Written by Andra Garba | Published on March 7, 2022
Women’s engagement in the sustainable development process has been recognized as a critical contribution to meeting the pressing demands of key and often excluded parts of society, not merely as a matter of human rights and social justice.
Cultivating women’s engagement in social development initiatives, policymaking, and development decisions helps not only women and their communities, but the entire society. Women are becoming more active participants and complete protagonists in the development process than ever before.
Many impediments and barriers, however, continue to obstruct women’s participation. Many women remain isolated, unorganized, destitute, and confined by sociocultural and legal frameworks that limit their access to and participation in the development process in many regions of the world.
To honor Women’s Day and celebrate the achievements in gender equality we would like to outline some aspects how women have contributed to social development with their important roles in this process.
Smiling women. Credit: Ashwini Chaudhary
Women as Caretakers
In every country, women are the primary caregivers for children and the elderly.
International studies show that when a society’s economy and political structure change, women take the lead in assisting their families in adjusting to new realities and obstacles.
They are likely to be the primary source of outside support and play a key role in facilitating (or obstructing) family life improvements.
Woman wearing red framed glasses. Credit: AllGo – Unsplash
Woman in the Workforce
Today, women account for 45.4 percent of the worldwide workforce.
Women’s formal and informal labor can turn a community from a mostly self-sufficient society into a contributor to the national economy.
Despite major challenges, women’s small businesses in rural developing areas can serve as a lifeline for extended families as well as a networked economic basis for future generations. In recent decades, the role of women in the urban and rural workforce has grown dramatically.
The importance of women in the workplace cannot be overstated. It’s no surprise that gender equality is at an all-time high, given the talents and expertise that women bring to the table. However, there are still obstacles to overcome.
Women frequently face unfair treatment or an unequal playing field merely because of their gender. If you haven’t worked it out yet, having more women in the workforce is beneficial to everyone.
The number of firms that recognize the value of women in the workforce is growing every day, but in order to maintain this trend, companies must take action.
An Aceh (Acehnese/Acehian) girl in a coffee shop covered by a book. Credit: Umar Ben
Women as Educators
What Is the Role of Women in Education? Women’s contribution to a society’s transformation from pre-literacy to literacy is indisputable.
Basic education is essential for a country’s ability to thrive and meet sustainability goals.
Education has been demonstrated to improve agricultural output, improve the status of girls and women, reduce population growth rates, improve environmental protection, and significantly elevate the standard of life, according to research.
The mother of the family is the one who most commonly encourages both boys and girls to attend – and stay – in school.
Women play a crucial part in the cycle of improvements that leads to long-term capability in the family and community. Of course, women’s opportunities in the world still fall behind men’s. However, women’s historical and current roles are undeniable.
“When women are empowered and can claim their rights and access to land, leadership, opportunities and choices, economies grow, food security is enhanced and prospects are improved for current and future generations.”
– Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women
Credit: Lucas Lenzi
The Role of Women as Global Volunteers
The community development work of Global Volunteers in host nations around the world increases women’s and children’s capacity and supports their long-term health and development.
Volunteers work to provide academic accessibility, develop parental involvement, provide psychosocial support, provide nutrition and health education, fund girls’ scholarships, build schools with girls’ restrooms, tutor reading and numeracy, and much more under the leadership of local leaders.
Girl with a face paint. Credit: Jessie Koranteng
Women as Activists
Women also play an important role in advocating for community members’ rights.
Women have gone a long way in establishing their power in various ways and on various platforms, despite being perceived as weak in the past. Their active participation in the struggle for pay and opportunity equality leads to social and communal development.
Women’s collective action has been critical in naming and prioritizing issues like sexual and domestic abuse, child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, unequal leadership chances, discriminatory remuneration, and unequal access to economic resources, especially land and property.
It has also raised awareness of the various and often amplified effects these have on women who are marginalized in multiple ways. Given this, it’s unsurprising that normative advancements in women’s rights or gender equality rarely occur without the involvement of women’s rights organizations.
References:
Gouws, Amanda, and Azille Coetzee. 2019. ‘Women’s Movements and Feminist Activism’. Agenda 33(2):1–8. doi: 10.1080/10130950.2019.1619263.
Gran, Michele. 2019. ‘Global Role of Women’. Retrieved 3 March 2022 (https://globalvolunteers.org/global-role-of-women/).
Hummel, Linda. 2017. ‘The Importance of Women in the Workforce’. Retrieved 3 March 2022 (https://blog.swbc.com/businesshub/the-importance-of-women-in-the-workforce).
