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Women killed by grief
Are more than men killed in battle…!
Anis Mansour (Egyptian writer, 1924- 2011)
Let us celebrate Women’s Day with compassion and respect for women and girls suffering from war and other unjust conditions.
International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political.
Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
Some Facts about the History of Women’s Day
- The fact that Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th is strongly linked to the women’s movements during the Russian Revolution (1917).
- New Zealand was the first self-governing nation to allow women to vote.
- In the first known campaign of its kind, the Egyptian Society of Physicians went against tradition by declaring the negative effects of female genital mutilation. This was in 1920.
Let us have a look at Inequalities against women in our time:
- Seventy percent of the 1.3 billion people living in conditions of poverty are women. In urban areas, 40% of the poorest households are headed by women.
- Women predominate in the world’s food production (50-80%), but they own less than 10 percent of the land.
- 80% of the displaced by climate-related disasters and changes around the world are women and girls.
- Climate change may lead to more gender-based violence, an increase in child marriages, and worsening sexual and reproductive health.
Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow
As Mr. António Guterres says, “We need more women environment ministers, business leaders and presidents and prime ministers. They can push countries to address the climate crisis, develop green jobs and build a more just and sustainable world.”
Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the most significant global challenges of the 21st century.
Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources that climate change threatens the most.
At the same time, women and girls are effective and influential leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership result in more effective climate action.
Continuing to examine the opportunities and constraints to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future and an equal future remain beyond our reach.
This International Women’s Day, let’s claim “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.
Sources:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day