Today, March 8th is International Women’s Day. In 1945, the Charter of the United Nations became the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. The UN celebrated its first official International Women’s Day on 8 March during International Women’s Year in 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. 

International Women’s Day has emerged as such in the early 1900s from the movements for women’s rights. Much has been achieved since those days, but much remains to be done in the fight of gender equality. It first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the twentieth century across North America and Europe. The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, which the Socialist Party of America dedicated in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York where women protested against harsh working conditions. In 1917, women in Russia chose to protest and strike under the slogan “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Their movement ultimately led to the enactment of women’s suffrage in Russia. 

International Women’s Day is an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment but also to critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality worldwide. It is a day to recognize the extraordinary acts of women and to stand together, as a united force, to advance gender equality around the world. 

With this image and text, I intend to highlight the accomplishments of a woman who had to struggle hard to achieve her goals; she may not be remembered as a feminist figure but lived a bold life. In the early twentieth century Montessori, one of Italy’s first female physicians, was a true trailblazer, rejecting many social norms associated with gender roles in her time.

The daughter of parents who placed a high value on education, as a teenager Montessori enrolled in technical schools where she focused on math and science. Montessori planned to become an engineer, but then decided to study medicine; she was strongly discouraged from attending because of her gender. She enrolled anyway, taking classes in natural sciences, botany, zoology, experimental physics, anatomy, and chemistry. She graduated with her degree in 1896. Montessori traveled, speaking extensively on her approach to education, and on women’s rights, and peace. She believed that peace could be taught in education, putting her at odds with Benito Mussolini in Italy. Montessori left her country in 1932 and was later nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Montessori Education

Montessori education is founded on the principles of freedom and respect for children (Montessori, 1967). In a Montessori setting children are free to choose what they want to learn about, which allows the children to follow their natural instincts to learn. Montessori (1967) writes that, when children are free to learn without control from the teacher, they will develop with “greater clarity and truth and thus reveal their own proper nature” (p. 56). Because Montessori settings allow students to follow their own interests at their own pace, it does not promote conformity, but promotes individual self-expression. It may be that children in a Montessori setting will be well connected with their self-concept or identity, thus be confident to reject gender stereotypes. Whitebread (2000) notes that individuals are less likely to conform to gender stereotypes when they regard gender to be only one aspect of their identity and that other aspects of self are just as important.

Dr Montessori, advocated for the child in every aspect of their development and did not focus on gender differences, but on the uniqueness of the individual that must have equal opportunities in all aspects of life. But as I commented in the Blog post about “Woman and Girls in Science”, she and Marie Curie, scientist and Physicist, did not have an easy path towards the goals they set their minds to.

Gender Equality and Education

Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO and inextricably linked to its efforts to promote the right to education and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the Education 2030 Framework for Action, SDG 4 aims to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and SDG 5 to ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.’

The Education 2030 agenda recognizes that gender equality requires an approach that ‘ensures that girls and boys, women and men not only gain access to and complete education cycles but are empowered equally in and through education.’

Large gender gaps exist in access, learning achievement and continuation in education in many settings, most often at the expense of girls, although in some regions boys are at a disadvantage. 

Poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women, are among the many obstacles that stand in the way of women and girls fully exercising their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education.

In our egalitarian society it is expected that all students should be able to have the same opportunities in school regardless of their gender (Krause et al., 2010; Ministry of Education, 2004), but is that the reality? Both boys and girls can be disadvantaged and advantaged in schools on the basis of their gender (Krause et al, 2010). Concern for girls’ underachievement and lower rates of participation were recognized in the 1970’s as a priority (Whitebread, 2000). It appears now that the gap has closed, and, in some areas, boys have lower achievement rates in subjects such as literacy (Krause et al, 2010). While there are now concerns for boys’ underachievement, this apparent advantage for girls does not translate to better outcomes later on in life. Females are less likely to be employed full-time and in general earn less than their male counterparts (Krause et al, 2010). These statistics highlight that nurture is a significant contributing factor in influencing gender differences. (Adapted from web page: Educational Psychology, A. Fellerhoff, AUT University, New Zealand)

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In order to Empower the Women in the world, we could think about starting this “movement” at an earlier age; on October 11, each year, since 2011, the United Nations celebrates “The International Day of the Girl Child” focusing the attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, political leaders and mothers. An investment in realizing the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of climate change, political conflict, economic growth, disease prevention, and global sustainability.

Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO, and the support of young girls, their training and their full ability to make their voices and ideas heard are drivers for sustainable development and peace. In too many cases across the globe, teenage girls drop out of school, due to forced marriages or child labor. UNESCO is committed to celebrating this day to ensure that all girls have access to quality education and a dignified life.

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Purple marks the color of todays celebration!!

Let’s celebrate all the great women, known and unknown, and ultimately give ourselves a pad on the back for always trying our best!!

Congratulations to all of you!!

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