Devan Moonsamy, CEO of The ICHAF Training Institute, shared how we can embrace the theme of International Women’s Day 2020; it starts at home!
South Africa (04 March 2020) – On the 8th of March the spotlight will be on International Woman’s Day.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated more than a century ago in 1911. The theme for the year 2020 is, I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights.
According to the UN Women website, the theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platforms for Action.
Adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, the Beijing Platform for Action is recognized as the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of woman and girls everywhere.
The aim of 2020 is to advance gender equality worldwide. It is also a time for the global community to take stock of the steps and progress made in addressing concerns around rights for women.
Gender equality is essential in economies and in communities to ensure we thrive. But where do we start with equality? Do we wait till we get to the workplace, or does it start at home?
It starts at home.
Gender equality starts at home and families must be at the forefront of change. Whether it is breaking down gender stereotypes to sharing responsibilities, educating children about gender equality starts within the family.
Here are some ways to start the transformation:
- Let’s start the conversation in our home. Talk to your kids about gender equality and women’s rights. Talking to kids will not just allow them to be informed but also ensure they are familiar with what needs to be done to reach a world with equality and women’s rights.
- Distribute the chores to all children. We shouldn’t raise our kids with the mindset that only females do the dishes, and only males will carry in the basket of washing. Children must be given equal responsibility to understand how, even in the world, both male and female must work together to achieve a better world.
- Break stereotypes. Stop telling kids that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Stop telling kids that girls clean up and boys don’t have to help to do this. Create a home where your kids are free from fitting into boxes that society has built to dictate how men and woman traditionally exist for years.
This does not imply that if we do all of this, we will ensure we reach gender equality. But by establishing the change we will start the conversation and awareness on the long journey we have ahead of us to achieve gender equality and women rights.
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