Ensure Gender Inclusion

International Women’s Day falls on 8th March each year and this year, the campaign theme was #AccelerateAction. As the world celebrated women's contributions, love and compassion last week, it brought to fore the call for their rights as well. The history of the fight for women’s rights stretches across time and continents and has been led by influential female activists who took risks to support women’s rights, be it the right to education or the right to vote.

During the early 20th century, Great Britain saw its women fight for their right to vote. Driving them were the suffragette movements, especially the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which Emmeline Pankhurst led. Most suffragists believed in a peaceful advocacy, but those associated with WSPU argued for a more direct action to achieve their goals. Their focus was more on tangible actions than mere lip service. To fight rigid patriarchy, the WSPU suffragists held protests and marches and disrupted political meetings. 

They were active in large-scale public demonstrations, which drew thousands of supporters and participants even at the cost of retribution. Their relentless protests and actions led to the advancement of women’s rights in Britain with the historic achievement of the Representation of the People Act 1918. It granted voting rights to women who were over 30 years old and had certain property rights. This Act was later extended in 1928 as women finally got the same voting rights as men.

The suffragist movements in the West were crucial in granting females their rights. Their methods occasionally were unorthodox and shocked the conservative society at that time. However, looking back on history, one realises how necessary and essential they were. Activism is thus at the core of the women’s movement, whether it is for equal rights in politics, education, the workplace, etc. Nearly a century after the suffragist movements, the # MeToo movement struck a chord with females throughout the globe. 

Half the world includes females who are considered an epitome of femininity as they represent love, compassion and empathy. They are endowed with a maternal nature and instinct, a nurturing attribute. And yet they are considered a weaker gender and subjected to oppression, a common trend in poor, underdeveloped nations. While many third world nations have rigid rules and extreme patriarchal subjugation of the females, even the first world nations put girls and women against impossible standards whether at home or work. It is deplorable that the female population has to contend against gender bias and discrimination, which plague even the most developed of nations.

 To tackle this, the workplace has to advocate for the inclusion of women and young girls have to be encouraged to take up STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects more enthusiastically. Likewise, female empowerment begins at home, which is why there is a necessity for public awareness, particularly in underprivileged societies. Together with awareness, women’s movements and activism can initiate definite steps towards gender equity, inclusion and female empowerment throughout the globe. 

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the world celebrated girls and women. However, despite the achievements attained in women’s rights, there has to be more action and fewer words, implemented with a rise in female inclusion in education, the workplace and even at home.