Pronouncements Made, And Inequality Continues...

They have been praised, wished all sorts of good things, speeches have been read, matching performed and good allowances gotten...and just as I am typing this, the World has continued abusing them... the world has forgotten about them-its normal life. Why I hate one day commitments and prefer life long interventions to transform the way this World looks at and treats women... equality still remain such a luxury for most women. Equal Access to Information and Communication Technologies, education, health services, employment opportunities, equal participation in leadership and civic issues... still remain a struggle. 

Our poor yet loving mothers still continue being scorched in the sun, in their motherly effort to feed the World and in the end be paid peanuts, their struggle of tiling the land continue not to be eased by unequal access to information, education, health services, and many other entitlements...

How is each one of us taking it from today on wards, to truly honor the hard working women of this World? How do we help them to continue giving their love to this World? How do we create an enabling environment and keep the promise? No one is interested in just papers and speeches written and read to appease, and yet no practical steps undertaken to fulfill the pronouncements.

In our various communities, we have been expecting people who do not live with us to come and solve our own problems. People who understand little about the struggles of Women with very little or no literacy, unacceptable health services, lack of access to Information and Communication Technologies, in-conducive environment for them to equally benefit from their sweat as they play different roles across agricultural value chains, and other activities that forms their mainstay.

It is time we walked the talk, we have to honour women through out their life, practically, by empowering them sustainably...

In light of emphasising practical change, most importantly, beginning with our communities, I put my hat off for the female students all the way from Netherlands, who brave the itchy mosquito bites, scorching sun, long hours of teaching, language barriers - just to come and help women and girls learn basic ICT and Entrepreneurship skills... your sacrifice really adds value to the life of our girls and young women in our community, a special, more respectful and sustainable way of honouring them.

We pledge our commitment; we continue being practical, to truly give our women a life time honour by empowering them... As I lay my fingers on the keyboard, I am encouraged to learn that we will have about 20 young women and hundreds of girls empowered with ICT, Entrepreneurship skills and mentorship, this July/August. Let us walk the talk #IWD2016

Photo courtesy: Carsten ten Brink