March 8 marks International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the incredible progress in women’s rights around the world. Planned Parenthood is joined by fierce women’s rights champions — like Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women; Liz Plank, Senior Editor at Mic; and Dr. Jamila Perritt, a leading women’s health care provider — in honoring women’s rights milestones of the past 20 years.
These milestones include the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, as well as the recent wave of female leadership on the political stage and recognition of LGBT rights worldwide. Here at home, Planned Parenthood has fought for sexual and reproductive rights for almost 100 years.
Despite these successes, unacceptable challenges remain, including a gender gap in equitable pay, soaring rates of violence against women, and unequal representation of women in political office.
Across the United States, women are seeing their rights rolled back. As a result, young people experience inconsistent access to sexuality education and affordable health care, resulting in unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancy.
Globally, women face some of the same opposition and challenges. Around the world, 225 million women and girls who wish to delay or plan childbirth still lack access to modern contraceptives. And pregnancy is a leading cause of death for adolescent girls worldwide, with nearly 70,000 killed annually from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Want to learn more? Check out this video featuring 6 of our favorite milestones from the past 20 years, and learn how you can keep up the good fight for women’s health and rights around the world.
The work continues — join us in the fight! Share our milestones graphic on Twitter and on Facebook. Also, follow us on Twitter at @PPGlobe to stay updated on Planned Parenthood Global’s work in Africa and Latin America.
Tags: LGBT, Affordable Care Act, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UN Human Rights Council, World Conference on Women in Beijing, International Women's Day, Women's History Month 2015, Malala Yousafza, family planning
Is Abortion Still Legal in My State?
Learn about abortion access changes in your state.
Demand court reform now!
To protect and advance our rights, we must reclaim our federal courts.
Structural, systemic, and meaningful court reform is the only way to ensure that courts uphold the law and protect our rights.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund Will NEVER Back Down
Know this: our right to abortion is not debatable. We will rebuild and reclaim the freedom that is ours.