The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called for united action from all stakeholders to acelerate gender equality as the world marks the International Women’s Day (IWD).
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay, made the call in a statement on Sunday in commemoration of the 2021 IWD celebration with the theme; “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
The IWD is celebrated globally every March 8 in recognition of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and also a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Azoulay said the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated all the divisions in the world, particularly those due to gender inequalities, hence it was necessary to unite and mobilise towards addressing the challenges.
“In the face of these ongoing injustices, in the face of this twenty-first-century “shame”, as put by Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, it is high time for united action.
“For it is above all in the minds of people that the defences of equality must be constructed in order to break down prejudices and stereotypes.”
The statement also noted educational inequalities, which the COVID-19 had worsened, as exemplified by the 767 million women and girls who were deprived of their studies at the peak of the pandemic.
“Today, in addition to the 132 million who were already out of school before the crisis, 11 million of them may never return.”
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The statement disclosed that UNESCO and the Global Coalition for Education had launched the Girls Back to School campaign and published an accompanying guide to more than 50 African Union countries to support girls’ return to school.
It also highlighted some of UNESCO’S mandate, which included supporting women’s right to education, promoting women artists, journalists and researchers, as well as encouraging men’s engagement to the cause. (NAN)
