I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples - Mother Teresa.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that “everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, … birth or other status.”

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. In the last decade more girls started going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality. 

Despite these, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence.

Women in Leadership
The United Nations theme for 2021 International Women’s Day is “Women in Leadership” which is designed to recognise and celebrate the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future.

Across the globe, women are leading organisations and institutions creating effective responses. From the highest levels of decision-making to frontline service delivery, women bring different perspectives and skills to the table, and make invaluable contributions to decisions, policies and laws that work better for the world.

Irony is a fact
Having said that it is extremely alarming to note that a different picture exists.

• Women are significantly under-represented in parliaments; 25% of parliamentary seats worldwide. Australia is better - 30.46% women MPs.
• Australian companies have 17.1% women CEOs and 14.1% of board chairs.
• Only 1 out of 25 CEOs appointed to lead ASX 200 organisations in the past year has been a woman.
• Women comprise appx 47% of all employees in Australia yet earn $253.60 less than men every week as average full-time ordinary earnings. A national gender pay gap of 14% that remained unchanged for past 20 years.

Moving from ‘Why women’ …to ‘Why not women’?
Advancing women in leadership is central for profitable and productive economies, flourishing businesses and also leads to a healthier and peaceful planet. 

• A recent Workplace Gender Equality Agency study shows that more women on Boards and in senior leadership roles result in improved company performance, profitability and productivity.
• Female CEOs led to a 12.9% increase in the likelihood of outperforming the sector on three or more metrics.
• When women are at the negotiating table, peace agreements are likely to last 15 years or longer.
• Female-led countries are handling COVID-19 more effectively than their male counterparts.

If not NOW, then WHEN? If not you, then who?
Women bear the brunt of problems ranging from poverty to climate change, but they also possess assets and talents to solve them. Women’s overseas projects make a tangible difference to the lives of women and girls around the world by:

• Developing women as leaders in the community, politics and businesses;
• Running voter and civic education campaigns on gender equality;
• Encouraging young men and women to engage in advocacy to make gender equality central to public policy-making;
• Promoting women’s rights, including their right to vote and to violence-free campaigning;
• Advancing gender equality.

The instances of women leaders leading from the front once again proves that the time has come to get rid of doubts about women’s ability in handling crisis situations. 

The intent of this campaign is to bring,

• matters to the forefront with regard to gender inequality
• the prejudices towards women leaders
• the ‘passing over’ of girl child in matters of even basic education
• the disparity of wages between same stature men and women thereby raising the need for more women to lead from the front and set an example.

The need for the hour is to collectively establish that successful women are not mere happenstance and needless to say the time has come for women power.

Share your incredible journey as a woman or about an incredible woman in your life in the comments section. #incrediblewomen