International Women's Day: What's Good About Being A Woman In 2021?
By: Ajumoke Nwaeze
Tags: Politics, International Women Day, Women, Mothers, Feminism

International Women's Day: What's Good About Being A Woman In 2021?

“Happy International Women’s Day!”

I woke up to the internet buzzing with wishes for women and thought to myself "what’s the good thing about being a woman, expecially in 2021?"

All my life, I have seen women face gender-based challenges and wonder when all of these will be over.

From menstrual pain, child birthing, and female mutilation, to sexism, rape, domestic violence, female objectification, child marriage, forced prostitution, body shaming and male dominance, women, irrespective of their age, colour and location face similar issues on a daily basis. In worse cases, some women have to deal with issues like barrenness, miscarriage, fibriod, breast cancer, and more.

Women go through the shittiest things in life and are constantly put at the tail end of the society, yet, celebrated on three different occasions every year. What’s the real logic behind these celebrations?

Although a lot has been said about making the world a better place for women, only a fragment of impact has been achieved so far. With feminism on the rise, the fight for equality is gradually skewing towards the wrong direction, thereby causing more harm than good. How did we get here? Feminism was meant to give women equal opportunities with men in the society not make both genders fight about who’s the head of the family. Anyways, that’s a topic for another day.

What’s Good About Being A Woman in 2021? Everything! Cos there is hope for a better tomorrow — this is why I think so.

There’s a constant awareness and intentional effort to upgrade the value of the girl child.

More women are becoming aware of themselves, the essence of their feminity and creating their own paths.

A few men are joining the movement to make sure that women are treated fairly.

Women are taking more lead roles in the work force and society.

The society is beginning to give women the voice and audience they deserve.

Financial institutions and other corporate organizations are creating more platforms to support women-owned businesses.

More women are winning in their homes, at work and in the society.

More can be done:

- The government needs to impose laws that protect women’s right in the home, society and work place.

- Women Inheritance Rights need to be legalized in Nigeria.

- Working class women deserve a two day "Period Break" every month.

- Sanitary pads should be made free instead of condoms. (Menstral cycle is a natural occurance, sex is an activity of choice).

- Women need to start supporting each other “genuinely.”

- Women deserve more leadership roles in Politics and the tech space.

- A woman being the President of an organisation and a man being the Vice, should be normalised.

- Health care should be subsidized for women since the gender tends to need medicare more often than males.

- Penalities should be given to anyone who violates women’s right.

Until all of these and more are put in place, the celebration of Women’s International Day would be just another ceremonial event with little or no meaning/impact.

Women Lives Matter!