Governments all over the world are still failing women every single day, and it's still far too dangerous for women to speak out about issues of discrimination and abuse.
That's the powerful message in a letter signed by 76 prominent women in business, politics, and arts for International Women's Day, published in The Guardian.
The 76 co-signers, including actresses Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Emma Thompson, singer Dua Lipa, and authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Caitlin Moran, call for world leaders to do more to ensure that women's rights everywhere are upheld, and that women are heard.
Watson shared the piece on Twitter, describing it as a call for governments to "do more to ensure the rights of women everywhere are respected, protected, valued & realised."
Tweet may have been deleted
"On International Women's Day 2019, it’s an astonishing fact that in no country in the world do women enjoy the same rights or opportunities as men. Every day, women and girls face discrimination, poverty and violence just because they are women," reads the letter.
"As momentum behind the #MeToo movement continues to grow, we are witnessing unprecedented acknowledgment of the challenges women face," the letter says. "Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to overcome the systemic oppression that denies women their rights. It’s time to move on from conversations to action."
The letter also addresses the harassment that many women face when they do part take part in the conversation, and speak out about issues surrounding gender equality. It needs to be safer for women to make their voices heard, the co-signers say.
"Women who speak out are facing all forms of violence and abuse. This has to stop"
"Women are at risk of backlash, censorship and violence wherever they speak out, both online and offline," the letter says. "Women who speak out are facing all forms of violence and abuse. This has to stop."
The 76 co-signers of the letter call for world leaders to do more to combat systemic misogyny and make it safer for women who speak up.
"Governments worldwide must do more to protect women who stand up for their rights," the letter states.
The co-signers signed off with the line: "Together, we can work towards a just world where the rights of women are respected, valued and realised. We look forward to that future."
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