Some ups and downs and a long way to go

Islamabad

Today the world is marking International Women’s Day – ‘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.’ 

The theme for this year, as put by the UN, is ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality,’ or in short, as strongly advocated by other organizations in their appeals, ‘Pledge for Parity,’ – asking governments and individuals to make a pledge that they will work harder for gender parity, keeping in mind that the World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that gender equality would take until 2095 to achieve. Then one year later they estimated that a slowdown in the pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn't close entirely until 2133!  It reminds of the saying that has been applied to this struggle since day one - ‘one step forward, two steps back!’  

To quote from the message of the theme, “Everyone - men and women - can pledge to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly - whether to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, call for gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference, develop more inclusive and flexible cultures or root out workplace bias. Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to take pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity. Globally, with individuals pledging to move from talk to purposeful action - and with men and women joining forces - we can collectively help women advance equal to their numbers and realise the limitless potential they offer economies the world over. We have urgent work to do. Are you ready to accelerate gender parity?”

Some key targets of the 2030 agenda are: to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development care so that they are ready for primary education to which they should have access; end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation and eliminate all other harmful practices, such as early and forced marriage.

Though progress towards gender parity has slowed all over, especially in this part of the world, we do have something to celebrate today with the present government, surprisingly, taking some positive steps for women’s empowerment, much against the wishes of the religious right. So along with the pledge for parity we have to work hard to make sure that naysayers do not prevail in pressurising the present dispensation to undo what has been done.

Hopefully, with so many programmes planned around the country that will elaborate on the theme, the day will end with more hope and determination to fight the good fight and make the somewhat distant dream come true, if not for us then the next generation.