Gender equality a priority
The legendary Bob Marley sang ‘No Woman, No Cry’ back in 1974 which pays tribute to the strength of a woman. It is one of his timeless songs.
The entire globe marks International Women’s Day on the 8th of March every year. It is to celebrate achievements recorded thus far and to give impetus to the fight for women’s rights.
It was Clara Zetkin, the German Marxist theorist and activist who proposed the concept of International Women’s Day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) states that the first National Women’s Day was observed in 1909 in USA and it was not until 1945 that the United Nations marked the day.
Indeed the women Bob Marley sang about so rhythmically and melodiously are confronted by grave inequalities, notwithstanding progress made.
“. . . We celebrate women and girls everywhere. We celebrate their contributions to ending the Covid-19 pandemic, their ideas, innovations and activism that are changing our world for the better. And their leadership across all walks of life.
These were profound words by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio
Guterres in his statement to commemorate International Women’s day on March 8.
The past week saw a number of organisations in Zimbabwe host events to celebrate women in Government, business and society at large. The week belonged to women. In fact the entire month of March is dedicated to the fairer sex. We need to be spoilt rotten.
Indeed there are some men in our midst who have confessed that women play a multiplicity of roles that impact the world and must be celebrated every day. Who are we to deny ourselves such.
Women in this country and the world over have made huge strides and contributions to the development and growth of their respective areas of influence and have achieved huge milestones worth celebrating in business, politics, the judiciary and other areas previously male-dominated.
Their selfless attitude indeed makes the world go round. There is no denying this.
Significantly, gaps in the education sector have been reduced. We need not look any further than our own universities where females outnumber males in enrolment, which has been noted by the media, particularly during graduation ceremonies.
Fewer women are dying during child birth and the reports that‘With few exceptions, women now outlive men in virtually every country.’More and more women are gaining political power as exemplified by the number of MPs and Senators.
In business too, we have seen more women appointed to boards, even become board chairs, more are running their own substantive entities, an increasing number are being appointed CEOs and there is greater visibility.
In Africa women occupy 39 percent of senior management positions. According to UN Women, as of September 2021, 26 women were serving as heads of state and government in 24 countries
However, some of the gains have of late been compromised due to the Covid-19 pandemic, violence and abuse, poverty and under-representation in the halls of power.
The theme for this year is‘Gender Equality Today, for a Sustainable Tomorrow. It aptly captures the urgency to address the undeniable inequalities which exist between men and women for better and lasting prospects in the future. We act now for the outcomes we envisage in the future.
‘We need more women Environment Ministers, business leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers. They can push countries to address climate crisis, develop green jobs and build a more just, and sustainable world’.
Women and girls are more susceptible to these forces because they make up the world’s poor. Additionally, women are more dependent on natural resources. Women’s issues are more expansive too.
In homes, they have multiple roles to play, being primary care givers, mothers, wives, with obligations to attend to domestic chores as well as complement family incomes by being employed, pursuing entrepreneurship.
“But we also recognise that in too many areas, the clock on women’s rights is moving backwards,”said the UN Secretary General.
The Covid-19 pandemic, as alluded to earlier, compounded the situation with both home-based lessons and work from home approaches being adopted.
Furthermore, in 2020, at least 113 million women aged between 25-54 were out of the workforce as the pandemic ravaged. Add to that reported increases in domestic violence and the picture gets uglier.
Women have to deal with biases, discrimination and stereotyping which impact on their social, cultural, economic, political and professional lives in far-reaching ways.
It is no wonder then that the world has to pause, reflect and act.
What are the cause of gender inequality? Quite a number of issues. Societal and traditional practices are partially responsible for the perpetuation of gender inequality. Furthermore, there is lack of understanding of gender equity. Lise Eliot, a neuroscience professor at the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science said
‘We all have them(biases) based on race, religion, sexual orientation and gender. The important thing is to be aware of our sexist assumptions and challenge them. We must fight for a world which is equitable and inclusive”.
There is also lack of resources, both human and financial, to carry out gender equality work. At homes, where charity is supposed to begin, boys and girls are treated differently, thereby entrenching biases.
It is a pout pourri of issues that stakeholders are largely aware of but must now move more purposefully to address.
We may well ask what the effects of gender inequality are?
Women earn less in workplaces. UN Women found that ‘women are less likely than men to participate in labour markets and more likely to be unemployed’.
The same organisation also noted that diminished participation in employment and entrepreneurship costs the world 15 percentage of GDP. And it goes on to state that if women had identical participation in the economy, it would add USD 28 trillion(26 percent) to annual GDP as compared to the status quo.
Women,according to the World Bank, earn 77 cents to every dollar earned by a man. The effects are not just material as inequality causes mental afflictions such anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Clearly, more needs to be done. How can we eradicate or at the least diminish gender inequality? We can pro actively take numerous measures in our various spheres, from homes to work places, from the sports field to churches. The family and homes play an inestimable role in shaping children’s behaviour. Children learn from what they see more than they are told. It is important to treat them equally
Domestic violence is rampant and must be abated. Men, by far the principal perpetrators of violence against women, must be educated on the need to resolve issues peacefully and to seek help from third parties when conflict arises. Without saying, some women are not culpable themselves in instances. In many spheres, there has been growing calls for inclusive and diverse growth. This should apply to gender equality issues too. Companies should reflect this in their recruitment and selection of teams. Salaries should be equal for same rank, duties, experience and performance if we are sincere in our efforts.
There should be zero tolerance to sexual harassment. Corporates and entities too can prudently offer anti-bias training. As has been noted, some comments and jokes are presumed harmless yet they hurt people and engender stress. Those found to be in breach must be held to account.
Gender equality is critically important. It raises our productivity capacities, ensures harmonious relationships between the sexes, averts disgraceful situations and builds healthier economies, businesses and above all humans.
Men and women play complementary roles in the advancement of our goals. There is enough space for both sexes in this world, on an equal footing and we will all be better for it!
In God I Trust!
Twitter handle: @VictoriaRuzvid2; Email: victoria.ruzvidzo@zimpapers.co.zw; victoria.ruzvidzo@gmail.com; WhatsApp number: 0772 129 992.