Today we celebrate the women who have stepped up to the challenge to bring development and change into their lives and into their communities. The historic, cultural and socio-economic barriers that have prevented women in the past are dissolving into the background as women voices are getting stronger.
Current circumstances are challenging the world to change and a theme for the 2021 International Women’s day is to choose the challenge that will lead us to the much-needed changes. Women are at the forefront of diversity and inclusiveness movements (in the streets and online). They are leading with compassion, caring with devotion and juggling the work-life balance like never before.
During just the last couple of months Kamala Harris became the first women Vice President of the U.S who shared the stage with Amanda Gorman as the first US National Youth Poet Laureate and youngest poet to perform at an inauguration and later the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl. Not long after Kamala, Kaja Kallas became Estonia’s first female Prime Minister next to the female President of her country. Zara Mohammed the youngest person and first woman to be elected as the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. The CEO of Bumble Inc. Whitney Wolfe Herd became the youngest female founder to take a US company public. The first woman was appointed by Pope Francis as an undersecretary to the Synod of Bishops and the former minister of finance in Nigeria was chosen to be the new director general of the World Trade Organization, making Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the first woman and first African ever to hold the position. Jasmine Harrison at 21 years old became the youngest woman to row solo across the Atlantic in February and Chloé Zhao was the second-ever woman to win the Golden Globe Award for best director following the first who was Barbra Streisand – to highlight just a few.
Let us celebrate the achievements of women across the globe who are paving the way for little girls of the future. You might not be stepping onto a stage to receive an award or be in line to become the president of your country – but every voice has a place and purpose. According to Achim Steiner, Administrator at UNDP this year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry for Generation Equality. “It is time to finally fully harness the power of women’s leadership to realise a more equal, more inclusive and more sustainable future.”
Today we celebrate the women who have chosen the challenges that bring change!
Source: World Economic Forum