials with the message to respect girl children as equal to a boy.
And last but not least, a food for peace program among untouchable women and girls of an island village in Chilika lagoon area where 65 women and girls provided free food though roti ghar. Odisha followed a cultural program by women and girls on gender-based violence and its prevention.
Georgia
Later this year, our club in Georgia will make a Wall of Connection in honor of International Women’s Day.
Click here for more information about the Walls of Connection
Kosovo
Our MasterPeace Kosovo joined the “Marshojmë s’festojmë (We march, we do not celebrate)”, organized by civil society activists. This year’s theme is ”Salary of house work” in order to raise awareness about the unpaid job women do at home.
Ecuador
Our MasterPeace club in Ecuador had the premiere of their own produced videoclip telling a story about a girl and her mom through the rehabilitation of the indigenous people in the last month in their country. It was produced jointly by a band from Ecuador and with a Colombian singer.
