Di Barbara Passerini
Celebrated on March 8th every year, International Womens’s day is a day dedicated to honoring the achievements of women throughout history and to raising awareness about women’s equality. In fact nowadays women have achieved roles and positions that in the past would have been unimaginable. In much of the rich world ,parents now treat their daughters as well as they do their sons, and invest as much in their future. Globally, young women now outnumber young men at university, and
education boosts earning power and widens choices.
However, there are some countries where women are still facing threats to their lives, health and well- being as a result of being overburdened with work and of their lack of power and influence.
Less than half of the girls in South Asia, the Middle East or Africa ,for instance, have access to the contraception that they may want. Only one girl in three in Africa finishes her secondary education and in South Asia rates of child marriage haven’t fallen.
But the risk of regression now is more real than ever: the covid-19 pandemic could hobble progress for girls in poor countries, or even reverse it. During previous disaster in fact, women have always been the one who suffered most. For example when Ebola spread in 2014, many girls in Africa dropped out of school and never went back. UNICEF warns that something similar could happen with COVID-19, but on a lager scale. Because of this it is crucial that governments of poor countries prioritise spending on education. Persuading girls to stay in school is not only a way to teach them maths; education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process.
During this difficult time, it is important to remember the saying “prevention is better than cure”, because
if we get it wrong billions of girls will live poorer and shorter lives, and inequalities will continue to
persist.
