Celebrating International Women’s Day 2018

Posted: 8th March 2018

#PressforProgress.

On Monday the Senior Assembly was led by Lower V Alpha who gave a stirring presentation on #PressforProgress, the International Women’s Day 2018 campaign theme who also gave news of a competition being run by the History Department.

‘The International Women’s Day Logo is purple and white and features the symbol of Venus, which is also the symbol of being female. Women of all backgrounds, ages, and nationalities are seen in many publications, such as posters and postcards on International Women’s Day.

With the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report findings telling us that gender parity is over 200 years away – there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and #PressforProgress.

Gender Parity refers to men and women receiving the same pay for doing the same job, having the same access to further education and the same access to all different types of employment.

What is the gender pay gap?

The gender pay gap is the percentage difference between average hourly earnings for men and women.

Across the UK, men earned 18.4% more than women in April 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).  This figure is calculated on a 1% sample of employees’ jobs. It takes the median average for men and women, which is the level of pay that half of people earn more than, and half earn less than.

Gender Parity in STEM jobs:

Although the number of women in STEM careers has improved over time we still have a long way to go as only 14% of the total number of engineers worldwide are women. Not only are there less women in STEM careers there is also a 14% pay gap between men and women and a 21% pay gap in non-STEM careers.

There has been some news about it recently!

  • Men working for the BBC earn an average of 9.3% more than women, a report into the corporation’s staff pay has found.
  • The figure covers all staff, on and off air, and has been put down to the fact there are more men in senior jobs.
  • It compares with a UK average of 18% and BBC director general Tony Hall said it showed the BBC was “in a better place than many organisations”.
  • It follows a row over star salaries, in which it was revealed that most of the top-earning presenters were men.

Gender Parity is an issue in Sport!

All over the world there will be various types of events all aimed at this year’s theme, #PressforProgress. .

International Women’s Day events are held worldwide on 8th March. Many kinds of women including political, community, and business leaders, as well as leading educators, inventors, entrepreneurs and television personalities are usually invited to speak at various events on the day. The messages given at these events often focus on many themes such as innovation and the portrayal of women in the media.

Many students in schools participate in special lessons, debates and presentations about the importance of women in society, their influence, and issues that affect them. In some countries, school children bring gifts to their female teachers, and women receive small presents from friends or family members.

More than 150 events are scheduled in London for International Women’s Day, the largest the #March4Women rally on Sunday, 4th March. Hosted by CARE International UK, #March4Women is described as a global movement for gender equality and this year’s event also marks the 100th anniversary since women in the UK were first able to vote, despite the fact that women in the UK and around the world are still subjected to sexism, harassment, abuse or violence

So starting this 8th Thursday March and possibly for the rest of your lives… #PressforProgress and fight for Gender Parity and close the Gender Pay Gap in the UK and Worldwide!

History Competition:

In light of the centenary of the Women’s Suffrage movement gaining the vote for women, the History Department at St Augustine’s Priory is holding a competition to present a specific woman from the 20th century you believe to be influential. This competition will give you the chance to create a presentation which argues why you believe this woman to be the most significant. You can research her work for women and humanity as well as what she has done to contribute to the progress of women’s position.

Some ideas for influential women are:
Emmeline Pankhurst
Brenda Hale (most superior judge in Britain)
Maggie Smith
Margaret Thatcher
Virginia Woolf
Dame Judi Dench
There are also posters around school with more information and further details.

You can work in groups or separately – Good Luck!’

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