International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8th to honor the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. This day marks a call to action for furthering women’s equality in things such as equal pay and the “pink” tax.

In order to further counteract the negative stereotypes of women, “not assuming people in the workplace have negative stereotypes and seeing the best in others” is something very important to consider, said AP Environmental Science Teacher Pamela Luncz. 

To have a healthy work life, Ms. Luncz advises people to meet others with a fresh palate and to hold no previous thoughts and prejudices against them, as this is the only way to induce a mindset that treats everyone equally.

To this day, women face inequality in workplaces through discrimination or even by receiving lower wages. To potentially solve this issue, learning about others for who they are is a great way to start decreasing that prejudice and, perhaps, unknown inequalities. 

Some aspects of gender equality that still need to be addressed today is the “ideal feminine role of a woman.” Many still believe the old ideology of women being the “housewife” and taking up the domestic roles while men are expected to be the provider. 

“In the pandemic, the burden of staying home with kids was predominantly held on the shoulders of women, not the men,” junior Veronica Minogue said. 

Many men and women have deeply ingrained this action into their daily lives, as it has been passed down generation after generation. If society begins to slowly plant seeds that women are more than just their housework or caretaking abilities, these gender roles will slowly start to fade away. 

As we opened the discussion about gender wage gap, junior Jasmine Lee believes that the main reason this has remained the same for as long as it has is because of “the suppression of voices.”

The patriarchy and men have a large influence on what women can and cannot do, more specifically what is socially acceptable. Placing regulations on what females can do with their body is one of the most significant debates among genders today. Factors like these lead to the lack of support that women receive while fighting for equality. 

If a woman does something, it is antagonized and degrading, while a man can do the same thing and he often is glorified and uplifted.

This can be seen in the music industry, as a woman who writes about her feelings is seen as “calculated and immature.” Whereas if a man writes about his feelings, it is seen as “vulnerable and emotionally secure.”

This Women’s Day, females should celebrate themselves by implementing small things into their life that bring them joy. By supporting women around you, the world will become a more inclusive place for everyone.  International Women’s Day is all about feeling empowered and empowering others, so do that exactly.