Over recent years there’s been a long-overdue shift in society’s thoughts about women. Today we enjoy more women in our boardrooms and additional equality in our law. There are female prime ministers and astronauts, and many women are finally free to choose to both work and start families.
However, even now, more than two thirds of those living in poverty are female. Globally, women’s education and health remains worse than men, and they are subjected to much more violence. Women are still paid less than their male counterparts, and both business and politics are heavily dominated by men.
Nevertheless, awareness alone is a significant step towards change, and IWD is an overwhelmingly positive occasion. This Sunday, of course, is also Mother’s Day – a celebration of maternal bonds and the influence of mothers everywhere. If you’re looking for female role models, you need look no further than Liberty’s recent Common Values series of short films about the Human Rights Act.
Those videos tell the tales of inspirational mothers such as Janis Sharp – who campaigned determinedly to save her son Gary McKinnon from extradition to the US – and Verna Bryant, who fought bravely for accountability after her daughter Naomi was murdered by convicted rapist Anthony Rice following a shocking catalogue of State failures.
And then there’s Janet Alder – who never gave up on justice after her brother, Christopher, died in police custody – and Patience Asuquo, who forced an uninterested police force to investigate after she was subjected to years of forced domestic labour. These moving stories remind us not only of the challenges still facing women but also of their strength of character.
This weekend also marks the Women of the World festival, an annual celebration of women’s achievements and discussion of the obstacles they still encounter. There will be talks, performances, concerts and debates, featuring an array of female talent across all fields – from politics to the arts; from economics to sport – including our own Director, Shami Chakrabarti.
For more information on IWD, visit www.internationalwomensday.com. Find out more about the Women of the World festival at www.southbankcentre.co.uk/wow. Have a happy Mother’s Day and, whatever you’re doing, enjoy yourself and do your bit to ensure that the future for women remains bright and, above all, equal.
