Events and businesses commemorate International Women’s Day

While Women’s Day started at the beginning of the 20th century – in 1909 to honour garment workers who had protested inhumane working conditions the year before, the concept celebrated today came into being in 1975 – International Women’s Year. In that year the UN declared March 8 as ‘International Women’s Day’. March 8 celebrates women’s contributions to society, aims to raise awareness of gender parity, and inspires support for organizations that help women globally. The world has moved a long way since and International Women’s Day today has widespread acceptance celebrated across businesses as well as leisure activities.

Yoga Ashram in Dubai is conducting a Free International Women’s Day Event titled ‘Women empowering Women’ on March 8. The day coincides with the 9th Anniversary of the leisure facility. The ashram has organised an open women’s forum led by a panel of inspiring women from different professions and walks of life who will inspire by sharing their stories and experiences. “Lets Rise and Empower,” says Dr Jaya Harikumar, Co-founder of Yoga Ashram

The third edition of the Musivv awards will take place on March 8 at the Theatre of Digital Arts (TODA) this year. This event which has honoured over 50 independent musical artists and creatives since its inception in 2019, will be marked by a first-of-its-kind celebration, featuring a live awarding ceremony with performances by Emirati, regional and international singers. This year’s ceremony will pay homage to women with the first Female Artist of the Year award to be presented by Musivv co-founder Farinoosh Younus.

Women are now heading positions in business across the spectrum and many are in the Tech industry.

Abhilasha Gupta, Head – Global Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Tech Mahindra says “I strongly believe that whatever your occupation may be – pilot, crew, banker, homemaker, or any other – you are first, a communicator, and if you can channelize the power of ‘strategic communication’, half your job is already done. As the head of global corporate communications and public affairs at Tech Mahindra, my primary area of expertise is communication, but “technology and science” have always fascinated me.

One of the things I like most about technology is how it has the potential to unlock numerous possibilities across industries and create a meaningful impact on society. I consider myself privileged to be working in an environment where gender is not a differentiating factor. However, I am aware that women professionals across industries face bias because of their gender.”

Gupta added “A very interesting meme that I came across recently depicted a race of male and female professionals, but the track that the woman professional had to run on had pictures of a washing machine, a stove, dirty laundry, kids playing and other images throughout. This illustrates how it is different, and in most cases difficult, for a woman professional to do the same task that her male counterpart has to as well. The roles that have been pre-defined by the society for different genders have an inherent bias towards women being homemakers, and for all those who aim to disrupt, there are many hurdles laid on the racetrack. Each one of us, all genders included, needs to play their part in ensuring that there is a level playing field for anyone who has the potential and calibre at the workplace, no matter which gender or even age group they belong to. As a society, we must do more to empower and encourage young women so that they can show they are capable of making meaningful contributions to the world through their work. My message to all the women out there is to believe in yourself, because at the end, what matters the most is what you actually want to do in your life; it is your passion and interest that should guide you, and not what others think of you, or think for you.”