HONOURING WOMEN

The United Nations has designated the 8th of March to annually celebrate and commemorate women the world over. This is arguably a thoughtful gesture. Some may even say it's noble and generous; a huge step in the right direction toward empowering and uplifting women of all walks of life, and a demonstration of the United Nation's investment in feminism and gender equality. However, two pertinent questions arise:

1-Who/whom does this day really benefit?

2-What benefits do women actually derive, if any, on this day each year it is celebrated?

The fact that there is a specified, single day for women and the obvious absence of anything similar for men just proves how deeply rooted and prevalent patriarchy still is in our global society.

Basically, women get one whole day in a year of 364/5 to themselves, and men get the rest. Even with the most basic introspection, one can see – especially if you're a woman - that this annual 'token of appreciation' is laughable at best, and a depressing indication of how women are still largely viewed. Twenty-four hours in an entire year is not and never will be nearly enough to uplift women.

However, if our global society is intent on continuing the practice of offering a single day out of a whole year to uplift women, then more, a lot more effort should be made toward that end during this designated time.

Some suggestions:

1) The United Nations, African Union Commission, and other major organizations, companies, and corporations should make more educational scholarships available to women, especially women and girls pursuing careers in male dominated fields like engineering and medicine. Companies and corporations should be ready to offer them jobs, equal pay, and real prospects for promotion and career growth anywhere they apply.

2) Educational laws in the west, especially in the US, should be amended to accommodate female immigrant students from underdeveloped nations who have studied abroad so they can get practical, hands-on experience through jobs and/or full-time internships before leaving for their countries of origin.

3) As we live in an increasingly technology-dependent world, major manufacturers of computers, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices should be able to make donations to the organizations working toward the education and technological advancement of women and girls. These donations will significantly aid and empower less privileged women and girls, especially those in developing nations, as they will be able to have access to the vast amount of information and resources available on the internet that they wouldn't have otherwise. This is particularly true for women who wish to go the entrepreneurial route. They can use a lot of this online knowledge to start a business or grow an already existing one in any field or industry they choose; be it marketing, farming and agriculture, creative arts, etc. Having devices that can access the internet will also allow them to be connected to the rest of the world; an invaluable thing in itself.

A side note: Whenever women are concerned in business, the term “micro-finance” always seems to come into play, regardless of the kind of business in question or the vision and goals of the woman who owns/runs it. Terminology is important, and there’s absolutely nothing 'micro' about women or women's businesses, therefore, when women are being considered for/given loans, grants, and other types of investment funds, the approach and process for said funding should be the same for businesses owned/run by men.

4) Young African female writers, actresses, designers, and other creative/vocational artists whose works and voices would otherwise never be heard or known (because of lack of exposure) should be granted scholarships/fellowships to develop and hone their skills as well as have opportunities for mentorship from more prominent and established figures in their respective industries/fields.

5) As many factors come into play for a child to drop out of school (financial obstacles, rigid educational structures, mental health and learning disabilities, early/ teenage pregnancies etc) rehabilitative educational programs and flexible academic curricula that cater to their specific interests should be afforded to women and girls who, for one reason or another or a combination of issues, have dropped out of conventional academic institutions.

To conclude, I strongly suggest that these donations be made directly to the respective organizations catering / mentoring these groups as going through government programs is often complicated due to endemic corruption and administrative bottlenecks. If names of such organizations are needed, I would post them in due cause.

AS WOMEN, WE HAVE THE RIGHT AND POWER TO DO EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING BUT, NOT EVERYTHING WE DO IS BENEFICIAL / CONSTRUCTIVE. WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE CAREFUL ON HOW AND WHAT WE DO.