The celebration of Women’s Day started as a fight for women’s rights. Women through history and across cultures and countries have faced issues or challenges from time to time. Thus, the whole point was to bring justice to women, eradicate the inequality prevailing in our society, and to empower the women. The theme of International Women’s Day 2019 is “#BalanceForBetter”. The objective is to spread awareness among people to build a gender-balanced world. The campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and stimulate continuous collective action, with #BalanceforBetter activity reinforced and amplified all year.
If you understand the theme, then, you must not sit idle and start contributing towards building a gender-balanced society. Educate others around you about the same for a better world. Here are some ways on how to achieve this goal:
Compulsory Education For All Girls:
This is the most important factor that sometimes deters the growth and development of women. Mass education of women at all levels are required. In a country like India, this seems like a challenge. Because we still have to work hard to achieve equality when it comes to women’s education. When your daughter or sister says that she wants to pursue higher education, don’t demotivate her. Help her in every way to be educated. Similarly, if you see anyone around you who is trying to curb the education of a girl child, then, speak up. Education is actually a basic human right and that should not be stopped.
Build Courage Among Girls From Small Age:
Building a fearless attitude among women from a small age is very important. They will grow up and behave in a certain way based on the ways their moms or sisters function. So, a correction needs to be brought here also. At home, the girl child should be taught in a certain way so that “they never feel less than men” while straddling in the real world. Most of the balance doesn’t come because women become submissive and that’s why building that confidence is necessary.
Pay Parity:
Once the girls or women are educated, they would definitely want to be financially independent. So, once they are in the workplace, there should be pay parity. The company should judge the skill, talent, and confidence of a worker without getting gender-biased. As a hard-working resource, if women are contributing that much to the company’s & country’s economy, then why they should lag behind when it comes to paying cheques?
Educate Men First:
Only a slogan #BalanceForBetter won’t bring a change. The other half of the world population also have to come forward to elevate the spirit & confidence of the other half. To achieve that, the basic education provided to men have to be changed a bit. Charity always begins at home and therefore, it is the most important duty of the parents to raise their male kids in such a manner that they grow up to respect and value the women folks. For example, male children should be equally told to carry out simple household activities like fetching a glass of water for the guest or helping mom at the kitchen.
Don’t Choose Her Career:
There are parents or family members who would say that “she is a girl child, but, if she insists on working & earning, then let her go for some safe job like teaching”. Please don’t do that. Every single person in this world is born with a certain quality. And you are no one to block the way. And in case she is confused with her career choice, talk to her & let her take time to decide. If she chooses a non-traditional career like defense journalist, motorbike repairing, mobile phone fixing, chef, detectives, etc. – be ok with that & be proud of that. It takes a lot of courage to go against the tide. And if she is doing that show your utmost support!
