Orbits: International Women’s Day .. Inspire Inclusion

By: Muawad Mustafa Rashid

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March around the world. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.

Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all.

To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion.

When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world.

And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

Collectively, let’s forge a more inclusive world for women.

Women are Heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and only 24.9 per cent of national parliamentarians are women. At the current rate of progress, gender equality among Heads of Government will take another 130 years.

Women, especially young women, are at the forefront of diverse and inclusive movements online and on the streets for social justice, climate change and equality in all parts of the world.

Yet, women under 30 are less than 1 per cent of parliamentarians worldwide.

It will draw leaders, visionaries, and activists from around the world safely on a virtual platform, to push for transformative and lasting change for generations to come.

The International Women’s Day is one of the important days to which the UN pays special care.

Over the years, the UN works to provide support to women through four directions i.e. boosting the legal measures, mobilization of the public opinion and international action, training and research, and providing assistance to the vulnerable groups.

Nowadays, the UN action depends on a major organizational principle that recognizes that it is impossible to reach a sustainable solution to the most dangerous social, economic and political problems without the participation of women.

This important reality was not absent from the noble message of Islam as prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) last words were (Treat Women Kindly), a matter that indicates the Islam’s care for women and their value in providing dignified life through participation in all activities.

The reality which the Sudanese women are living in now deserves making the celebrations of the International Women’s Day a continuous, year-round programme so that the transitional government recognizes the big challenges facing the Sudanese women pending urgent dealing with.

It is high time for the transitional government to move swiftly to correct the situations of the Sudanese women to urgent issues, and this could be through improving their living conditions because this is the only way out for the advancement of societies and to save it from the grip of social diseases.

On this memorable day, The International Women’s Day, we remind our government that our prophet Mohammad (PBUP) advised us to (Treat Women Kindly) and the result will, definitely, be in favour of the society and the state.