March 8 heralds International Women’s Day, a celebration adorned with flowers, chocolates, and kind gestures. Yet, beneath this surface lies a profound truth: women deserve rights, equality, and empowerment, pillars of a just society they should never compromise on. In 2025, the United Nations has adopted the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” urging collective action to ensure a future where no woman or girl is overlooked, especially empowering the younger generation as crucial agents of change.
The year 2025 also commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a transformative blueprint for women’s rights globally. Recognised for its role in advancing legal protection, access to essential services, and altering outdated social norms, this declaration has witnessed notable progress, including:
– 89% of governments prioritising the end of violence against women, with legal actions implemented in 193 countries.
– Achieving educational parity across most corners of the globe.
– 112 nations implementing national plans to involve women in peace and security dialogues, a leap from just 19 in 2010.
Despite these strides, women’s conditions globally remain dire. Afghanistan stands as a stark reminder of this truth. The Taliban’s restrictive measures over the past three years have suffocated women’s rights in every regard—from education and employment to daily freedoms. Women and girls face a systematic erasure from society, with prominent figures calling this gender apartheid—a meticulous structure of governance that isolates them entirely from public life.
In 2025, women’s bodies have tragically become battlegrounds, experiencing conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in numerous contemporary conflicts. The Rwandan-backed M23 conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has weaponised sexual violence against women in devastated communities. Likewise, Sudan and Ethiopia report continuous CRSV against women amidst ongoing conflicts.
In Nigeria, the haunting spectre of sexual violence looms large, driven by groups like Boko Haram, deeply rooted in a context of chronic conflict and gender disparity. Alarmingly, global femicide statistics reveal that one woman or girl is murdered every ten minutes, translating to 140 lives lost daily—a sobering reality that echoes worldwide.
Yet, amidst these struggles, women and girls refuse to remain silent. They persist in their quest for rights, equality, and empowerment. The global community must lock arms with them in solidarity, ensuring that rights reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are safeguarded and executed with fervour. This mission invites actors from all spectrums—governments, civil societies, media, and influencers. Ignoring this call to action and permitting half of the world’s populace to linger in unfulfilled rights is indefensible.
International Women’s Day on March 8 highlights the need for women’s rights, equality, and empowerment. The UN’s 2025 theme advocates for action towards a future where all women and girls thrive. Despite progress since the Beijing Declaration, many women still face dire challenges, especially in Afghanistan. The ongoing issues of CRSV and femicide indicate a pressing need for global unity in fighting for women’s rights.
In summary, International Women’s Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for women’s rights, equality, and empowerment, reinforcing that while progress has been made since the Beijing Declaration, critical challenges linger. With regions like Afghanistan exemplifying extreme oppression, and the pervasive issue of sexual violence remaining rampant in conflicts worldwide, it is imperative that the international community unite to champion the cause of women and girls. Acknowledging their struggles and responding decisively is not merely a responsibility; it is an obligation we all share.
Original Source: www.forbes.com
