Marked annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the important days of the year to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female focused charities. This year’s themes “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 on the way to the Generation Equality Forum” that celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and highlights the gap that remains.
Women of world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that is sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are made. Women’s full and effective participation and leadership in all areas of life drives progress for every one. Yet, women are still under-represented in public life and decision-making, as revealed in the U.N. Secretary General’s report. Women are heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and only 22.9 per cent of national parliamentarians are women. At the current rate of progress, gender equality among Heads of Government will take 130 years, says the report.
Women are also at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19, as frontline and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers. Yet, they are paid 11 per cent less globally than their male counterparts. An analysis of Covid-19 task teams from 87 countries found only 3.5 per cent of them had gender parity. Simultaneously, a latest survey report by LinkedIn (professional networking portal) has revealed 83 per cent of women at work places face discrimination at all levels in promotion, pay parity, postings, treatment, gender discrimination, sexual harassments etc.
When women lead we see positive results. Women have led some of the most efficient and exemplary responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. And women, especially young women, are at the forefront of diverse and inclusive movements online and on the streets for social justice, climate change and equality in all parts of the world. Yet, women under 30 are less than one per cent of parliamentarians worldwide.
This year’s IWD is a rallying cry for Generation Equality, to act for an equal future for all. The Generation Equality Forum, the most important convening for gender equality investments and actions, kick off in Mexico City from March 29-31 and culminate in Paris in June 2021. It will draw leaders, visionaries and activists from around the world, on a virtual platform to push for transformative measures and resolve, everyday, through their actions, and in the way women lead, talk, question and act, they change norms, transform habits, change laws, take action and inspire others to create a world without gender based discrimination and a lasting change for generations to come.
In India, the country’s Constitution provides gender equality without discrimination between men and women with equality in employment, opportunity and treatment. To achieve gender justice, over 39 laws have been enacted during the last 200 years. As a result, women have made strides in all walks of life. Women are venerated in all scriptures worldwide. Their multi-tasking role as mother, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, grandmother, ability to life-work balancing, and above all as home maker is beyond compare. No men can match them. Women’s role in shaping up humans from birth to adulthood is onerous and the most formidable in the evolution of the universe. As mother, women are placed on higher pedestal over men. Despite all such lofty ideas about women in religious gospels and education curricula, they face discriminations in all walks of life. Violence and crimes against women are the orders of the day. Patriarchy continues to rule the roost. So all over the world, fight for gender justice has to be continued unabated.
International Women’s Day has been continuing for well over a century with the first gathering held in 1911. We still need it as it intends to help forge positive change for women. There is no need for complacency. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), sadly none of us will see gender parity in our lifetime, and nor likely will many of our children. Gender parity will not be attained for a century. Nevertheless, struggles for gender justice have to be continued nonstop!.