Challenges facing the women all over the world are taking the front burner today, as the International Women’s Day takes centre stage.
The international theme for the commemoration is “Planet 50-50 by 2013: Step it Up for Gender Equality”, which emphasizes gender parity.
Gender rights advocates are using the occasion to canvass for the celebration of social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
However; they are challenged that progress has slowed in many places across the world, and are calling for urgent action to accelerate gender parity.
Here in Nigeria, the discussions are tilting towards the ageless practice of early marriage, abuse of women and harmful traditional practices against women among others.The celebration is driven on recent negative incidents involving women, most prominently the Bayelsa State teenage girl, ESE ORURU, who was allegedly abducted from her home, taken to Kano and married off according to Islamic tradition, without the consent of her parent.The official United Nations commemoration holds in the Trusteeship Council at the UN Secretariat in New York City, and will consist of a series of musical performances and two panel discussions.The discussions will reflect on what a gender-equal planet means and how to achieve it by 2030 through the combined efforts of the United Nations, governments, civil society and the private sector.
