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International women’s day 2017: is it a day for celebration or mourning?

8 mars 2017, 11:30

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The theme for the International Women’s Day that will be celebrated on 8th March 2017 focuses on “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”. Not to be confused with Planet Earth.

In all emerging economies the world of work is changing for women with significant implications. On one hand, technological advances and globalization bring unprecedented opportunities for those who can access them. But who can access them?

In a country where one of five women has known violence; sexual violence is 61 times more than reported at the police and rape is 11 times more than reported*; where women are only 7 % of the boards of directors; where at 12 % Mauritius is known to have consistently had the lowest proportion of women in all the SADC countries in economic decision; achieving gender equality in 13 years’ time, that is in 2030, seems more like a dream. But a dream that is possible if we all join hands together.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) impacts on the rights of women and girls across all economic, social and political lines. Women who are victims of violence experience life-long emotional distress, mental health problems and poor reproductive health. Most cases of GBV are perpetuated by the culture of silence and women do not report. Victims who break with traditions of silence run the risk of being shamed more than the perpetrators.

‘‘Gender Based Violence impacts on the rights of women and girls across all economic, social and political lines.’’

How will these women join the work force?
The Digest of Demographic Statistics 2014 shows that there were 1,210 mothers aged 15- 19 that gave birth in 2013 and 1,106 mothers of the same age gave birth in 2014. According to a report from the Ministry of Health dated 9th July 2015, teenage pregnancy has been on the increase from 10.9 % to 12.1 %. From January to July 2016, 114 cases of teenage pregnancy were reported. There are several factors pertaining to teenage pregnancy, amongst which rape, being sexually active at an early age, lack of parental control, broken families, lack of information on contraceptive methods, communication gap between parents and children, no sexual education at school.

Do these girls join the workforce after delivery?
Girls generally perform better than boys at the Higher School Certificate examinations and more girls than boys enrol at tertiary institutions.

Why this glass ceiling for women in post of decision?
In her message today on International Women’s Day, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highlights: “Across the world, too many women and girls spend too many hours on household responsibilities — typically more than double the time spent by men and boys. This is the unchanging world of unrewarded work, a globally familiar scene of withered futures, where girls and their mothers sustain the family with free labour. As they grow up, girls must be exposed to a broad range of careers, and be encouraged to make choices that lead beyond the traditional service and care options to jobs in industry, art, public service, modern agriculture and science.”

Mauritius is a country where women are already over-represented in poorly paid employment with little or no social protection; where there are still unequal terms and conditions for women’s paid and unpaid work and where there is lack of support for women entrepreneurs including their access to finance and markets. And yet women play a great role in the economy of Mauritius.

Are the contributions of women in the informal sector acknowledged?
It is only by addressing these injustices, by putting mechanism in the place of work for women with small babies; by training women, accompanying them and helping them to sit on boards and have post of decisions; by a cultural shift with more new fathers who believe in gender equality; with girls growing up equal to boys, that we will be able to climb the ladder towards Planet 50-50 by 2030.

To all my sisters who are negotiating with hotels, restaurants, shops, hairdressers and are even thinking that 8th March should be a public holiday, please let us stop stereotyping women. If we have to ask for discounts, maybe we should ask for discounts at undertakers like Elie and Sons, Moura or Juliette Laval!