very International Women’s Day we are inundated with statistics that tell of the divide and disparity that exists between men and women. These inequities help motivate us to continue fighting the good fight for a more equitable world. The gargantuan effort of reaching equality is not something that ‘some’ of us can partake in; it’s an effort that will take every single one of us.
However, with this focus on remaining disparities and how to overcome them, we often overlook the crucial opportunity we have to highlight society-shifting opportunities that arise when we raise women up and allow them to fulfill their potential.
Empowering women benefits everybody. When women are empowered, they are free to contribute to their economies and societies. As uncomfortable as it may be for patriarchal social orderings, they will ultimately benefit from the empowerment of women. As former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan once said, “Study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health...No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation.”
Data suggests that when there are more women in leadership positions, their policymaking emphasizes quality of life—for both women and men. Inclusivity and more equal gendered political representation often means stronger governments and thus societies. Inclusivity and equitable representation is especially essential when considering the varying and nuanced needs of our populations, including marginalized groups and racial minorities. Allowing women a seat at the table does not push men out. It simply invites more people (along with their valuable contributions) in, and collectively raises societies.
In parts of the world with the most extreme poverty and gender inequality, there are more than 12 million girls sold into child marriage each year. Four out of ten girls and young women in West and Central Africa—nearly 60 million girls—were married before they reached the age of 18. The topic for many of us will feel incomprehensible, often paralyzing to consider, and the media—rightfully so—reports on the horrors that face these young girls in the face of their exploitation. Beyond the immediate horrors of exploitation, we must also remember that their future is being stolen—and with it their opportunity to be a positive force in the future of their societies. Every child forced into marriage has her path set out for her, decided before she can discover it for herself. Instead of a long and winding path with the potential for prosperity and happiness, it is short and stunted, leading only to the door of her new husband.
It is a sad truth that child marriage has increased since the outbreak of COVID-19, as people revert to extreme desperation to keep their families afloat. But child marriage does more than just steal the safety and freedoms of so many young girls. Child marriage also adds another barrier to the long-term development of their societies by destroying the opportunity for these girls to be an empowered source of change. How many potential leaders and vivacious minds are being condemned to a narrowed life with few prospects and no education? These girls become women who are essential to both sustainable and stable social and economic development. Empowering them as an integral part of their societies could spark new innovations and fresh creative ideas that would otherwise never see the light of day.
Where could the girls of today take our world if they were to be given the opportunities to reach their truest potential? The interconnected nature of today’s greatest challenges has served as a reminder of the collective, and the growing truth that our economic, social development & environmental future is defined by our efforts to pursue equal access to a plethora of basic human rights. It is our role to educate the world on just how important and beneficial women’s contributions can be, and just what our society is capable of with their inclusion at every corner.
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Empowered Women Offer a Universal Lifeline
Photo by Meiying Ng via Unsplash.
March 8, 2022
On International Women's Day we often focus on remaining gender inequities and the work that remains to be done, but we should also work to highlight how the empowerment of women benefits everybody, writes SAGE Foundation founder Naza Alakija.
E
very International Women’s Day we are inundated with statistics that tell of the divide and disparity that exists between men and women. These inequities help motivate us to continue fighting the good fight for a more equitable world. The gargantuan effort of reaching equality is not something that ‘some’ of us can partake in; it’s an effort that will take every single one of us.
However, with this focus on remaining disparities and how to overcome them, we often overlook the crucial opportunity we have to highlight society-shifting opportunities that arise when we raise women up and allow them to fulfill their potential.
Empowering women benefits everybody. When women are empowered, they are free to contribute to their economies and societies. As uncomfortable as it may be for patriarchal social orderings, they will ultimately benefit from the empowerment of women. As former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan once said, “Study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health...No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation.”
Data suggests that when there are more women in leadership positions, their policymaking emphasizes quality of life—for both women and men. Inclusivity and more equal gendered political representation often means stronger governments and thus societies. Inclusivity and equitable representation is especially essential when considering the varying and nuanced needs of our populations, including marginalized groups and racial minorities. Allowing women a seat at the table does not push men out. It simply invites more people (along with their valuable contributions) in, and collectively raises societies.
In parts of the world with the most extreme poverty and gender inequality, there are more than 12 million girls sold into child marriage each year. Four out of ten girls and young women in West and Central Africa—nearly 60 million girls—were married before they reached the age of 18. The topic for many of us will feel incomprehensible, often paralyzing to consider, and the media—rightfully so—reports on the horrors that face these young girls in the face of their exploitation. Beyond the immediate horrors of exploitation, we must also remember that their future is being stolen—and with it their opportunity to be a positive force in the future of their societies. Every child forced into marriage has her path set out for her, decided before she can discover it for herself. Instead of a long and winding path with the potential for prosperity and happiness, it is short and stunted, leading only to the door of her new husband.
It is a sad truth that child marriage has increased since the outbreak of COVID-19, as people revert to extreme desperation to keep their families afloat. But child marriage does more than just steal the safety and freedoms of so many young girls. Child marriage also adds another barrier to the long-term development of their societies by destroying the opportunity for these girls to be an empowered source of change. How many potential leaders and vivacious minds are being condemned to a narrowed life with few prospects and no education? These girls become women who are essential to both sustainable and stable social and economic development. Empowering them as an integral part of their societies could spark new innovations and fresh creative ideas that would otherwise never see the light of day.
Where could the girls of today take our world if they were to be given the opportunities to reach their truest potential? The interconnected nature of today’s greatest challenges has served as a reminder of the collective, and the growing truth that our economic, social development & environmental future is defined by our efforts to pursue equal access to a plethora of basic human rights. It is our role to educate the world on just how important and beneficial women’s contributions can be, and just what our society is capable of with their inclusion at every corner.
