Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress
Discrimination against women is present across cultures. International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global UN observation. By the early 1900s, women were having voting rights in several countries. It has been a prolonged struggle to get voting rights in a celebrated democracy like the US. From the beginning, the universal adult franchise adopted by India gave voting rights to all adults, including women. The historic bill of giving 33% of the seats to women was one of the bills passed when parliament started functioning from its new premises. Even though many agree that women in leadership roles bring equity and compassion in addition to efficiency and help societies become more just, the number of women occupying leadership positions is less than 30%. What we need is to celebrate women for what they are. Take action for equality. Let it begin with you, at your home, workplace and the society in which you live.
No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.
Michelle Obama
Ancient Hindu scriptures indicate women’s importance in society and the need to respect them for their ability, intelligence, and patience. Discrimination against women is present across cultures. International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global UN observation started in 1975. It all began in 1908, when women marched the streets of New York, demanding better working conditions and voting rights. There was agitation by women for their rights in Russia on February 23. Initially, the observation date was the last day of February and changed to March 8 (the equivalent of February 23 of the Gregorian calendar). Purple (signifying justice and dignity), green (hope), and white (purity) are the colours of International Women’s Day.
By the early 1900s, women were having voting rights in several countries. New Zealand was the first country that gave women the right to vote. It has been a prolonged struggle to get voting rights in a celebrated democracy like the US. It took several years to achieve it. Saudi Arabia is the latest country to give women the right to vote (in 2011). From the beginning, the universal adult franchise adopted by India gave voting rights to all adults, including women. The historic bill of giving 33% of the seats to women was one of the bills passed when parliament started functioning from its new premises.
Still, in some countries, the husbands have the right to prevent their wives from working. In many societies, sons and daughters do not share equal inheritance rights. Women are still not paid the same as their male counterparts for their work. Even though women contribute the most to the world’s food production, they own less than 10% of the land. An ILO report indicates that women spend ~3 times more time on unpaid care work than men. Assigned a monetary value, it would account for more than 40% of GDP. Even though many agree that women in leadership roles bring equity and compassion in addition to efficiency and help societies become more just, the number of women occupying leadership positions is less than 30%.          Â
You alone cannot change the world. But I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
Mother Theresa
What we need is to celebrate women for what they are and respect them. Raise awareness about discrimination. Appreciate the progress made by women against all the odds. Imagine a gender-equal world where respect is for your ability rather than what you are born as. At best, we can say it is a work in progress. The irony is everyone agrees but lags in taking action to make genre equality a reality.  Â
Take action for equality. Let it begin with you,
at your home, workplace and the society
in which you live.
Toons: Reema and Anusha
Logs: M Sai Baba
ToonLogs
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