Today is the International Day of Women where we celebrate the achievements of women and how far they have come in the fight for their rights within the political, cultural, and social spheres is celebrated.
The day not only recognizes the achievements made by women but also brings awareness to the obstacles that still stand in their way. This year’s theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
The International Women’s Day website states:
‘A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. ‘From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.’
As we celebrate this day we need to raise awareness against bias, take action for equality and ensure women around the world have equal access to education, women are capacitated to make healthy choice decisions, women take up leadership positions in all spheres, and women contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities. Today is about seeing women having the right to decision-making in all areas of life, having equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, and an end to all forms of violence against women and girls, and having health-care and education services that respond to their needs.
Pandemics affect girls and boys, women and men differently. While children’s health appears less impacted by COVID-19 than older adults, children’s education has been interrupted, protective structures disrupted and their families and communities placed under stress by health and economic burdens. Child are also not spared from stress or depression.
COVID-19 has resulted in significant interruption to education and already disadvantaged groups like girls have experienced the greatest impact of the disruption to education. Most girls are likely never to see the door of a classroom again and the gains made for girl education are likely to be reversed. Groups that are already disadvantaged, such as adolescent girls, experience the greatest risks and impact when their education is interrupted. The world risks losing out on the gains made for girls’ education.
As Tariro we will ensure we support as many girls as we can as schools re-open in Zimbabwe and we will support the adoption of appropriate distance learning practices. We are in the process of developing a comprehensive remote and blended learning strategy that will encompass distance learning and online learning and we will ensure that girls are trained with the necessary digital skills, including the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online.
Tariro’s work is premised on the belief that the benefits of gender equality are not just for women and girls, but for everyone whose lives will be changed by a fairer world that leaves no one behind.
Happy Women’s Day!!!
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