Women’s Day 2020
March 9, 2020
#EachForEqual was the theme for Women’s Day this year. This is a call for a gender-equal world. This was the 46th Women’s Day celebration.
Women have fought for gender equality for centuries. Every woman has the right to the protection of her human rights, equality in marriage, access to justice and political participation. Women need to be accorded values like justice, equality, and dignity. They need to be recognized for the achievements they have achieved globally.
In Kenya, we have women who have left their mark because of the zeal and commitment they have poured into supporting the rights of the women. They have experienced ridicule, humiliation, abuse, and the risk of losing their lives while fighting to support their cause. We admire women who are resilient; women who are determined to effect change no matter what the personal cost.
Despite achievements and progress made, African women face major challenges and obstacles. The majority of African women are denied education and employment; they also have limited opportunities in the job market. An Africa woman is disadvantaged in many areas. She has poor access to land, credit, education and health. Obtaining an education for an African woman is an uphill task. Though it is the surest ticket out of poverty, females still struggle to get an education. Enrollment of the boy-child to school is always a much higher than for the girl-child.
The government through the Ministry of Education has tried to help the women get an education by enrolling them for ‘ngumbaro’ or what is known as adult education. Women who were not educated in the school system will be found in the marketplace selling their wares and need basic information (education) to be able to cost their wares and know how to manage the proceeds from their sales. Women who do basic work like small scale farming, household work, and/or domestic work, are not considered to be of value to the economy; their contribution is not fully recognized. The rights of widows and the special protection of elderly women and those with disabilities also need to be prioritized. Guidelines must be established on ending traditional practices such as female genital mutilation which is detrimental to the health of women and girls on every level.
We hope by discussing gender equality at the Choice Club meetings this week, we will help the girls understand they have the right to the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Our further aim will be to help the girls understand that as they finish school and join the workforce, they should be considered for employment based on their performance and not because of perception derived from certain beliefs about men and certain beliefs about women. Ultimately, men and women need to work together to complement one another.
Members of the Choice Club at AIC NGONG School Celebrating Women’s Day.
