Some ups and downs and a long way to go

Islamabad : Today the world is marking International Women’s Day – ‘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.’

#BalanceforBetter is the theme for this year's International Women's Day, which is observed each year on March 8. The 2019 initiative is aimed at gender equality, a greater awareness of discrimination and a celebration of women's achievements.

The World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that gender equality would take until 2095 to achieve. Then one year later they estimated that a slowdown in the pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn't close entirely until 2133! It reminds of the saying that has been applied to this struggle since day one - ‘one step forward, two steps back!’

Some key targets of the 2030 agenda are: to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development care so that they are ready for primary education to which they should have access; end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation and eliminate all other harmful practices, such as early and forced marriage.

Though progress towards gender parity has slowed all over, especially in this part of the world, we do have something to celebrate today with the present government, surprisingly, taking some positive steps for women’s empowerment, much against the wishes of the religious right. So along with the pledge for parity we have to work hard to make sure that naysayers do not prevail in pressurizing the present dispensation to undo what has been done. Hopefully, with so many programmes planned around the country that will elaborate on the theme, the day will end with more hope and determination to fight the good fight and make the somewhat distant dream come true, if not for us then the next generation.