news blogAnnie Lennox and EQUALS launch the Big Inequality Debate
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Posted: 31 January 2011 Annie Lennox and the EQUALS partnership of charities invite you to Join the Big Inequality Debate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, on 8 March 2011 Annie Lennox says: “EQUALS brings together the expertise of some of the most respected and influential charities that champion women’s rights. A lot has changed since 1911, but there is still a long way to go. Gender inequality continues to permeate all sectors of society, from health and education to politics, employment and culture. The EQUALS partnership aims to step up the call for a more equal world and galvanise a new generation of men and women to work together to make gender parity a lived reality here in the UK and worldwide.” Join the Big Inequality Debate... Around the world, millions of people celebrate International Women’s Day every year. In China women have the day off work, in Bosnia and Italy women are given gifts of flowers and in Cameroon women dance in the streets in celebration. Yet in the UK, the event has gone largely unnoticed...until now. This centenary year will be a turning point. EQUALS is prompting a big debate about what inequality looks like 100 years after the first International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated in 1911. We are inviting men and women to reflect on the progress that has been made in women’s rights, to discuss the inequalities that still exist, share experiences and ideas with people around the globe, and take action to transform the lives of those women and girls who remain excluded and violated. Throughout the week of 8 March and in the run up to IWD, EQUALS will be raising awareness through a series of innovative projects, events, multimedia initiatives and arts partnerships. Haven’t we already achieved gender equality? While much has been achieved over the last 50 years in terms of women’s rights in the UK, we have a long way to go. Times have changed, but sadly some of the key issues have not. Research shows that women in the UK and worldwide still face high levels of abuse, and violence and gender inequality continues to permeate all sectors of society. Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disabilities among women worldwide, aged 15-44, than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war, and three million women across the UK experience rape, domestic violence, trafficking, forced marriage or other violence each year. Only 19% of the world’s parliamentary seats are held by women and men still make up nearly 80% of the House of Commons. Women do two-thirds of the world’s work, yet receive 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of the means of production. The full-time pay gap between women and men in the UK is equivalent to men being paid a full year whilst women effectively work for free after November. Only 24% of the people interviewed, heard, seen or read about in mainstream broadcast and print news are female. We invite you to check our website holding page, www.weareequals.org, for more key facts and figures and for press releases on coalition projects and events, as well as initiatives by our individual charity partners. Our main site will launch at the end of February. Sally Turner The EQUALS coalition founding charities are: |
