Women’s Day is not a day of celebration but a day of remembrance. It is a day that reminds us of women’s struggles that began in the early 1900s during a difficult industrial era. A time that was to go down in history as the beginning of struggles for the obvious..
Struggles for equality and against the oppression of the system. Nothing was easy and nothing was given away.
Working women in the industries paved the way for us to enjoy the results of that struggle today. An ongoing struggle that over time brought about changes in attitudes towards a male-dominated environment.
Women fought vigorously to achieve this. They organised themselves against unfair treatment and reacted by shouting for their rights. They demanded the obvious for us today. Equal treatment and opportunity.
Today more and more women are managing to lead in businesses, in organisations, in society and in politics. One conquest is not enough as the struggle continues every day. Successes, of course, come at a great cost to the family. Not having the same opportunities to work even today, women sacrifice their personal lives in order to rise to the top.
So whatever we may have achieved will not be enough unless incentives are given for better working conditions in all areas.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rightly points out in his message on International Women’s Day:
“On International Women’s Day, we honour women and girls around the world and salute all that they have achieved in the struggle for equality. Women and girls have moved forward by breaking down barriers, dispelling stereotypes and driving progress towards a fairer and more equal world.
Billions of women and girls face marginalisation, injustice and discrimination, while the continuing epidemic of violence against women is a disgrace to humanity.
Our world continues to reflect millennia of male-dominated power relations. And progress is under attack, with a sharp setback against women’s rights.”
The UN Secretary-General strongly supports women’s organisations on the front line and stresses the need to provide funds for programmes to end violence against women and to promote their inclusion.
It also stresses the need to increase the number of women leaders in business, the financial sector, central banks and finance ministries. This can help promote investment in policies and programmes that respond to the needs of women and girls. Women’s rights are a proven pathway to just, peaceful and prosperous societies and urges us: “Together, let us take urgent action to make them a reality.”
We wish society to honour women every day. We do not need a quota, we need Equal Opportunities. Objectivity in evaluation based on ability and not on gender.