How the world celebrated International Women's Day - Action News
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How the world celebrated International Women's Day

A boxing Barbie doll, 'suffragette' flashmob and Wikipedia edit-a-thon were among a host of quirky initiatives aimed at highlighting gender inequalities and overturning stereotypes on International Women's Day on March 8.

A number of events and honours coast to coast marked International Women's Day

As part of their Inspiring Women doll series, Barbie has released dolls in the image of pilot Amelia Earhart, left, Mexican artist Frida Khalo and mathematician Katherine Johnson for International Women's Day. (Barbie/Associated Press)
A boxingBarbie doll, "suffragette" flashmob and Wikipedia edit-a-thon were among a host of quirky initiatives aimed at highlightinggender inequalities and overturning stereotypes on InternationalWomen's Day on March 8.

In a year which has seen the birth of the #MeToo movement onsexual harassment and abuse, women around the world have beenpushing for more rights and visibility.

In Paris, an edit-a-thon invited people to create, editor translate Wikipedia pages about women who have played a keyrole or who still contribute in the fields of education,science, culture and communication.

Only 17 per cent of biographies published on Wikipedia areabout women, according to the United Nations' cultural agencyUNESCO, which organized the event.

Toy manufacturers also got in on the act.A Barbie doll in the likeness of British Olympic boxingchampion Nicola Adams, complete with "boxing gloves to shatterany glass ceiling", was unveiled to mark InternationalWomen's Day.

Toymaker Mattel, whose Barbie dolls have in the past drawncriticism for promoting harmful stereotypes, said it hoped theAdams doll would inspire girls to achieve greatness.

Other women role models getting the Barbie treatment includeU.S. Olympic snowboarding star Chloe Kim.

Also challenging stereotypes was Little Miss Inventor, a newcharacter in the Mr. Men and Little Miss children's book series,who made her debut on Thursday.

Little Miss Inventor, a female engineer who sports a spannerand pencils in her hair, aims to provide a positive role modeland challenge stereotypes about STEM subjects - science,technology, engineering and mathematics - where women are oftenunderrepresented.

Around the world, over 60 stock exchanges up from 43 lastyear hosted bell ceremonies to raise awareness of the keyrole the private sector can play in advancing gender equality.

In Britain, which was celebrating 100 years since women wonthe right to vote, a flashmob descended on London's St Paul'sCathedral to honour suffragettes including Emmeline Pankhurstwho were pivotal in getting women the vote.
Britain celebrated this year's International Women's Day with a history lesson. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the Representation of People Act 1918, which gave women the right to vote. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

They performed a choral work called the Pankhurst Anthem,written by the suffragette's great-granddaughter Helen Pankhurstand composed by Lucy Pankhurst, who is also related.

But despite the celebrations and positive role models, astudy released on Wednesday by the Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development shows women in every country stilldo far more unpaid work, like childcare and chores, than men.

Thomson Reuters Foundation