International Women’s Day: Discover women’s power, issues, importance and more

We should spell out the importance of Women in the society more. It has been ascertained by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations that one of the paramount ways to ensure there is formidable growth in a nation is by allowing women and girls to have access to quality life and equal rights with their counterparts.  Although it has been quite challenging, but the only way to forge ahead is to be resilient.

The United Nations chose March 8 of every year to celebrate and explicate the importance of all women across the world. What we celebrate today as “International Women’s Day” began as a protest in New York over low wages and bad working conditions. This bold move by about fifteen thousand women was commemorated on February 28, 1909, as “National Women’s Day”.

In 1910, women’s rights advocate and the leader of Germany’s Women’s Office of the Social Democratic Party Clara Zetkin, proposed the idea of a global celebration for women — International Women’s Day. On March 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated; over one million people participated from Germany, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. Women’s Day was recognized by the UN in 1975 – ever since it has been handled by them.

As a woman, what you go through daily can be inexplicable sometimes. A fact that cannot be disputed is that women are a source of strength to their families and play a crucial role in society. Many factors contribute to the relegation of women but the intense awareness in recent years is changing the narrative.

Notwithstanding, here are some of the problems below:

Education

In a research conducted in 2023 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), about 250 million children are out of school. This number increased by 6 million between 2021 to 2023 due to the mass exclusion of young girls and women from education in Afghanistan.

Every girl in this plight has no chance to be productive; it means there is no room for them to be useful to each other and society. When young girls are thrown into school early, it is a trait of a better future, a development for the country and to build a strong family which is the bedrock of every society.

Laws and Policies

It is no longer news that some countries are still not aware of the importance of women in society. There are no laws and policies to protect the rights of women. The chances given to women are quite limited, especially in leadership roles. In Nigeria, advocacy is still ongoing on women’s participation in politics

Employment and Wage payment 

Women struggle to get certain jobs like senior positions in companies compared to men. They are likely to face unemployment and lower wages. Most women, in the pursuit of supporting their family, and children are left with nothing or don’t even have enough to cater for themselves because of the marginalization.

The Importance of Women in the Society

How do women contribute to society, you ask? We’ve some of the roles women play to keep things moving:

Economic Contribution

Sincerely, without any doubt, women are very crucial in the economic development of a country. In Nigeria, many women own businesses; they are self-employed — they contribute and play significant roles in the labour force. They are not just entrepreneurs, they are very successful at what they do.

Strong Family Ties

Women are builders; they are the backbone of families. The well-being of the children, friends, and husband is always keen on them. We cannot overrule the fact that families make up society. If there is no proper nurturing of children right from home, society will continue to be polluted. Can you now see the important role women play in national development? 

Women are Peacemakers

In times of trouble, women are usually entrusted with making peace and maintaining cordial relationships in the community, work, and society at large.  As a woman, you understand that there is a natural power in you that enables you to mobilize people for any course and make things right. This is why the female folk are a formidable tool for national development.