International Women’s Day: This is what the #BreakTheBias pose means

International Women’s Day (IWD) is commemorated on March 8 every year to highlight women’s rights such as gender equality and violence against women.

This year’s theme of #BreakTheBias is calling for a gender equal world; a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

People are being enouraged to strike the IWD 2022 pose by crossing their arms to show solidarity and then share their #BreakTheBias image on social media.

Members of women’s group Blackpool and District Soroptimists are taking part in the campaign by sharing their poses and highlighting the work they do for the local community.

Pat Fergusson, spokesman for Blackpool and District Soroptimists, said: “We are preparing for a busy year, continuing service to this local community since 1961.

“Meeting twice monthly, the broad range of this women’s club remit covers sponsoring young female students following STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths) at Blackpool Sixth Form College, support to Windmill Youth Group Duke of Edinburgh activities, recycling, lobbying and being involved at every level of local life.

“We’d love people to consider being a local part of this worldwide organisation where you can make friends and have fun with a deeper agenda where many hands make light work.”

Meanwhile, Fylde Soroptimists also celebrated International Women’s Day with a coffee and cake event on Saturday at the ParkView EcoPod in Lytham.

International Women’s Day (IWD) grew out of the labour movement in 1908 which saw 15,000 women marching through New York demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote.

A year later the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman’s Day.

Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and advocate for women’s rights, suggested the creation of an international day.

She put her idea to an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910 - and the 100 women there, from 17 countries, agreed to it unanimously.

International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

The day was made official in 1974 when the United Nations started celebrating the annual event.

To find out more about the local Soroptimists groups, visit sigbi.org/blackpool-and-district and sigbi.org/the-fylde/

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here