World Oceans Day 2019: UN makes a push for gender equality in ocean protection, conservation efforts

World Oceans Day is a special annual reminder by the United Nations of the key role that oceans play in our daily lives. The oceans don’t just make up over 70 percent of the living planet, they are also referred to as its “lungs”, for releasing almost two-thirds of all breathable oxygen in the atmosphere. The Day, commemorated by the UN every year on 8 June, raises awareness among the global public of the impact human actions have on oceans. This year, the theme for Oceans Day is gender equality, which is vital to sustainability in the many ongoing efforts to protect and preserve the health of oceans around the world, in the view of the UN. As per current estimates, women occupy only around 27 percent of parliaments worldwide, and make up 38 percent of the scientific community studying oceans. From many historical examples, including Jane Goodall, Dr Eugene Clark and Dian Fossey, we know that women are both proven leaders and conservationists.Today, despite making up roughly half the workforce in developed nations, women continue to be paid less than men at the same positions (36 percent less, to be precise). Women and children were also found to be a lot more vulnerable to some of the adverse effects of climate change. World Oceans Day is marked by people around the world by honoring the ocean, which provides an opportunity to take personal and community action to conserve the ocean and its resources.

Some of the biggest modern threats to the oceans include pollution, overfishing, invasive species, and rising ocean acidity due to the widespread use of fossil fuels. The problems but there are simple steps that you can to take to help protect the ocean. And at the end of the, Oceans Day celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean.