Last year, was a huge year for women as COVID-19 showcased their resilience, but the pandemic year also reiterated the need for more conversation about the contributions of women in society.
Asia Pacific: Overlooked Contributions?
Asia was among the first hardest-hit in the world when the pandemic arrived, and many of the contributions of women healthcare workers in Asian countries remained untold or were ignored.
In Thailand, the country's swift and effective response to COVID-19 was made possible through the contributions of more than one million women volunteers who joined the cause of informing communities about the coronavirus.
Many of the country's healthcare workers were women who worked long-hour shifts to care for patients and provide necessary service to communities with weaker health systems.
In India, the second hardest-hit country in the world, the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) group of community workers was made up mostly of women.
India's ASHA workers were acknowledged by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response due to the group's role during the pandemic year.
U.S.: A Long Way to Go Even with Historic Leadership Victory
Last year saw some of the United States' efforts in empowering women as the country saw the rise of its first woman vice president when Kamala Harris won alongside U.S. President Joe Biden in November.
It was also during the pandemic year when Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett gained popularity as she was an African-American scientist who played a major role in the U.S. government's vaccine research.
While the U.S. has seen significant success for women over the past year, equality experts said that the country is still a long way from being a symbol of gender equality.
In the 2019 Global Gender Gap report, the United States ranked 53rd in gender equity. In the report that covers 153 people, the U.S. is well behind some European and Asian nations such as Germany (top 10) and the Philippines (top 16).
Europe: 'Femicide' Talks as French Protesters Gather
In Europe, women's rights activists are making waves as they protest against sexual violence and sexism.
On Sunday, activists gathered in Paris to call for an end to sexual violence and "femicide," or the killing of women, following recent data revealing that domestic violence increased in France during the lockdown periods.
According to French authorities, reports of domestic violence spiked by 60 percent during the November to December lockdown weeks, while the percentage increased by 40 percent during the first lockdown from March to April.
Aside from Sunday's Paris protest, activists also urged women in various sectors to conduct a "feminist strike" on Monday.
The number of women getting killed in France has gradually reduced over the past century, but the deaths are still happening. In 2020 alone, 90 women were killed by their spouses, as reported by the French Justice Ministry.
Around the World: Difficult but Doable
While much is left to be done in empowering women around the world, the stories of some notable women overcame doubts and gender stereotypes have raised hopes for a more gender-equal world.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made a name for herself during the pandemic year as her government worked to minimize coronavirus community transmissions in the country.
Compared to other countries, New Zealand's more than 2,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases is an accomplishment for a woman-led government that is recognized as having taken appropriate measures to limit economic damage while reducing infections.
There are still much more men than women in organizational leadership but Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, just like Ardern, proved that ladies are capable for making change in the world.
Okonjo-Iweala became the first female director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and an African at that.
There are many other women who stood the test of the pandemic and proved to the world that women are necessary in creating a better world, just as much as men are.
This year's International Women's Day theme has been set as, "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world."
