International Women’s Day is commemorated throughout the world by marches, rallies and meetings. This is a day to celebrate women’s achievements as well as recognize we need to continue to stand for justness, justice, women’s rights, and equal rights for all.
Let’s celebrate all that we’ve achieved but remember that our work is not done. Sadly, women and girls around the world are still denied basic freedoms because of their gender. Standing for women’s rights means proactively standing for what’s right in our homes, as a community, in the laws of our country, and as global citizens.
Those of us fortunate to enough to be living in democratic countries should use our privileges to care for those who are denied human rights. With the freedom of choice comes great responsibility. Let's all commit to follow the Golden Rule: treat others the way we want to be treated. Don’t like your rights taken away? Fight for those of someone else's. Let us stand for the right of every woman to live free from discrimination and to make decisions about her own body, her own health, her reproductive choices, her education, her vocation, her relationships, and every aspect of her life free of coercion and violence.
Only when we all have equal access to our human rights, from sexual rights to pay rights, will true equality for all exist. Only when women have an equal voice can we truly become a just society.
In the words of Emma Watson, Goodwill Ambassador for the UN: “I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts; I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body; I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life; I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.”
We’ve come a long way, but we are not there, yet. The pay gap is real. Women with the same, or more, experience and education are paid less than their male colleagues. Violence against women is very real. While we are seeing more public awareness on issues surrounding violence against women, sentences are still too lenient all around the world. And especially now, and in the U.S., some of our basic human rights and fundamental freedoms seem to be called into question. Be the change you want to see in the world and stand for social justice and equal opportunities for all.
Together, let’s create a better world for all of us. Whether or not you choose to support the National Day Without Women, I hope you do one thing today, and every day henceforward, to support women. Raise your voice to say that women’s rights are human rights. Take action, one single action at a time; even small actions lead to big changes. Let us not stop until we all have equal rights regardless of gender, sexual identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, economic status, age or disability.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”
~Mother Teresa
