[Editorial] A woman is as strong as her voice

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman” – Melinda Gates, philanthropist, businesswoman and global advocate for women and girls. “It’s time”, she says “women start being recognized for the unpaid work they do”.

The struggle of women dates as far back as 1857 when on 8 March in New York City female workers rallied against unfair conditions and unequal rights, calling for decent wages and shorter work day. Gradually in the 1900’s this took the shape of a global fight for women’s emancipation, peace and protection against discrimination, violence and abuse.

1909 witnessed the first National Woman’s Day which was observed across the United States on 28 February by a declaration of the Socialist Party of America. This continued until 1913 when International Women’s Day was agreed to be marked annually on 8 March every year. 

Ever since the global fight for women’s emancipation, peace and protection against discrimination, violence and abuse has witnessed a more pronounced action for equality and equity in all spheres of life. Give them equal opportunities to achieve, but recognize each one’s different situations and give them the exact resources and opportunities required for an equal outcome. Equality is about equal opportunities, everyone is given the same resources to achieve. But equal opportunities are not always enough. They hardly include everyone that may find themselves in different circumstances of life. While equality is the goal, equity is the means to achieve that goal, which takes into account diversity and ultimately creates the conditions of an inclusive world. That, in a nutshell, would probably explain the idea behind the International Women’s Day 2023 theme “Embrace Equity”.

It is very unfortunate that even today women do not enjoy equitable terms and conditions in life. Women are still less paid than their male counterparts, their participation at board room level, in business or politics are still on the agenda of the day. They are still subjected to violence, abuse and discrimination in their daily life. 

Very often women are taken for granted, as mere objects in the hands of socio-cultural and political organizations. Sadly enough quite a number of women have a complicit contribution in such state of affairs, although they may have the potential to take a more active role of their own as drivers of change rather than mere bystanders to change.

In some societies they are at the mercy of the male dominant households. Marriage becomes a chore. Instead of love, hope and happiness, a life of misery awaits them. Treated as mere housemaids and subjected to unwarranted physical and moral sufferings due to inhuman treatment and discrimination they have no other option than, if ever they happen to resort to, abandonment of the marital home, divorces and suicides. According to the 2021 Gender Statistics in Mauritius, domestic violence and exploitation involved 86.7% of women against 13.3% of men. 4724 men compared to 4,427 women were victims of homicides and assaults, while victims of sexual violence and sexual exploitation amounted to 588 women compared to 42 men. These figures are, to say the least, alarming. Has our society become so lawless and corrupt vis-à-vis women?

The 2021 Gender Statistics reveals even more pertinent clues as to the involvement of women at the national level. Only 10.4% of women are heads of business against 23.6% for men. Only 37.8% of women occupy senior positions in the government service. There were more qualified unemployed women than men possessing tertiary qualifications, 22.1% against 19.8%. The Global Gender Gap Index, which measures gender equality across four key areas, namely economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, indicates that Mauritius was ranked 110 on 155 countries worldwide. 

Women have a key role in the social, economic and political development in the country. Although they outnumber the Mauritian male population (640,057 women compared to 626,003 men) in view of their longer life expectancy (6.9 years more than men), women are still left out to a large extent in terms of their meaningful participation in the life of the country.

At a time of the 55^th anniversary celebration of the independence of our country it is not illegitimate to trigger an attitudinal shift. Is it a big deal to recognize women in a more inclusive role towards achieving social, economic and political independence? More than the same opportunities, women require the necessary resources and opportunities based on their diverse and specific cultural and social circumstances to have their say… for a more gender equitable society. A woman’s voice can make this happen.