22 Mar 2019
The International Women’s Day 2019 campaign theme of #BalanceforBetter is a call-to-action for driving gender balance across the world. Better the balance, better the world. This day seeks to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for a more gender-balanced world. It aims to highlight the importance of creating conditions for the elimination of discrimination against women and for their full and equal participation in socio economic development. Hence the need for a better world that takes into cognizance the plight of women and how their sacrifices can be both treasured and addressed.
This day first emerged from the activities of labor movements in the Global north. The first gathering for its commemorations was conducted in 1911. Since then, the day has been celebrated annually on the 8th of March, and adopted as a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation.
Today, the International Women’s Day is commemorated in many countries; it is a day that celebrates womanhood. While today’s woman is juggling between various roles, she is still struggling to find her footing. The average woman is still juggling housework, motherhood, community roles and that of corporate work. The average woman still gets off a bus where she is manhandled rather than raise voice for her rights. The average woman still gets left out of social bonding over late night drinking sessions and probably gets left out of crucial decisions as well.
There are many challenges that women are facing, the International Day of Women is celebrated simply because the original aim to achieve full gender equality for women in the world has not been fully realized. Women are still facing challenges compared to their male counterparts, for example in business and political spaces, a gender pay gap continues to persist despite efforts made to address gender disparity. Figures show that globally, women’s education, health and violence towards women is still worse than that of men. Even in Zimbabwe there is still high prevalence of violence against women and girls. The issue of child marriages in most parts of Zimbabwe especially the rural and peri – urban areas is still being perpetuated. Zimbabwe as a nation continues to record high rates of violence against women, in particular, rape cases. According to Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency, recent statistics for the first quarter of 2018 released in May last year recorded that 7 394 rape cases were reported in 2017. The home is not the only spot for abuse, there is the work place and several public places. Children are also exposed to abuse with most of it coming from close relatives. All duty bearers need to work hand in glove to address the plight of women and girls for an enabling environment to reach their potential.
In particular rural women and girls in Zimbabwe are often exposed to all forms of abuse due to poverty, patriarchy and marginalization. Statistics has it that women are engaged in most unpaid work and in rural areas they rely on subsistence farming. With the current poor rains one wonders how they will cope. Young women have not been spared by these hard times. Some end up resorting to transacting sex for a living. They are forced by hard situations into early marriages; this has many consequences as they drop out of school, and have complications in pregnancy, contract sexually transmitted diseases. Some end up with unwanted pregnancies, forcing them into unsafe abortion and complications from high risk pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. On International women’s Day, women across the world come together to force the world to recognize these inequalities while also celebrating the achievements of women who have overcome some of these barriers. According to a 2017 report by the World Economic Forum, it could still take another 100 years before the global equality gap between men and women disappear entirely, the gender gap won’t close until 2186. Hence the need to continue working tirelessly to prevent such a delay towards a balanced world.
International Women’s Day is a worldwide event with a human rights theme, highlighting the social, economic, cultural and political achievements and contributions made by women. The day also sees demonstrations and protests aiming to further gender equality. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights. In some areas the day has become an occasion to express appreciation for women in general. 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. This day aims to highlight the importance of creating conditions for the elimination of discrimination against women and for their full and equal participation in social development.
The idea of this theme # BalanceForBetter is to consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective achievement of gender equality and empower all women and girls. Celebrating womanhood, the power endowed in women and mobilization of human capital, should interact to find solutions to issues affecting them and impeding their
progress in today’s environment. A woman is a nurturer, educator, in most cases a primary caregiver taking care of her loved ones even when she herself is in pain or ill. In society and the workplace in general women have so much more to overcome, be it various forms of violations, discrimination or stereotypes, hence they need to gain their rightful place, garnish respect and support from not only men but other women in their midst.
Women make up more than half the population in the country but there are largely underrepresented in decision making positions. The general paucity of women in decision making risks replicating gender inequality and dispersing discriminatory attitudes within communities. Yet this is happening in the era of empowerment. It is still a struggle to see women in positions associated with power, hence the need to dismantle structural gender inequalities in order to adequately voice the concerns of society for both men and women. We cannot wait for change to drop like manna from heaven. Sarah Ruddick, a feminist, views women as better leaders, because of motherhood women are more sensitive to issues that affect people hence they lead from a more humane centered perspective. It is through our own transformational efforts as women that we can land ourselves in better positions. We need brilliant, creative, honest and caring people to take part in leading our world and these incredible qualities can be found in women. This is a call for Zimbabwean women to act, even towards the 2023 elections, to also partake in taking the positions of power and we quote Dr. Sithembiso Nyoni’s sentiments on the World day of Prayer where she urged Christian Women to join politics, as we serve our country by being politicians.
The Zimbabwean government has paid allegiance to international and regional instruments and adopted a progressive constitution that takes into cognizance the plight of women. However this has been a contentious matter on the ground as there is a general consensus that efforts being made are not fully implemented as we still witness large gender gaps. Women still possess the room to push for more policy changes in Zimbabwe
We commend the women who have broken down barriers, who have entered in the domains previously regarded as preserves of men. Women can climb up the career ladder provided the environment is conducive and they are willing to do so. We appreciate women who have made it life and climbed up the corporate ladder despite the barriers encountered. Those who have made significant strides such as the former Vice President Joyce Mujuru, the female ministers, the first female mayor, Angeline Kasipo, women CEO’s and chairpersons, female clergy such as Eunor Guti to mention but a few. As the YWCA motto reiterates ‘By love we serve one another, and lift each other as we climb’. It is an appeal to women leaders to tirelessly uplift and support fellow women. Hence they should strive to be transformative leaders.
According to Sarah Ruddick, a mother’s gender attitude is more influential than the father’s in shaping children’s gender views. Hence our gender awareness as women will go a long way in transforming the gender perspectives of future generations.
The IWD is a reminder that women need to be appreciated, loved and their contributions in society recognized. It is a time to give thumbs up to all the women who have fought the good fight and managed to break the ceiling of barriers. This is a call to action to accelerate gender parity, for unity, reflection and action for a better, gender balanced world, #BalanceforBetter
Young Women Christian Association of Zimbabwe (YWCA) is a non-profit making, charitable organization which was established in 1894 in some global north countries and in Zimbabwe it was established in 1957 by women who united to support fellowship among women of different Christian backgrounds. The organization was formed out of the recognition that women and girls are not socially and economically empowered, so it realized the need to empower them in body, spirit and mind. In a bid to ensure that today’s woman is walking the path in equally strong strides alongside a man.
In doing this the organization recognizes the following values which are human dignity, justice and freedom. The organization complies with Christian principles of peaceful nations through peaceful co-existences in the homes. YWCA seeks to contribute towards eradication of poverty in women and to dislodge social injustices with the consciousness that as a nation we must form a gender sensitive, prosperous and a stable society to lessen the plight of women. In the light of such discoveries YWCA established economic empowerment centers in Harare, Bindura, Gweru and Bulawayo where young women are able to pursue their studies in vocational trainings. YWCA has embarked on projects to uplift the economic and social status of women through empowerment trainings, SRHR trainings, leadership and development trainings among other efforts. YWCA is an affiliate of the World YWCA based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Muchanyara Mukamuri, Ivy Shelly Begede, and Tavonga Mhungu
