BY STAFF REPORTER
Every year, International Women’s Day, March 8, is celebrated worldwide to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women and honor the meaningful and inimitable contributions they have made to the world.
Thus, countries marked the Day with a number of activities mainly with a particular agenda and theme centering women’s rights such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women so as to bring the attention of concerned bodies and stakeholders to women related issues because even these days so many women are suffering from the multilayered cultural and traditional values that underlie on them.
As a part of this, last Monday, Merck Foundation, along with, 18 Africa’s first ladies, Ministries of Health, Education, Communication, and gender marked, International Women’s Day 202.
The Foundation marked the 2021 celebration with special issue and theme-through their “More Than a Mother” campaign that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education, health and change of mind-set; and through “Educating Linda” program which aims to empower girls through education.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck ‘More Than a Mother’ explained, “We, at Merck Foundation celebrate Women’s Day every day by empowering women and girls through education, information, health, and change of mindset as part of “More than a Mother” campaign. I strongly believe that now is the time to stand for the rights of women and empower them.
With “More Than a Mother”, we have initiated a cultural shift to break infertility at all levels by raising awareness and supporting girls’ education. It is all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child” added Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.
In many cultures in Africa, childless women still suffer discrimination, stigma, and ostracism. The inability to have a child or to become pregnant can result in women being greatly isolated, disinherited, or assaulted. This often results in divorce or physical and psychological violence.
As to her, such kinds of discrimination, ostracism and violation should be stopped so as to make infertile or childless women lead a peaceful life.
“Happy International Women’s Day to all the women in the world; and those men who support and empower women. “Happy Women’s Day to my lovely sisters and First Ladies of Africa. It is an honor for Merck Foundation to partner with First Ladies of more than 18 countries to lead and execute the initiatives in their respective countries as Merck More Than a Mother Ambassadors, she remarked.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej further added, “I strongly believe that raising strong girls means empowering them for their future as strong women. Through our ‘Educating Linda program’, we support young African girls who are unprivileged but brilliant to continue their education, so as to enable them to fulfill their dreams and to reach their full potential”.
Studies show that, in areas where there is high poverty and decades of conflict, girls face enormous challenges that limit their ability to get the education they deserve.
It has been also seen that many girls drop out of school due to a lack of basic necessities such as fees and uniforms. Merck Foundation is supporting the education of some of the high-performing girls by providing scholarships and grants that can cover school fees, school uniforms, and other essentials including notebooks, pens, and mathematical instruments.
Educating Linda program has contributed to the future of 100’s of girls, from countries such as: Ghana, Burundi, Malawi, Niger, and Liberia. And the Foundation will continue to support young girls from the continent, she remarked.
“Merck More Than a Mother” is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-sets. This powerful campaign supports governments in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective and equitable fertility care solutions.
It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management and male infertility.
In partnership with African first ladies, ministries of health, information, education and gender, academia, policymakers, international fertility societies, media and art, the initiative also provides training for fertility specialists and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries.
With “Merck More Than a Mother”, we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility at all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African first ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses.
It is all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child.
Through this program, the Foundation is making history in many African and Asian countries where they never had fertility specialists or specialized fertility clinics before ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ intervention, to train the first fertility specialists such as; in Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Niger, Chad, Guinea, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda.
“Empowering women and girls is the spirit of everything we do at Merck Foundation, and is a part of our DNA!” concluded Dr. Rasha Kelej.
The Ethiopian Herald March 13/2021
