Heathmont Gazette

International Women's Day

Wednesday 8 March is International Women’s Day and this year’s United Nations theme is ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender-equal future’.  

 

Did you know? 

  • Today worldwide some 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access mobile Internet.  
  • Globally, women hold only 2 in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology jobs.  
  • Innovations from a team that include at least one woman are proven to be more economically valuable and have higher impact than those with only men involved.   
  • Women-led start-ups received just 2.3% of venture capital funding in 2020.  
  • When Computer Science degrees were first offered in the late 1960s, the gender mix was about equal. Now women only make up 21% of tertiary graduates with a STEM related degree in Australia.  
  • Globally, 24% of women have reduced their internet usage as a result of abusive online contact. 
  • The digital gender gap has barely improved since 2011. Globally, there are around 250 million fewer women online than men.  
  • Women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the GDP of low and middle-income countries in the last decade— this will grow $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action. 

Women and girls everywhere require access to education and pathways to careers in technology, engineering and science, represented at every level, to ensure full and equal participation and ensure inclusive workplaces. 

 

There are many ways to get involved and show your support for women and girls around the world for International Women’s Day. You could engage in an activity on the attached activity cards such as; develop a list of the qualities you see in women leaders, write an acrostic poem using the letters of a name of a woman you admire or research a day in the life of a woman or girl in another country. See how many you can achieve! For more information on International Women’s Day, check out unwomen.org.au.  

 

file:///C:/Users/10311474/Downloads/IWD-Classroom-Activity-Cards.pdf 

file:///C:/Users/10311474/Downloads/IWD-Poster_ComingSoon-Color.pdf