Let’s Exalt Women Power Everyday

On 8th March, International Women’s Day was commemorated with much fanfare across the world with heads of states, government, celebrities and business organisations sending out messages celebrating women’s resilience, strength and equality. Social media platforms, too, were flooded with hashtags and Women’s Day messages. However, amid this fanfare and wave of messages, very few seem to understand the true significance of Women’s Day. 

Women’s Day is celebrated to mark the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural and political spheres. The strength of International women’s day celebration lies not only in its rich history but also in its continuous endeavour to make a world a better place to live in for women by focusing on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, justice for victims of gender based violence, education for girls, access to health care, equal pay, right to vote and right to own properties. 

Rights movements 

The labour movement activities during the 19th and 20th centuries across North America and Europe opened the avenues for the women’s rights movement. Women’s Day is also linked to the women’s movements during the Russian Revolution in 1917. Following various movements across the world, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote on a national level. All these grassroots movements have brought significant feats in the areas of gender equality. From an era of confining women to mere four walls of the kitchen to an era of women standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts in running families, organizations, or countries, this transformation can, indeed, be heralded as revolutionary. 

Needless to say, the social and economic standing of women have been elevated like never before, and history is rife with examples of courageous women not just pushing the boundaries but also shattering the highest glass ceilings in different sectors. Notwithstanding the tremendous feats achieved in the areas of women’s rights, gender inequality persists. According to the UN, globally, a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a family member or partner. As per the report, as many as 51,000 women and girls were killed in 2023 by their intimate partners or by family members, making home the deadliest place for women.

Likewise, recent figures reveal a gender pay gap, with around 77 per cent of men earning more than women. Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports that less than 25 per cent of landowners globally are women. The 2024 data confirms that women face violence in many forms, including gender based violence, human rights violence and online abuse. In countries like Nepal, though gender roles and expectations are changing, traditional patriarchal society creates barriers to gender equality. This deeply patriarchal society continues to mainstream misogyny as opposed to mainstreaming equal rights. The age-old practice of hailing men as superior to women has done irreparable damage to our society. 

Recently, harrowing details have emerged with Nepal ranking highest for sex ratio at birth in the region due to gender biased sex selection depicting the preference of sons over daughters by Nepali families. Surprisingly, the 2021 census shows that the sex ratio at birth in urban municipalities is higher than in rural municipalities, a contradiction to the belief that educated city dwellers discriminate less against female children than less educated rural people.  All these findings confirm that a huge injustice has been meted out at girls and women, who make up around 50 per cent of the world population. 

Despite women securing more robust rights to education and the right to participate in the workforce across the world, huge inequality in many forms persists, which necessitates strategic approach formulation by the government. Series of measures that can be adopted to promote gender equality includes promoting gender equality through awareness and education, adopting and implementing strict policies to ensure zero violence against women, government enacting laws to ensure equal pay for equal work, promoting women’s participation in leadership roles in politics as well as various sectors of society and also implementing quotas for women in leadership positions.

Empowered daughters 

 It is the need of the hour to fight negative biases and uproot traditions that normalise gender inequality. Society must raise strong and empowered daughters who have the audacity to live life on their own terms, who are fearless in pursuit of their goals, and who violate societal norms not to rebel but to reach the highest glass ceiling possible. Along with it, it is imperative to challenge stereotypes by raising awareness, confronting misinformation and engaging boys in different spheres of life. Women’s rights are basic human rights and depriving women of basic human rights is not merely a huge injustice against women, but it also means depriving the world of vast reservoirs of skills, talent and potential that females are endowed with. Women are not mere creators of this world, but with their unbeatable combination of compassion, creativity and strength, they can make the world a better place to live in. 

Celebrating Women’s day is not simply about sending out Women’s Day wishes or offering flowers on one particular day. It’s much deeper, its understanding that we owe our freedom and equality to the courageous women rights activists who pushed the limits, defied conventions, broke barriers and refused to step back. Every policy and legal change is the result of women who fearlessly organised, protested and demanded action. True Women’s Day Celebration is saluting those courageous women and committing to carrying on their legacy by keeping the fight for gender equality on. 

(Shrestha is a chief instructor/director Suva Consultancy & Training Institute.)