Celebrating World Women’s Day
Bringing to light the role played by Women

Women’s Liberation’, the feminist movement, has been an ongoing encounter for over one and a half centuries. March 8 is the United Nations established International Women’s Day.

It is celebrated to bring to light the role and accomplishments of women in the socio-political field. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Press for Progress’. The day will be marked with performances, marches, talks, rallies and networking events.

• Where women’s fundamental rights are concerned, there is more sex-based discrimination
• There are no adequate welfare programmes to assist them, worse, they are not appreciated in our society

International Women’s Day looks to celebrate women’s achievements, as well as proceed as a vehicle for change when it comes to gender equality. It has been observed for over a century and is now celebrated around the globe. The inaugural International Women’s Day was held in New York on 28th February 1909. The event was organised by the Socialist Party of America. It was agreed that an ‘international day’ should be named as part of a plan to promote women’s suffrage and equal rights for them.   

With regard to the progress of women’s rights Sri Lanka has a good record compared to other South Asian nations. However, we have to compare ourselves with developed nations. We consented for international standards in the women’s convention in 1981. Our constitution has an article on equality. There has been a wearing away of rights with regard to gender based violence. Employment and political involvement are areas that we are yet to make adequate progress in. The laws are in place, but their implementation is extremely weak.   

The Enlightened One was the first guru who gave women equal opportunities in the field of spiritual advancement

Our female migrant workers contribute a high percentage of the total foreign exchange revenue earned by the island. There are no adequate welfare programmes to assist them, worse, they are not appreciated in our society.   

There should be more skills development efforts. These workers are exploited by agencies and foreign employers due to shortcomings in the regulatory structure, which needs to be corrected.   
Where women’s fundamental rights are concerned, there is more sex-based discrimination in the private sector than in the state sector, where women have equal opportunity in terms of employment.  

Employment Opportunities
There are several areas of employment in which women don’t have equal openings. Unemployment statistics related to women are almost double when compared with that of men. This is true even with qualified women. Priority has to given when addressing this need. Most private sector firms are reluctant to employ women for the mere reason that they will ask for maternity leave; a right guaranteed under the constitution. Of course, there are a few women who have achieved great heights by climbing the corporate ladder and have even held posts such as CEO. They must not sell themselves and should take a tough stand against any kind of abuse.   

It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “Nobody can Make you Feel Inferior without your Permission”. Eleanor, the American politician, activist and diplomat and the First Lady of America during the Presidency of husband Franklin D. Roosevelt, made this much quoted statement.   

Gautama Buddha on Gender Equality
Gautama Buddha possessed the strength to compare motherhood to ‘Buddhahood’. He said, ‘an excellent daughter is as dood as an excellent son’. King of Kosala received a message from his castle that his queen had given birth to their first child and that it was a daughter. The birth of a female child was considered, during that time, as a sign of misfortune. The King hurried to Gautama Buddha and lamented. The Enlightened One appeased him making the above statement.   

When Gautama Buddha made his first visit home to the Kapilawastu castle after enlightenment his former wife declined to greet him. She said, “If he is anxious let him come to me”. Gautama Buddha, without any hesitation, walked into her chamber together with his two chief disciples. Buddhism teaches the husband to consider the wife as a companion, friend and partner. During those days a wife was expected to be a substitute in the event the husband happened to be indisposed. In Buddhist societies, the wife occupies an equal place with the husband. Gautama Buddha appreciated the social and physiological features that existed. The Enlightened One was the first guru who gave women equal opportunities in the field of spiritual advancement. This he did by purifying their minds which in turn enabled them to realise the bliss of Nibbana.

Under certain situations, Gautama Buddha mentioned in the Samyutta Nikaya, that women are more astute and wise than men. The testimonies of the Theris (Nuns) as described in Theri-gathas speak profusely of this fact. Gautama Buddha categorically laid down duties of a husband towards the wife in Sigalovada Sutta. Here Gautama Buddha emphasized that a husband should be polite and faithful to the wife and not despise her. The great teacher also said that a husband should leave the authority of running the house to the wife and provide her with adornments.   

What is Sexual harassment ?
Sexual harassment according to the United Nations Human Rights Commission is an undesirable request for sexual favours, sexual advance, gesture of a sexual nature, verbal or physical conduct or, any other behaviour of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another. Sexual harassment may be unsolicited, deliberate and coercive. 

“Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, and do not grovel; take courage…”   
 - Christobel Roseanne Barr   

Forbidden Subject ?
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have published a report on the difficulties that journalists – both men and women – can encounter when they cover women’s rights.

The paper entitled, “Women’s rights: Forbidden subject” says, ‘reporters covering women’s rights face risks making it a forbidden subject’. It further says, ‘from 2012 to 2017, the rights of at least 90 journalists in around 20 countries were seriously violated because they dared to cover or talk about women’s rights or gender issues. Several months of research has yielded the following chilling breakdown of these cases: 11 of these journalists were murdered, 12 were imprisoned, at least 25 were physically attacked and at least 40 others were or are still being threatened on social networks’.

Unemployment statistics related to women are almost double when compared with that of men

The editor of the feminist weekly ‘Gauri Patrike’, Gauri Lankesh was gunned down on September 5, 2017, for articles that criticized the woman’s place in the caste system in India. Feminist journalists have been subjected to judicial harassment and imprisonment in Iran in connection with their writing on gender equality. Shojaee and Narges Mohammadi are two such victims—Shojaee now lives in exile. However, not just women journalists are persecuted by the enemies of women’s rights. Abdiaziz Ibrahim was arrested and sentenced to a prison term on a fake news charge in Somalia, for interviewing a rape victim, the paper adds.   

“Journalists should not have to risk their lives in order to cover women’s rights in 2018, but unfortunately they do in many parts of the world,” the Secretary-general Christophe Deloire of RSF said. This report shows how enemies of press freedom obstruct coverage of women’s rights and investigative reporting by journalists. “We offer very clear recommendations to ensure that both halves of humanity enjoy the right to equal treatment by the media everywhere, without which we cannot talk of journalistic freedom and pluralism”.   

Predators with Many Faces
RSF’s report identifies fanatic religious groups such as the Taliban and Islamic State. Journalists who cover abortion rights in the United States receive death threats from pro-life groups. They often seek to silence reporters. Covering the many murders of women in Mexico is particularly risky. Authoritarian Governments– led by those in Turkey, China, and Egypt- are also opposed to publishing women’s issues for public debate. In Canada and France, and in many other developed countries, hordes of furious Internet users let loose cyber-harassment programmes against journalists. With women victims, the attacks become stronger and usually acquire a sexual dimension.   

In response to the harassment, some journalists have had no option, but to flee into exile, some have closed reporting and a few have chosen to defy. In their report, RSF pay compliment to all these journalists and offer recommendations to states, online platforms, international organizations, and news groups, so that women’s rights are no longer observed as a forbidden subject and journalists who want to cover this topic can do so unreservedly.  Women, be courageous, forthright and most importantly, honest. Have a target in life, which is within your reach and you must be audacious enough to reach it in spite of all the obstacles in your way.