TWH – “As much as things change, they stay the same,” or so the saying goes. That line of thinking might be a harder sell for many women around the world, especially those in countries that have seen increasingly authoritarian governments place more restrictions on women in a variety of ways.
It is tempting to think that it is only in places like Afghanistan or other theocratic countries where women cannot go to school to learn the subjects they are interested in or pursue the careers of their choice. Surely for women in western countries like the U.S. things are not so bad, right?
In the U.S. alone 26 states either have pending legislation or have already passed laws further restricting reproductive rights. After Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, there has been virtual flood of legislation proposed that would go well beyond just banning abortion, with lawmakers now eyeing attempting to restrict birth control and even fertility clinic practices.
And pay equality? It has not significantly shifted from where it was 20 years ago–men still make roughly $0.18 more on the dollar than women do.
And yes, younger women (25-34) are faring a little better with only an 8% pay gap, but as women in the workplace age, the pay gap only increases. True pay equality still seems like it is out of grasp for most women in the U.S.
And then there are stories like this one:
Yes, you read that headline right. A 5th grade girls’ basketball team was forced to play in the boys league in order to have access to the practice facility. And when they beat the boys’ team in the championship game, they gave the trophy to the boys’ team… That lost. And yes, there is a bit more to the story that indicates it is a likely outdated policy but the optics of it scream inequality.
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) remains in limbo and is unlikely to see any movement with a Republican-controlled Congress now in play, never mind what other restrictive measures are likely to be proposed on women and particularly the LGBTQ+ community. Transgender folks, especially transwomen, are being repeatedly targeted with hundreds of pieces of legislation designed to restrict their access to medical care, terrorizing them and the medical professionals who manage their care.
If this all sounds a bit dire and doom and gloom, well, it rather is. Women who have fought over and over again for their rights–to vote; to manage their own bodies; to not be considered someone else’s property; to buy a house or own their own business and more. The fight to retain those rights is ongoing and seemingly never-ending.
All of that being said, there are a number of organizations that never cease in their work for gender equality and equity. Within the Pagan and Pagan-adjacent community there were several events held to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD).
The Parliament of the World’s Religions Women’s Task Force offered a special webinar program that explored the critical importance of the its role “in the advancement of women’s dignity across the world’s religious and spiritual communities.”
Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, who has been on the front lines of fighting for equality and equity for Pagans and women, held a morning IWD ritual streamed on her Facebook page.
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which first met in February of 1947 has continually focused on women’s rights around the world, shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Their work also helped to define and build the framework for human rights.
This year they will hold their 67th annual session from March 6 – 17, with a full schedule of discussions focused on both the current session that encompasses innovation, technology, and the gender divide in the digital age, as well as a review of the conclusions agreed on during the 62nd session.
The CSW’s 2023 priority theme: Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
The gender gap within the tech industry is still perhaps one of the largest across most fields. Only one out of every four people employed by Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft (GAFAM) is a woman, and for engineers, that ratio is only one in five.
While a majority of men working in tech (63%) consider their work places to support and offer acceptable diversity, only 47% women working in the industry feel that way.
And then there are the overall numbers of women in leadership roles within the industry–19% of the senior vice president roles in tech are held by women, and a mere 15% are CEOs are women. Apple has the best percentage of women in leadership roles at 31.4% in 2021, which is up 6% from 2020.
Another disparity in tech is the amount of funding women-founded companies receive–just under $3.4 million (2.5%) of the $150 million investments made by venture capitalists.
And all of that does not even touch on the other aspects of what women face when it comes to living in the digital age and the amount of harassment they face online and with social media, which is on the rise.
The CSW will also review the conclusions reached during their 2018 session which focused on the “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.”
The report on the conclusions agreed upon in the 62nd session in 2018 is divided into three parts, plus an introduction that outlines the commitments and the challenges faced. The first section addresses the actions needed to “strengthen normative, legal and policy frameworks.” The second section outlines the actions needed to “implement economic and social policies for the empowerment of all rural women and girls.” And the final section targets the collective voice, leadership and decision-making of all rural women and girls. It includes specific measures to ensure women’s full and equal participation in the design, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities that affect
their livelihoods, well-being and resilience.”
And then there is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day: #Embrace Equity. It’s easy to confuse “equality” with “equity” but they are not the same or interchangeable.
Or put another way by Belgium-based YouTuber Tamara Makoni and founder of Kazuri Consulting:
To simply say that there is still more work to done when it comes to equality and equity would be a gross understatement. However, no matter how tough things look currently, women around the world continue to keep the focus and spotlight on the issues that matter most.
And the bottom line is that when women are provided with opportunities for equality and equity, not only do they take advantage of those opportunities, they are more likely to use their power to make their communities a better place for everyone.
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