It’s February 1908 and the streets of New York City are filled with 15,000 female activists demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. At a time when the voices of women were rarely heard, this was revolutionary and went on to inspire the first National Women’s Day in 1909 and later, International Women’s Day.
Over a century later, we are still working towards a world where women have equal rights and opportunities. That's why the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, Each for Equal, highlights that an equal world is an enabled world.
The official International Women’s Day website states:
‘Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.’
#EachforEqual
AfriKids beneficiary strikes the #EachforEqual pose.
AfriKids UK CEO, Charlie Hay, says:
“AfriKids is part of the global movement working for universal human rights and social justice. Our work protecting and promoting child rights in Ghana contributes to local and international strategies to reduce poverty and build a fairer and better world for everyone. This dedication to fairness and equality runs through all of our work, and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is enshrined in our organisational values and practices.”
“In northern Ghana, we’ve seen shifts in the right direction over the last twenty years since AfriKids began work. We’ve witnessed a 7% increase in the number of girls completing secondary education and a decrease in the number of women with no education at all – from 7 in 10 to 5 in 10. We’ve come far, but we still have a way to go and we know that we must get everyone on board to make it possible. That’s why when we’re tackling issues that threaten the rights of women and girls, we involve everyone it takes – boys and girls, men and women, every gender, every age, every level of society.
That is the only way we can make sustainable change happen. Each of us has our own part to play in making gender equity a reality for all.”
The statistics are powerful and show great changes being made, but the best measurements of our work's success are the stories of our beneficiaries. Like the story of Jennifer, who is empowering herself and her family through education or Blessing, who sat down with BBC's June Sarpong to discuss equality and role models. These girls are taking action individually to contribute to the collective goal of equality for women, just like the activists in 1908 who started it all. They are embodying the #EachforEqual ethos and creating a better future for themselves and their communities.
To learn more about International Women's Day, check out www.internationalwomensday.com.
