International Women's Day 2019

March 08, 2019

International Women's Day 2019

For International Women's Day, we are celebrating our gains. But we are also marking the need for reflection. Why, decades later, are we asking the same questions? And how do we overcome these consistent barriers?

This year’s theme for IWD prompts steps in the right direction - ‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change.’ How can innovation address gender inequality while advancing the empowerment of women?

There is great potential and need for innovation and technology. But there are of course reasons to be wary. How do we ensure that technology actually benefits women? And how do we ensure that women are apart of the innovation process? And if we are successful in achieving thinking equally, what gains can we see in a sustainable and equitable future?

Think equal: A fresh start to understanding equity

Is our framework for combating gender inequality good enough? And if not - what do we need to rethink to achieve equitable, sustainable development?

“What we instead need urgently and desperately is to rethink agriculture, water and environment solutions so that they address, or at the very least are cognizant, of the structural issues that make women less equal and unequal actors in and participants of development.” - Deepa Joshi, CGIAR Gender Lead of the Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems

Build smart: Technology has potential

Technology has the potential to better livelihoods. But women need to be included in the development and use of this technology. Read more about three Ethiopian women’s experiences with small scale irrigation technology.

Innovate for change: Bioenergy for women entrepreneurs

What can we achieve when we think equally and innovatively? This article shows how new technologies and smart business models could turn waste into a business opportunities for African women.