The 2024 International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8th March 2024, with theme, Invest in women: Accelerate progress.
This year’s theme underscores the need to invest in women and the girl child on all fronts. There is a need to invest in educating the girl child. An educated girl child becomes an educated woman and mother. Because she is educated, she is able to contribute to the development of her immediate community and the world at large. She is also able to support her husband to ensure that their children are educated. We read stories of less privileged girls who, because their education was invested in have gone on to become influential members of their communities in different spheres.
It is important that governments all over the world continue to give attention to investment in the girl child. Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if we want to create prosperous economies and a healthy planet.
Governments all over the world need to pay attention to gender-responsive budgeting – striving for a fair distribution of resources. Governments also need to continue to invest in programmes and policies preventing violence against women and the girl child. This they can do by making investments to scale-up gender violence prevention programmes, implementing effective gender violence prevention policies and providing support services to address violence against women and girls.
At Bell Oil and Gas (BOG), we recognize the importance of International Women’s Day. We are proud to be a part of this global initiative and we will continue to support this course. Here are five key areas that need joint action to ensure women are not left behind:
Investing in women: A human rights issue
Gender equality remains a human rights challenge.
Investing in women is a human right imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies.
Ending poverty
The COVID pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, climate disasters, and economic turmoil have pushed an extra 75 million people into severe poverty since 2020. This could lead to more women and girls living below the poverty line by 2030, making immediate action crucial.
Implementing gender-responsive financing
Due to conflicts and rising fuel and food prices, recent estimates suggest that 75 per cent of countries will curb public spending by 2025. Austerity negatively impacts women and crowds out public spending on essential public services and social protection.
Supporting change-makers
Feminist organizations are leading efforts to tackle women’s poverty and inequality. However, they are running on empty, receiving a meagre 0.13 per cent of total official development assistance.
Everyone everywhere can play a part in inspiring inclusion. Let’s collectively advance women’s rights and create a more equitable world.
With input from: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
●Cross section of BOG Women during International Women’s Day 2024 in Lagos.
● BOG Women during International Women’s Day 2024 in Port Harcourt.