The United Nations, Politico, Apple, and NATO celebrate International Women's Day 2020 in videos

Happy International Women's Day!  For this year's observance, I'm presenting a video extravaganza by organizations who made their own videos celebrating the day.  I begin with the United Nations International Women's Day - UN Chief (8 March 2020).

Video message by H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General on International Women's Day.

Gender equality is fundamentally a question of power.

Transforming the balance of power is essential, not only as a question of human rights, personal development, health and well-being.

It is critical to solving some of the most damaging and intractable problems of our age.

From the ridiculing of women as hysterical or hormonal, to the routine judgement of women based on their looks; from the myths and taboos that surround women’s natural bodily functions, to mansplaining and victim-blaming – misogyny is everywhere.

Involving women leaders and decision-makers in mediation and peace processes leads to more lasting and sustainable peace.

Gender equality, including men stepping up and taking responsibility, is essential if we are to beat the climate emergency.

Women’s equal economic rights and opportunities are a global imperative if we are to build a fair globalization that works for all.

Unless women play an equal role in designing digital technologies, progress on women’s rights could be reversed.

It is simple math.

Women’s participation improves institutions.

The 21st century must be the century of women’s equality.

Let us all play our part in making it so.

Follow over the jump as I work backwards through the five issues, more or less, with videos from three other organizations.

I begin with Politico's A look back at International Women's Day.

Every spring people from around the world celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th. The day was originated by the Socialist Party of America to celebrate and embolden working women all the way back in 1909.

This video not only goes through the history of International Women's Day, but also touches on women's participation improving political institutions and helping achieve equal economic rights.

Apple celebrates women using (its) digital technologies in a commercial for the day that I am sure will become an Emmy nominee for Outstanding Commercial this year, Behind The Mac — International Women’s Day.  If nothing else, this is the most viewed video I'm showcasing today.

This International Women’s Day, meet the women changing the world Behind the Mac.

Featured, in order:

00:01 — Malala Yousafzai: The youngest Nobel laureate for her  work on girls’ education.
00:02 — Ava Duvernay: Director known for “Selma” and “When They See Us.”
00:04 — Marie Kondo: Tidying expert, bestselling author and Emmy-nominated television star.
00:07 — Greta Gerwig: Director known for “Lady Bird” and “Little Women.”
00:09 — Gloria Steinem: Women’s rights activist who helped start second-wave feminism.
00:11 — Lady Gaga: GRAMMY®? & Oscar winning artist and founder of the Born This Way foundation.
00:13 — Megan Rapinoe and Shannon Boxx: World Cup champions fighting for equal pay.
00:15 — Olivia Wilde: Actor and director known for her feature debut “Booksmart.”
00:17 — Diane von Furstenberg: Fashion designer and founder of the DVF Awards.
00:19 — Elizabeth Banks: Actor and director of “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Charlie’s Angels.”
00:21 — Alicia Keys: GRAMMY®? winning artist, touching hearts and inspiring the world through her art.
00:23 — Lilly Singh: The first woman to host a network late-night talk show in 30 years.
00:25 — Audrey Gelman: C.E.O and first visibly pregnant woman featured on a business magazine cover.
00:27 — Black Mamba: South Africa’s women-run anti-poaching unit.
00:30 — Victoria Monét: On-the-rise artist and GRAMMY®? nominee, known for her hit songwriting.
00:32 — Tarana Burke: Founder of The ‘me too.’ Movement.
00:34 — DJ Switch: A 12-year-old DJ and founder of the DJ Switch Foundation for education.

Today is Sunday, so I am counting all the women in entertainment featured in this commercial as satisfying this post being the Sunday entertainment feature.  Hey, tradition.

For solving the climate crisis, I'm returning to the United Nations for 14-year-old Climate Activist: Alexandria Villaseñor on Women’s Day.

Briefing by Alexandria Villasenor during United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2020 - I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.

Villaseñor should look familiar to my readers, as I featured her in both Youth Climate Strike on the Ides of March and Thousands of U.S. students strike for the climate.  In the U.S., she is second only to Greta Thunberg as a leader of the youth climate movement.

Finally, I'm sharing NATO's We are equal – International Women’s Day 2020.

Equal participation is essential to the effectiveness of our forces, the resilience of our societies and to achieving and preserving peace. NATO is working with Allies and partner countries to promote women’s active participation in decision-making and security institutions.

NATO civilian and military personnel stand together to mark International Women’s Day 2020, and actively support this year’s theme: An equal world is an enabled world.

At NATO we stand for gender equality. Join us and strike the #EachforEqual pose.

Next to the United Nations itself, I could find no better example of an organization where "involving women leaders and decision-makers in mediation and peace processes leads to more lasting and sustainable peace," the first area the U.N. Secretary General mentioned where women's equality mattered.

That's it for International Women's Day.  Stay tuned for a post about Purim and Holi.