On March 8, women all over the world will celebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD). In Sri Lanka too, various events have been organised by the Government and the private sector to mark this significant day in the calendar.
There are some on both sides of the gender divide who question the need for a separate day for women. But the truth is that the world needs to focus its attention on women on days such as these. Gender discrimination still exists even in the developed West and there are many countries where women are treated as second class citizens in male dominated societies.
True, women have come a long way since the world first marked the International Women’s Day almost a century ago. Almost all countries have given women the franchise, jobs which were previously dominated by men have been opened to women and the education and health of women are considered a priority. Yet, women suffer silently in many societies both at domestic and social levels.
One of the biggest problems confronting women and girls is domestic and other forms of violence including physical and sexual abuse. Just five percent of Government aid is focused on tackling violence against women and girls, and less than 0.2 percent is directed to its prevention. Without ambitious investments to scale-up prevention programs, implement effective policies, and provide support services to address violence against women and girls, countries will fail to end gender-based violence by 2030.
Physical and sexual harassment of women is ingrained in many societies and not many women dare speak against such acts. There are many victims of rape who bear the trauma throughout their lives due to fear of stigma and the denial of social opportunities.
Women need to get opportunities in every sector. For this to happen, countries must invest in women. Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if we want to create prosperous economies and a healthy planet.
However, we are facing a key challenge: the alarming US$ 360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030. Hence this year’s IWD theme ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress”. Time is running out. Gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge. Investing in women is a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies.
Investing more on education is the main path for the liberation of women. It is also the best way of preventing poverty among women. More girls and women must be urged to learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects and to venture into jobs that were previously dominated by men. That glass ceiling has to be breached. Here in Sri Lanka, women bus or truck drivers and machinery operators are unheard of. Such fields should be opened to women.
According to the United Nations, women do two-thirds of the world’s work but receive only 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than one percent of the land. Globally there is still a gender pay gap (that is unlikely to be bridged at least until 2150), a lack of women Parliamentarians, and women’s health overall around the world is worse than that of men. There are many developing countries where the education of the girl child is neglected. Girls and women are treated virtually as slaves in some societies.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envision a better future for women and girls. While it is highly unlikely that these goals could be met by the 2030 deadline, steady progress is being made with regard to the emancipation of women worldwide.
Sri Lanka’s track record in this regard is rather impressive, despite being a developing country. Sri Lanka was one of the first in the world to grant voting rights for women, well before gaining Independence in 1948. Even developed countries envy some of our indices with regard to women and girls. Infant and maternal mortality is low, healthcare and education standards for women are high and many women hold top positions in the Government and private sectors.
One worrying factor is that political representation by women is still at a very low level in Sri Lanka, compared even to its neighbours, despite producing the world’s first woman Prime Minister. Many reasons have been cited for this situation, including the complexities of the Proportional Representation (PR) system which requires a vast amount of funds and manpower for campaigning purposes and the inherent trend of violence in our electoral landscape. But the lack of women’s representation denies women at large a voice in the decision-making process, be it in the village or Parliament.
This issue has to be addressed on a priority basis. It is gratifying to note that the major parties are making a conscious effort to include more women in their lists at every election.
The liberation of women is a task not only for the Government and women’s groups. The society as a whole should be involved in this effort. It is women who give life to our world. All have a responsibility to ensure equal opportunities and a better life for women the world over.
