 International Women's Day, on the 8th of March, allows us to collectively reflect, assess and stress the importance of gender equality for democracy, for development and for the world. But a day is not enough. It is what we do in the remaining 364 days that matters. Despite plans, programs and promises, our progress remains too slow when it comes to achieving gender equality. Yes, gender representation quotas, to take one example, have been adopted in many countries around the world. Yet, women still only occupy 25% of seats in parliaments worldwide. And in talking about national parliaments, we barely scratch the surface. The situation tends to be much worse at the sub-national and local level of politics as well as within political parties. At current rates of progress, 2093 is the year when gender parity will be achieving parliaments, 72 years from now. A society that throws obstacle after obstacle after obstacle in the way of the political participation of women is a society that reduces dramatically the pool of talent that it can draw from to solve collective issues. That's bad, not just for women. It's bad for all of us. As though the challenges to achieve gender equality were not large enough already, the pandemic has in many ways reversed the achievements made in the recent past. For starters, it has led to increased gender-based violence coupled with social stress and isolation. According to our global monitor on the impact of COVID-19 measures on democracy and human rights, nearly 40 countries report an increase in gender-based violence indicators. Unpaid care work for women has expanded. Moreover, given their predominant participation in sectors like healthcare and domestic services, women have been exposed to particularly acute health hazards and have been hit in dramatic ways by the economic downturn. While the world has been busy dealing with the pandemic, some governments have even seized the opportunity to push back on women's rights and gender equality. All of this is bad news. Without gender equality, there will not be sustainable development. We cannot allow this to happen. International IDEA remains committed to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We lead initiatives in gender equality and women's political participation and representation in all regions across the world. From Bolivia to Nepal, Mozambique, the Gambia, Sudan, South Sudan, Paraguay, Panama and many other countries. This year, we will launch a new inclusion hub, compiling information, case studies, data analysis and best practices on democracy and inclusion. None of this is just about women. Nor is it just about men. Nor is it just about one day. It's about all of us contributing to society on equal terms with equal opportunities in theory and in practice every day. That's what democracy is all about. That's the cause we celebrate this 8th of March and the rest of the year.