Happy International Women’s Day!
International Women’s Day is a day for celebrating women and challenging gender inequality. Its history goes back over a century, and in its early days it was tied to the fight for women’s suffrage. If you’d like to know about its origins and its development over the years, you may be interested in the timeline on the International Women’s Day website.
Across the world, International Women’s Day is marked in different ways. Some countries observe the day as an official holiday; some countries hold marches; some countries have a tradition of giving flowers or presents to female friends, colleagues, partners and family members.
Several women with ties to Darwin have shared their experience of International Women’s Day in Serbia, where the day is often marked with flowers, gifts and festive meals. Our co-founder, Daniela Petrovic, has fond memories of celebrating International Women’s Day:
8 March always made me feel connected with all women around the world and across generations. My earliest memories of 8 March are the smiles on my mum’s and my teachers’ faces when I presented them with flowers. On this day, the whole school would be filled with beautiful bouquets and the teachers looked relaxed and happy. Today I am trying to replicate the same atmosphere with my family and with my extended family, my team at Darwin, and to keep the tradition going.
Vera Matijevic, engineer and retired professor of mechanical engineering, also has strong associations with International Women’s Day:
It has always been and it still is a special day for me, filled with wonderful memories, from my children bringing handmade gifts from the nursery school to my colleagues and students bringing flowers. 8 March has always made me feel very happy, respected and loved by the people I am surrounded with.
Vesna Petkovic, a managing director with a long history in the nonprofit sector, reflects on the progress that International Women’s Day marks and the road ahead:
Women have come a long way in terms of equal rights and independence. Women no longer have to have a man beside them to be able to interact with society, and can use their own intellect and skills to seize their own opportunities. International Women’s Day recognises the progress we have made, and is an event to celebrate equality.
Even in countries that don’t officially observe International Women’s Day, events and discussions may be taking place to mark the occasion. If you’re interested in finding out what’s going on near you, or what online events you might be able to attend, the International Women’s Day website has an event search.
These days of celebration are important, but it’s also worth remembering that the accomplishments of women and the challenges we face remain relevant throughout the year. As Roberta Mugellesi Dow, Integrated Applications Manager at the European Space Agency, says, ‘Every day should be March 8 for all women in the world.’
With that in mind, we wish all women an excellent day, and a wonderful year to come!
Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
