What we women have all accomplished

It is International Women’s Day. You often immediately hear the question (usually asked by a man) whether such a day is still necessary. YES! Because we are still far from there, but there are successes that we celebrate a little extra today.

The CBS announced that the income of working women has increased by 60 percent since 1977 (or was it prehistoric times?). The fact that this can even rise by 60 percent is of course absurd, but I am so glad it is. Because it is going in the right direction. This is mainly due to the fact that women themselves have started working more over the years. It is incomprehensible, but in the Netherlands, the gross hourly wage of women is still 14 percent lower than that of men. So there is still 14 percent to improve.

One of the most important developments (and we should celebrate this) is that women are increasingly financially independent. In 2019, the number of women who manage their own finances rose to 69 percent. Does International Women’s Day only revolve around getting paid enough? Certainly not, but research does show that it gives women more self-confidence and self-worth, something we can never get enough of. Having an income and a financial buffer allows women to be freer in making choices.

Did you know that Germany, Taiwan, and New Zealand performed above average during the corona crisis? All countries where a woman is in charge. The AD rightly wondered last year whether this was coincidence. Do women make wiser decisions in crisis situations? Something to think about. The list of female presidents and prime ministers is fortunately getting longer every year, with the most recent female presidents in Honduras and Sweden. We can take an example from our northern neighbors, as almost all those countries have a woman as president or prime minister. But since Kamala Harris became vice president of the United States, it can't be long before the first female world leader takes the stage. I am betting on a domino effect.

According to the books, International Women’s Day has existed since a march by 15,000 women in New York in 1908. Now in 2022, we continue to do this until all gender inequality and violence against women no longer exists. Until then, we celebrate every success, every percent on the paycheck, and every woman in the world. Happy International Women’s Day!