Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow

“No country can every truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half its citizens.”- Michelle Obama. Each year the international community looks forward to the celebrations and activities surrounding International Women’s Day. Over the years there have been significant changes and attitudinal shift concerning society’s perception of women's equality and empowerment. This year International Women’s Day will be observed on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. IWD is accompanied with considerable activities organized and witnessed worldwide as non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), women groups join forces and resources to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality. The theme for International Women’s Day is Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all. According to the United Nations (UN), advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have, severe and lasting impacts on our environment, economic and social development. Those who are among the most vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts. The UN added that women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most. At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. Women are becoming more involved in sustainability initiatives globally, and their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action. It is important that societies continue to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints in order to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability. Undoubtedly, the involvement of women as equal and respected players is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality. The United Nations states that without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach. Oftentimes we are clueless regarding what is sustainable development. Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is only when a society truly experiences sustainable development that the lives of the citizenry are changed in a positive and meaningful manner. Although we recognize that women are most vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis the lived reality is problematic. In most instances women are absent from the decision making discussions; the decision making regarding policy direction is primarily in the domain of men. It is important that women become part of the decision making process; gender equality must become a reality and not just a sociological concept. The voices of women, including rural women must be heard and taken into consideration regarding climate and the environment given that the severe impact such policies will have on this vulnerable group. . History of International Women’s Day Historically, women have been discriminated against. International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900's; an era of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. Great unrest and critical debate was occurring among women. Women's oppression and inequality forced many women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. The fact is we already know that bias exists; however, this is not enough. There is an urgent need for societies to organize themselves in order to interrogate the foundations of the biases and make the necessary changes. International Women's Day is not specific to a country, group, or organization. No one government, non-government organization (NGO), charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network, or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. The day belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. Gender Equality Let us for a moment imagine a gender equal world; a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Unfortunately, many of us are unable to envision a gender equal world where women are treated equally as men. Why is it that a gender equal world is so far-fetched? Patriarchy is at the foundation of the bias, stereotype and discrimination women face. Catherine Nash defines patriarchy in the International Encyclopedia of Human Geography as an analytical concept referring to a system of political, social, and economic relations and institutions structured around the gender inequality of socially defined men and women. Within patriarchal relations, women are collectively excluded from full participation in political and economic life. Those attributes seen as ‘feminine’ or as pertaining to women are undervalued. Patriarchal relations structure both the private and public spheres, with men dominating both domestic and public life. The time to engage patriarchal structures and systems have passed. Accountability and transparency are critical tools necessary in building a framework of gender equality in order to create avenues for women to join the conversation on matters not only related to climate issues but issues of national importance. Not surprisingly, gender equality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected recent progress on gender equality: violence against women and girls has intensified, child marriage is expected to increase after declining in previous years, and increased care work at home is affecting women disproportionately. The pandemic has highlighted the need for swift action to address the gender inequality that remains pervasive globally and to get back on track for achieving gender equality. Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is critical to a culture of sustainable development. Alarmingly, the World Economic Forum concludes that another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity. The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 states as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt, closing the global gender gap has increased by a generation from 99.5 years to 135.6 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for swift action to address the gender inequality that remains pervasive globally and to get back on track for achieving gender equality. Gender parity is equality among men and women. Gender parity is reflected by equality, fairness, balance, diversity, and integration of genders across organizational structures. Gender parity also reflects the removal of gendered obstacles to career or leadership advancement, leadership diversity, and the incorporation of conscious and intentional gendered strategies to ensure continued and ongoing gender parity and diversity. It is this inclusiveness of women and their contributions which make for stronger societies which embrace a culture of sustainable development. Break the Bias The international community must be very concerned especially on this anniversary of International Women’s Day regarding the displacement of so many women and girls in the ongoing Ukraine/Russia conflict. The international community has seen the photographs of women giving birth in underground metro stations and newborns hastily being moved to makeshift bomb shelters as health facilities become inaccessible or too damaged to function. According to United Nations Population Fund an estimated 80,000 women will give birth in the next three months in Ukraine, many of them without access to critical maternal health care. For some, childbirth will be a life-threatening rather than a life-changing experience. War generates mass movement of people. The ongoing military intervention by the Russian Federation into Ukraine has put women and girls at a heightened risk of violence. Many women have had to flee Ukraine since Russia’s invasion leaving behind their husbands. There is an uncertain future as these women and children have journeyed to other countries in Europe and elsewhere in their quest to escape the horrors of this war. The specific needs of women require a sense of urgency to be addressed. Sustainable development has no gender and as a result policy makers must ensure that the programmes, policies and plans implemented are designed in a gender neutral way in order to cater to both men and women. Additionally, men also have a major role to play in ushering an era of gender equality and gender parity. In those instances where men have a voice and a platform this avenue can and should be used to assist in putting across the message surrounding the exigency of women’s empowerment in order to achieve sustainable development. On this International Women’s Day we salute our women. IWD should also be cloaked in a collective spirit of activism and advocacy which are necessary tools needed to break the bias and discrimination surrounding women’s rights. Will you help to break the bias? In the words of Michelle Bachelet, gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalWomensDay #BreakTheBias #IWD2022 #genderequality #genderparity #Jamaica