Posted Mon, Mar 8, 2021 3:36 AM

International Women’s Day: Choosing to challenge for a better future

Every 8th of March is celebrated as International Women’s Day all over the world as a way of recognizing the important role women play in every facet of life. The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) recognizes the importance of women over time and chose to celebrate their achievement with a special podcast dedicated to women all over Nigeria and the world.

The theme for this year’s International women’s day is, “Choose to Challenge” and the NESG celebrates the tremendous efforts women and girls all over the world and particularly in Nigeria have put into aiding the recovery of the world from the COVID-19 Pandemic as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers and as some of the most exemplary and effective national leaders in combating the pandemic. The crisis has highlighted both the centrality of their contributions and the disproportionate burdens that women carry.

Women’s full and effective participation and leadership in all areas of life drives progress for everyone but unfortunately, women are underrepresented in public life and decision-making which points to the need for everyone to choose to challenge issues related to women empowerment and gender equality.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. It is important to note that legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men and less than 25 per cent of parliamentarians the world over were women, as of 2019.

This is why it has become necessary to challenge some of the issues that women face. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day – ‘Choose to challenge’ will help people across the world challenge some of the issues women have faced over time. Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. We all can make 2021 count for women and girls everywhere by choosing to challenge issues that affect women all across the world.