This day, the 8th of March, 2022 allows the entire world to celebrate one thing; celebrating many women across the world and the key roles they play in households, communities, and in the nation’s development.
Today we rise to appreciate diversity and differences for a sustainable tomorrow. As the International Women’s Day; #IWD is celebrated for several decades now and is recognized by the United Nations since 1975, it is an indication that the world has come to accept there is the need to acknowledge the presence and impacts women make in many areas of life and in development.
There is therefore a call for all of us as men and also women to fight for a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination against women. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, giving equal opportunities to all in various aspects.
We can not let our beliefs and cultures be a barrier to a better world. We can only embrace what binds us right in our beliefs and cultures to be able to fight against the climate crisis we face in the world today.
We can rewrite the wrongs and make room for everyone to thrive and support the goal to a green tomorrow. No one is spared by the hardships that is caused by climate change but women on the other hand are displaced more by its effects. As estimated, “80% of people displaced by climate change are women”.
This shows how important it is to allow and create avenues that will allow women to lead the call to halt the climate crisis. Climate change is a major threat to human existence and our environment. Everyone must be involved in the call to climate change.
Great commitments need to be made towards creating an awareness of the menace of sexual harassment and tender age pregnancies girls experience in various basic schools.
Just as their counterparts, girls of school-going age should have equal rights to be able to stay in school without the fear of being marginalized because they do not submit to conditions that serve them nothing but absolute sexual harassment.
The many complicated health issues the girls go through when pregnant at tender ages can also be prevented when much investment is made in this area to create awareness in the schools.
Many opportunities can then be available for the girl child to leverage the gap in our educational systems to bring up girls who can face the future-ready, with a sound mind, and to be able to design ideas and innovate to build a sustainable tomorrow.
In the call to forge women’s equality, women and girls should not be disadvantaged because of the communities or groups within which they find themselves. As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, let us accept that appreciation of diversity is the basis for growth and diversity can become beautiful when not only women fight for the right of their existence, involvement, and equal opportunities. Let us all come together for a common goal, create opportunities for women to exhibit their expertise, and give support in all areas for a progressive and sustainable future.
Dorothy Afi Ayivor Amelor is the Founder of Dash AM FOUNDATION
