It has been years since we began marking March 8 as International Women’s Day. The purpose of observing this significant day in the calendar year is to fight all sorts of malpractices relating to how women are considered and treated in society since time immemorial. It has been a long battle that still has not been concluded with their aspiration of equality with men. Recent surveys and estimates have shown that at the current pace, such all-rounded equality between the two genders will probably take more than a couple of generations. That is why the momentum must be raised and the battle intensified in every circumstance.
All sorts of malpractices that have been experienced by women across the years should be obliterated particularly in certain societies that openly exclude women from decision making. March 8 could be instrumental in raising the awareness of these societies explaining what rights women are entitled to and how they should be implemented with the introduction of new laws and the full practice and enforcement of the laws where they already exist but have not been duly enforced. Things cannot be taken for granted and even women themselves must be taught to be aware of their fundamental rights to equality of treatment at any level and contribute to the elimination of all forms of prejudice and limitations by not being complacent.
Men should not live in the past and continue to treat women as second-class humans. Science has already determined that there is no natural inequality between men and women. Women are equally capable as men despite the natural and physiological differences between the two genders. Women have been discriminated against just because they take time to bear children and raise them. They pay immense sacrifices in pregnancy, give birth to children, and grow them so the human race continues to renew itself. Some people assert that this huge and crucial responsibility carried out by women, alone would entitle them to even more rights than men instead of treating them badly and discriminating against them. March 8 is something that is intended to empower women and demolish all sorts of stereotypes and biases against them.
The level of inequality between men and women of course differs depending on the kind of society because not all societies have the same knowledge and consciousness about basic human rights and women’s rights in particular. Some societies are very harsh with their women demanding that they do all the hard chores in the family. The role of men here is negligible. In these societies, women are really treated badly. No one has dared challenge them and for instance, these societies do not encourage girls to go to school and even when they are allowed to go there, they are forced to get married at a premature age and often with someone they may even do not know. Their consensus is rarely asked.
Such practices do not happen in the developed countries. There the inequalities are a bit subtle and not as egregious as in the so-called Third World where old habits still reign. There is hence a lot more to do in these communities. Certain practices in some communities are even so crude and harsh that accepting them is a challenge to our conscience. Considering to what extent the rights of women are violated, it becomes hard even to pretend not to see them let alone accept them in silence.
That is why the significance of March 8 becomes even more vital for certain societies than others. March 8 is intended to highlight the sacrifices that women pay for society in their day-to-day lives and yet do not receive fair treatment. It is a particular day when these differences are made to come to the attention of everyone including women themselves to magnify what they do and what would happen if they did not carry out all those duties in the family. March 8 is intended also to promote the deserved rights of women just as men by avoiding not only the stereotyping of women but also the host of discriminatory practices that a certain paternalistic society has nurtured through centuries.
It is easy to see that the battle for equality still has several obstacles in the psyche of men because they have been raised and even indoctrinated in certain societies that women must not be treated equally as men.
Women had hence to launch this day dedicating it to the struggle to eradicate all forms of inequalities against them. Many organizations and human rights activists have been campaigning for this objective of condemning all sorts of prejudices and biases against them and instead looking at women with the same eyes as men. The world cannot continue to tolerate seeing women be disadvantaged in the face of a society that gives all the advantages to men only.
One may say that this is not the reality anymore and actually women are doing even better than men in many fields and disciplines. There has been some significant progress, especially in the so-called advanced societies, but even there full equality has not been achieved. Their role in politics and decision-making circles may have made significant strides but there remain some hurdles to overcome and attain full equality as a right.
Above all, there is the open acknowledgment that women are equal to men without any prejudice or bias. But this is not necessarily admitted in many societies in the less developed world. There persist various cultural and even religious obstacles that tend to encroach on their equality with men. At the same time even in the more advanced societies, women have been stereotyped to remain confined to jobs such as teachers, nurses, secretaries, telephone operators, receptionists, and in general assistants to men. If they are considered to be particularly good looking they are often handed roles such as models, actresses, or promoters of merchandise in the media. Even when they have the same capacity and academic credentials as their male counterparts, they are not given the same roles as men. This is clearly because of deeply entrenched bias and when there are brilliant women who excel in men and challenge the system, they get labeled as men, vigorous and confident. Why are women not given the same credit as men when what they know and what they do is at the same level as men? This has been a source of debate and controversy for years and it still is because there are still the vestiges of prejudice lingering against women even in the so-called advanced societies.
Another huge obstacle that prevents women from attaining equal rights to men is the fact that many women are abused or harassed because of their gender. This fact unfortunately has not been fought vigorously and only a few years ago there was a strong social movement called “Me Too” which tried to expose all sorts of hidden abuses committed by men, especially in positions of prominence or power against women.
At times we have seen that even when women are given the same position as men, their pay tends to be less than men. In sports, for instance, be it tennis or football the pay for women is significantly less than for men. The same is said to be true in the movie industry. However, progress has been made in these circles after the loud protests of women. The salary gap is being reduced. For instance, the prize money for Wimbledon Tennis tournament winners is the same for both genders. This is considered a remarkable example to be emulated by others. But gaps remain in many other professions such as the salaries of CEOs of huge companies.
Observing International Women Day is hence still relevant and necessary to continue to combat for the advancement of women’s rights to equality. More practical attention and concrete measures should be taken towards that end. Many say the world would be better off if it was governed by women rather than by men only and we look forward to the realization of this idea.
We have seen in history that men have always been in the driver’s seat when it comes to political positions, particularly in higher posts. To be able to change this status of women many governments in many countries have decreed laws that reject any form of prejudice and discrimination against women and what should always count is merit. Even if significant changes have been made, a lot remains to be desired in terms of achieving full equality.
In this age of globalization and the digital world, it is easy to detect any form of systematic prejudice against women and one can hardly get away with it. Today it is not only men who are breadwinners. Women also are engaged in many well-remunerated professions and share family economic burdens. They also share the responsibilities of raising kids and administering the family affairs with men. There are no exclusive rights for the man to run the affairs of the family and anything that happens in the family cannot be hidden from the wife and vice versa. In families where the role of women is more remarkable, it has been shown that those families are more successful and happier in their lives. The same has been demonstrated to be true when it comes to political or administrative powers at higher levels.
The records have often shown that women are more cautious in not engaging in certain legally dubious activities. We have also seen that women are more responsible in doing their very best to avoid allegations of incapacity laziness etc. Women have reached the apex of success only when they were forced to work very diligently to overcome certain prejudices. Regrettably, these wrongs have not been rectified until the twentieth century and there are still the residues of past misconceptions and bias against women. It is regrettable that although there are laws that condemn and reject any form of discrimination against women, the practice is not always observed. Besides, the enforcement mechanisms are mostly in the hands of men.
Hence the agenda of the promotion and protection of equal rights of women with men remains a burning issue. We still see many forms of lingering injustices in our everyday lives. In Ethiopia, we are experiencing more progressive moves than in many other countries. We have many women in positions of power and authority. But the efforts to achieve equality of rights of women with men should continue unabated.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 13 MARCH 2025
