Women all over the world not only want, but deserve a seat at the table, making decisions that impact the world as well as their own lives. International Women’s Day aims to uphold women's achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights and gender equality. Over the past few years, we as humans have made extraordinary advancements with technology and all our knowledge. For instance, humans have been able to set foot on the moon, develop implantable brain-machine interfaces and even photographed a black hole; but apparently, gender equality is far too heinous of an act.
While our male counterparts continue to exist and be praised for mediocracy at times, legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billon women from accessing the same of careers as men. Like that was not enough, all around the world, only 24.9 per cent of parliamentarians were women as of 2019 and one in threewomen still experience and suffer gender-based violence.
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. For example, our health sector workers; doctors, nurses, caregivers, and scientist, yet they are paid 11 per cent less GLOBALLY than their male counterparts. This leads us to this year’s theme.
The I #ChooseToChallenge theme demands gender and generational equality, having a seat at the table, being treated fairly in the work place, getting paid what we deserve for our efforts and not because of our gender. We are challenging gender biased structures and demanding inclusivity.
“A challenged word is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So, let’s all choose to challenge.”
Tell me, what do YOU #ChooseToChallenge?
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