Tania had a dream. She dreamed of pursuing her education in science, but her family’s financial insolvency became her biggest obstacle, and they tried to force her into marriage. However, the girl with a dream refused to accept this as her fate. She fought, earned, and stopped her own arranged marriage. She now has paved her path and is building her bright future.
With the support of the Lead Innovation Lab 2021 competition, another girl, Rubina, launched the Swapno Konna initiative. The Swapno Konna initiative is now helping marginalized girls and women with sanitary napkins. Both girls fought and claimed their rightful place as proud citizens. Tania and Rubina’s struggle is a common concern for us.
Policy-making is not all that entails women’s empowerment. It’s about changing mindsets and breaking the cycle of discrimination. Discriminatory practices such as unequal pay for equal work and patriarchal attitudes that limit women’s leadership roles are still prevalent. These issues hold women back from reaching their full potential. Gender-based violence, wage inequality, and limited leadership roles for women remain persistent issues.
According to a joint UNDESA and UN Women report, at the current rate of progress, it will take another 300 years to eradicate gender discrimination and achieve gender equality.
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is: For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment: The 114th International Women’s Day and 30 years of the Beijing Declaration will be celebrated worldwide. The United Nations made declarations on three crucial topics: Women’s and girls’ rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. It is important to acknowledge the progress we’ve made. We’ve seen significant advancements in these three areas, but there’s still work to be done.
In 2023, over 612 million women and girls globally lived within 50 kilometres of 170 armed conflicts, a number which doubled compared to the last 10 years, according to research by the Peace Research Institute. 10 nations where women and girls are attacked in educational institutions because of their gender identity have been recognized by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).
According to Unicef, 119 million girls dropped out of school worldwide in 2024. One of the main goals of the Beijing Declaration is to guarantee women in leadership roles and equal political involvement for men and women. We are still far from reaching the goal.
In many nations, achieving gender equality in political arenas is still far off. According to UN Women's global data for 2024, 113 countries have yet to have any women in higher positions inside their governments. The report also showed that only 23% of women worldwide served in ministries and 27% in national parliaments.
In the workplace, as much as in education, women encounter obstacles. Despite a rise in women working, there are still significant disparities. Given the current state of women’s employment, the World Bank’s Women, Business, and Law Index states that if women join the workforce today, it will take till they retire to receive equal treatment at work.
The situation of violence against women is also concerning. According to a UN report, there was a 50% increase in sexual violence in 2023 compared to 2022. Ain o Salish Kender (ASK), after surveying Rajshahi and Gazipur, found that 49% of women who responded said they had experienced sexual harassment, with most of these incidents occurring in public transport and at work. Their opinions are frequently ignored in domestic, societal, and state-level policy- making processes. Most of the time, the father, brother, or husband makes the decisions for girls and women and determines how they will live.
We must make room for women to receive modern and technical education. We should work together to protect their health -- including that of the most marginalized women. The disparity in women’s pay must be closed. We must guarantee safety everywhere. While it is not necessary to design a path specifically for women, ensuring their safety and safe access to the path is essential.
We must remember that women’s emancipation cannot be guaranteed until their voices are heard. Women will not benefit from empowerment if they are unable to make decisions. It’s not enough for a few individuals or organizations to work towards gender equality. We all have a role to play. Rasheda Akter is Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Advisor, Save the Children. Mehnaz Lameesha Rahman is Scriptwriting Trainee, Save the Children.