YOUR LIFESTYLE:International Women's Day is worthy of recognition and is a strong symbol that the fight for equality is far from won
DID ANYONE notice it was International Women’s Day last Sunday? Does it matter?
One could be forgiven for missing International Women’s Day amid the global preoccupation with economic and employment issues.
It is ironic, then, that IWD itself originated from the trade- union movement in the US in the early 1900s with women in New York demonstrating against dangerous working conditions and demanding shorter working hours, better pay and voting rights. It subsequently developed into an international day of honouring women’s advancement while acting as a reminder of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women’s equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.
It is 30 years since the international community adopted the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. While great gains have undoubtedly been made in the intervening years, with women reaching into all spheres of influence, women are still not paid equally to their male counterparts, nor are they represented in equal numbers in positions of power and influence, and globally women’s health and education are worse than that of men.
The current global economic turmoil threatens to further increase the vulnerability of women and girls.
Just look at the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives and the increased risks to women’s health from womb to old age. It starts with increased risks to the girl-child with sex selective abortion in many countries, to increased risk of malnutrition in under-five-year-olds, to educational disadvantage, including the abuse of girls in schools, to violence against women by partners or family.
There is significant maternal morbidity and mortality associated with childbirth, and violence and harmful traditional or cultural practices, such as female genital mutilation, early marriage or wife inheritance, can often lead to a greater risk of HIV infection.
A woman’s health is further compromised by the unequal division of labour and the disproportionate burden of caring in the family, and her vulnerability is yet further increased by poverty, often leading to risky behaviour such as transactional sex (further increasing the risk of HIV and other diseases) to pay for food and send her children to school.
Taking a closer look at just a few of these issues illustrates the case that a lot still remains to be done to improve the life chances and equality of girls and women.
Gender inequality damages the health of millions of girls and women worldwide. Inadequate nutrition, anaemia and early pregnancies threaten the health and lives of young girls and adolescents.
It is estimated that each year more than half a million women – one woman every minute – die as a result of pregnancy complications and childbirth, primarily in the least developed countries of the world.
Malnutrition continues to be one of the leading causes of death in developing countries, with 60 per cent of all child mortality directly, or indirectly, associated with insufficient food.
The effects of malnutrition on vulnerability can be long term and inter-generational, starting in utero and can last throughout the life cycle.
Malnutrition hinders the physical development of girls, delaying puberty and slowing the maturation of the reproductive organs as well as the pelvic bone, which increases both susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections and the risk of young women experiencing complications during birth, including maternal and infant mortality.
Consequently, Concern Worldwide and other international humanitarian agencies are working in developing countries to improve women’s access to healthcare, by supporting basic healthcare services, particularly maternal and child health and nutrition. But it is recognised that to be truly sustainable, healthcare work must be combined with the active progression of women’s rights and addressing gender discrimination.
Women and girls are increasingly at a greater risk of HIV infection than men due in part to biology but also to their inequality vis-à-vis men, their lack of power and control over their bodies, and the abuse of their human rights. Humanitarian work in countries such as Zimbabwe is addressing the underlying causes of transmission such as sexual exploitation and abuse, early marriage and girls’ lack of power in negotiating safe sex.
The aim is to empower girls and women through a range of measures including developing safe income-generating activities that help prevent risky behaviours, improve household income, and increase women’s status in the home and community.
Gender-based violence, which predominantly affects women and girls, is endemic around the world, and has serious implications for their health and wellbeing. Such violence takes many forms including rape, forced prostitution, female genital mutilation, trafficking, neglect, domestic violence, including violence during pregnancy, verbal abuse or differential access to food, to name but a few.
The effects of such violence are physical, psychological, social and economic. The effects can be fatal, life-threatening and certainly life-limiting.
Put simply, a woman who has been raped or abused may suffer such physical and psychological damage that she may be unable to work or care for her family.
Gender-based violence rooted in gender inequality is a very important but neglected risk factor for poor health. Gender-power relations –who has power and who hasn’t – constitute the root causes of gender inequality and are among the most influential social determinants of health.
My belief is that women’s empowerment is essential to achieving gender equality, as it will allow women to move into the political and social mainstream and shape it in a way that fits their needs.
Paramount is the concept of healthy, educated and empowered women having healthy, educated and empowered sons and daughters who become productive, contributing adults of the future.
International Women’s Day is a reminder that while much progress has been made in achieving women’s rights, much more is needed, that achievements gained can be eroded and the further challenges ahead require the staying power and courage of women activists and their organisations.
It highlights that gender equality is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. It remains an important and valuable day on the international calendar.
- Angela O'Neill De Guilio is regional director – southern Africa for Concern Worldwide, with a special interest in equality, and is Concern's representative on the Irish Consortium for Gender-Based Violence. concern.net. For further information, see gbv.ie, unaids.org, unicef.org/sowc09/, internationalwomensday.com and un.org/womenwatch