A Women’s Day Reflection:
137 years to equality? Too long. It’s time to accelerate action and make gender parity a reality within our lifetimes.
As the world celebrated International Women’s Day with renewed enthusiasm, a sobering reality remained: Despite progress, half the planet’s population still fights for equal rights. This year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action!’ sounded a clarion call to hasten the pace of change. The emphasis is on swift, decisive action to shatter the systemic barriers and biases that women face, from the personal to the professional spheres.
However, the harsh truth is that, at our current glacial pace, we’re still a staggering 137 years away from achieving full gender equality. Yes, you read that right – according to the World Economic Forum, it will take five long generations, until 2158, to close the gap. This sobering statistic raises a daunting question: What will it take to accelerate our progress and make gender parity a reality within our lifetimes? (Tough one to answer, right!)
The pace of progress is indeed disheartening. And that is why we need to re-discuss the F-word: Feminism! (And no, it’s not about hating men at all!)
Feminism – a loaded term that sparks intense debate. But before we dive into the controversy, let’s separate fact from fiction. As one of the oldest social movements, feminism’s complex history has yielded multiple definitions. Yet, at its core, feminism is remarkably straightforward: the pursuit of gender equality. It’s about ensuring women and men enjoy the same rights, opportunities, and freedoms – be they political, economic, personal, or social.
Far from being about male-bashing, feminism advocates for parity in all areas. Sounds simple, even noble. So, why do many people remain skeptical? The numbers are telling: globally, one in three men believe feminism causes more harm than good. One in three people believe it’s created tension between young men and women worldwide. Moreover, a significant proportion of both men and women – six in 10 and four in 10, respectively – feel that men are shouldering an unfair burden in supporting equality.
For self-identified feminists, these statistics can be unsettling. But it’s essential to confront the reality: feminism faces intense backlash, and there are several reasons why. The first myth is that feminism is a war on men. While this notion might evoke strong emotions, research reveals the opposite: feminism actually benefits boys. By learning about gender stereotypes and recognising women as allies, males can gain a more– yes, it’s not made up – which reminds me of another widespread misconception that gender inequality is exaggerated or even fabricated. (Talk about the elephant in the room…more like don’t talk about it!)
Therefore, Feminism’s success is a victim of its triumph.
And no doubt, we have made significant strides in achieving gender equality, with women now having the right to vote almost everywhere, better access to education, and more formal paid jobs than ever before. Women are also represented in every parliament worldwide and hold leadership positions in companies and countries. However, despite this progress, there’s a growing concern that younger generations are taking these hard-won rights for granted, disconnected from past struggles. Globally, only 53% of young women and 32% of young men identify as feminists. These statistics have barely budged compared to the previous generation.
Hence, not only do many young people take gender equality for granted, but they’re also less likely to identify with the movement that made those gains possible. The harsh reality is that, despite our progress, gender inequality persists worldwide. Let’s look at the numbers that illustrate this ongoing struggle. Women are still severely disadvantaged in various aspects of life:
- They enjoy less than 2/3 of the legal rights available to men.
- They earn 20% less than men for the same job.
- They lose out on 60% of their income in the first 10 years after childbirth.
- They’re promoted less often than men.
- They receive significantly less funding for startups.
- They bear the brunt of unpaid care work, shouldering 76% of the responsibility.
- They’re more likely to live in poverty.
- They spend more years of their lives in poor health.
The situation is even more dire when it comes to reproductive rights and safety:
- Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth.
- 40% of women live in countries with restrictive abortion laws.
- 270 million women lack access to contraception.
- 500 million women can’t access menstrual products.
- 12,000 girls are at risk of genital mutilation.
- And the most shocking reality of all:
- One in three women suffers physical or sexual violence every day.
- Every 11 minutes, a girl or woman is killed by someone from her own family.
The statistics are staggering, and the reality is bleak. And that is WHY, we still need Feminism!
These numbers are a sobering reminder of the long way we still have to go in achieving true gender equality.
But 137 years of waiting for equality? How quaint. Let’s try this instead: want to add $28 trillion to the global GDP? Then maybe, just maybe, we can bother to achieve gender equality before the next century.
However, tokenistic gestures or mere conversations won’t be enough to drive meaningful change. We need concerted action, systemic reforms, and a fundamental shift in our societal attitudes. We need feminism to dismantle the entrenched barriers that have held women back for far too long.
“Accelerating Action” is the rallying cry for International Women’s Day 2025, emphasizing the urgent need to address gender inequality and systemic barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.
We can accelerate action and create a more equitable world. We can:
- Call out stereotypes
- Challenge discrimination
- Question bias
- Celebrate women’s successes
- And so much more
Additionally, sharing our knowledge and encouragement with others is key. By uniting under the “Accelerate Action” theme, we reinforce our collective responsibility to create a world where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a reality.