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Today marks the 105th International Women’s Day. Originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year.  On this day people around the world are coming together to honor the women who fought for our liberation by continuing the fight for freedom today. The official United Nations theme for International Women’s Day 2014 is “Equality for women is progress for all.”

The importance of achieving equality for women and girls not simply because it is a matter of fairness and fundamental human rights, but because progress in so many other areas depends on it.

Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth.  Companies with more women leaders perform better.  Peace agreements that include women are more durable.  Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support.

The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.

It started as an American tradition in 1909 to mark the one-year anniversary of the New York garment workers’ strike, and became a rallying point for women to protest war and fight for women’s suffrage. The United Nations instituted March 8 as its official International Women’s Day in 1975.

In the US, the day is mostly honored with conferences and speeches and perhaps a celebratory march, but in other countries women take to the streets. In Poland, demonstrations are held in every major city, and in places where women are fighting relatively new battles for their rights, like Egypt, Tunisia and Iran, scores of women rally in public.

However, women in the US have a long way to go. If we act decisively, with the knowledge that empowering women and girls and supporting their full participation can help solve the greatest challenges of the 21st century, we will find lasting solutions to many of the problems we face.

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Carrie Stone