IHRC Marks Int’l Women’s Day 2024

International Human Rights Commission-IHRC in Nigeria Marks 2024 Women’s Day: Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress.

International women’s day is a yearly event that gives us the opportunity to celebrate the impacts and achievements of women, without regard to language, race, or Nationality. It is also a day to express or point out challenges that women are passing through in terms of discrimination, and domestic violence, among others.

To create a sustainable economy and a peaceful society, the International Human Rights Commission-IHRC in Nigeria posits that gender equality is essential.

As we mark the 2024 International Women’s Day, it is a time to celebrate the achievements of women in all areas of life and support the growth and progress of women in our society.

To achieve this progress in every aspect of life, it becomes expedient to invest in gender equality and women’s well-being, to create prosperous economies and a healthy world for all.

This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day celebration, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ calls for joint action from all to invest in Women to promote growth in our world. Supporting women through investments is advantageous for both women and society overall.

Investing in women is both an economic imperative and a human rights issue; it enables women to thrive, which contributes to prosperity and progress.

Importantly, a woman multiples the impact of an investment made in her future by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family, and building a stronger community.

We insist that investing in women could take various forms, which may among others be;

Education and Training Programs: a very important way to invest in women is through the girl child education and training. With even a few years of education, women have better economic prospects and better chances of sending their children to school. If girls’ education is improved, they possess improved abilities to make knowledgeable decisions regarding their lives.

Promoting the Rights of Women: The foundation of women’s economic empowerment lies in human rights. Gender inequality persists due to unfair, patriarchal economic systems, and discriminatory social norms hindering women’s access to information, networks, jobs, and assets.

Promoting and guaranteeing the rights of women and girls is a great step in investing in women.

Guaranteeing the placement of financial assets in the possession of women: giving women ownership and control of productive assets increases development, reduces poverty, and reduces inequalities. There is a need to grant women more access to loans, banking, and financial services to fully participate in the economy and its growth.

Supporting Women’s Involvement in Leadership: Women are generally agents of change in their families, communities, and countries. Increasing women’s participation in politics is essential for advancing issues of importance to women, with benefits for all.

Finally in a world facing multiple crises that are putting immense pressure on communities, achieving gender equality is more important than ever.

As well, ensuring women’s rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure a prosperous and just economy and a healthy planet for future generations.

As we mark International Women’s Day (IWD 2024) let us strive to transform challenges facing women in our generation and time into opportunities in other to shape a better future not only for women but for all.