International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, and this year’s theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” couldn’t be timelier. The world is dealing with several crises, and the cry for gender equality and women’s empowerment has to get louder.
According to unwomen.org, there is an annual deficit of USD 360 billion when financing gender equality measures. This deficit hampers achieving crucial development goals by 2030. Despite progress made in recent years, there is no doubt that gender disparities exist even today in a world plagued by pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, climate disasters and economic volatility.
We must understand that women’s progress benefits everyone, and investing in women is not just a moral obligation but essential to building inclusive societies.
Women’s economic empowerment is a major factor if we have to address poverty, and gender-responsive financing systems prioritising safeguarding women’s rights and well-being are the need of the hour. After all, a woman empowered is a family and community empowered.
Promoting the education of the girl child and equipping them with skills to help them make informed decisions will go a long way in women’s long-term well-being. It will lead to better economic opportunities and ensure a better quality of life for them and the coming generations.
Lastly, I would like to say, let’s come together to support women leaders – be it in business, politics, entrepreneurship or academia. The number of women in top positions at the University level in India is rather dismal. At a 2-day National Women Vice Chancellors’ Conference organised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) in July 2023, it was revealed there were only 75 women vice-chancellors in India, less than 7 per cent. The time has come for more women to assume leadership positions in Indian Universities and bridge the gender gap.
Nothing can elevate women’s empowerment more than breaking the glass ceiling and allowing more women to take leadership positions across sectors. After all, women are agents of change, and their progress is proportionate to the positive changes they will usher into families, the community and the world.
Views expressed by Dr Meena Chintamaneni, Pro VC, NMIMS Deemed-to-be-University
