Standing by our women
Women make up under around 30 per cent of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and maths. They’ve come a long way but more needs to be done.
ON Wednesday this week, we were reminded about the immeasurable contribution women have made toward our individual and collective development and survival.
We joined hundreds of countries from around the globe in celebrating International Women’s Day, an annual event that not only recognises but also acknowledges the crucial roles our women play in the family, the communities, the nation and the world.
To fathom the gravity of women’s input in society, we don’t need to look too far.
We only need to consider the numerous challenges many women encounter daily and the struggles they endure so their families may prosper and triumph.
The People section of The Fiji Times, featured on page 10 from Mondays to Saturdays, is never short of inspiring stories of Fiji’s women who sacrifice their time and energy, not for themselves, but for the benefit of others.
It is women’s uniquely diverse circumstances and the manner in which their determination salvages them out of the brims of struggle, that makes their inspiring stories worth sharing with Fiji the world.
I thank my own mum and other women relatives and friends in my life, who continue to shower me with love and act as signposts on the way, when life turns a bit upside down.
This year’s theme highlights the need for technology and innovation to forge forward the ideals of gender equality.
According to United Nations statistics women today make up less than a third of the workforce in the area of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
This year’s theme was chosen so that countries could take stock of their progress , close the digital divide they have and increase the representation of women and girls in the fields of science and technology.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, this week said investing in women “uplifted all people, communities, and countries”.
While male domination in the technology industry persists, women continue to push the envelope by challenging the status quo and committing themselves to get an education.
Women make up under around 30 per cent of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and maths. They’ve come a long way but more needs to be done.
Women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved an estimated $1 trillion from the GDP of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade – a loss that could grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action.
The secret to bridging this digital gap is cooperation.
“Let us work together – across governments, the private sector and civil society – to build a more inclusive, just, and prosperous world for women, girls, men, and boys everywhere,” Mr Guterres said.
There are many examples where women have achieved milestones.
In Fiji, a solar-powered boat project has enhanced the productivity of fisherwomen, whose participation in fishery has challenged mindsets and traditional roles.
People are beginning to realise that women can be highly skilled anglers, engineers and boat operators.
There are politicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers and nurses and many are entering career fields that were formerly regarded “a man’s world”. Now we have women who are pilots, engineers, sea captains, neuro-surgeons, scientists and military officers.
Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya believes that while technology can empower women it can also exacerbate existing gender inequalities. She says the industry must be developed with a gender lens.
“We must ensure that technology works for all Fijian woman and girls and not against them,” she said.
Aside from the innumerable plusses, there are many stories of single mothers and widows, many of whom live in squalid and sub-standard living conditions, and never enjoy the support of husbands.
Women in rural areas toil daily in farms and remote places so that they may find enough food to feed themselves and their children.
Some may walk miles on barefoot to get a single pale of brackish water from grog-infested wells, boreholes and rivers – to clean, cook and wash – so that their family members are fed, quenched and healthy.
There are women, who work standing in factory lines, restaurants and supermarkets. There are those who stay home and refuse work and education to nurse their ageing parents or to raise a terminally ill child, performing the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households.
As a journalist, I believe the newsroom where I work would be dull and different without the input of women colleagues.
I would not have a female friend to consult in the kitchen and seek advice from. I wouldn’t enjoy the lively chats over food or the hilarious laughter that punctuate those awkward moments. I’d definitely miss being pampered and treated with brotherly love.
I certainly agree with the expression: “If women stop, the world stops”.
To every woman who reads this, a very big vinaka vakalevu to you and may you have many more IWDs in years to come. Also know that you are special and unique and you possess in the palm of your hands unlimited power!
Until we meet on this same page same time next week, stay blessed, stay healthy and stay safe.