The 21st century is blessed with the gift of choice because there were people who fought and died for the world we’re living in now. They wanted to leave the world better than they met it: a world where your sex doesn’t have to determine who you will be in life; a world where there is equal rights. We’ve had heroes and heroines who have fought selflessly for us, and even after their death, we still remember their good works. No wonder people say, “it’s not the years that matters but the life in the years.”
International Women’s Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s. it’s seen as a day of reflection on our feminist heroines who went beyond all odds to make the world a better place. They believed that there is something greater than them, that we are all precious and worthy. These women have given hope to generations after them as the rate of violence on women is dropping and girls are given the freedom of education therefore equipping them for a better future.
Now women of all ages are finding the courage to tell their stories – clearing the cloud of shame that existed for too long. They speak out for the failure of decency that we all hold dear. These kind of courage and compassion is who we are. They remind us that hope is the driving force for success. We reflect on their history and learn from their failure to improve our lives. They make us know that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, that we are all stronger together!
The heroines that fought for equality then has given generations after the courage to look beyond the role of producing children and being housewives.
Women now occupy up to 23% of parlimentary seats according to research. However, in many countries, women still suffer disproportionately from poverty, lack of education, lack of access to health-care and the likes. That’s why on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has included some of the issues women began to fight for such as inequality, good health, good education and so on.
Sustainable development (SD) seems to hold out the promise of bringing about a rapprochement between ecological (sustainability) and economic (development) interests. SD is accordingly deemed able to cope with the ecological crisis without affecting the existing economic relationships of power. To create sustainable and healthy economies, we must empower women and break down these barriers. No matter what industry you’re in, you can implement policies to fight gender discrimination and encourage diversity in your business.
Now we know that our country is powerful and strong, and each us has a role to play and a choice to decide the future we want. From a woman to another I Say Happy International Women’s Day to All the Strong Women Out There.
About the Author
Tolani Akintonde is a speaker and writer. She hope someday to run an NGO that aims to promote Environmental Sustainability and humanitarian. She has worked with some NGO’s and groups. She’s currently a final year Student of International Relations at Caleb University, Lagos. Her twitter handle is @akins_motolani and her email address is motolakins@gmail.com