One day is not enough

DR MARGARET NAKHID-CHATOOR

THE CAMPAIGN theme for International Women's Day 2024 is #Inspire Inclusion. According to the activists, this means that when we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world, and when women themselves are inspired to be included, it creates a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment for them.

The charade of activism

As usually happens in the build-up to this day, there are many activities organised globally. Here in Trinidad and Tobago we have divas in concert, the network of NGOs, the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, UWI, and the Family Planning Association of TT hosting annual marches and rallies and the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) celebrating women in many areas, as they have said, by doing free cervical and breast examinations, etc.

Women should feel so lucky to be included for a day. Really? One day is not enough! For most women also it is just another ordinary day.

And who are we kidding with this rhetoric of inclusion, gender parity and equity? All those people who have been planning marches, organising banquets and socials to highlight the achievements of women, how were these women selected, and what was the basis for choosing them? You want to be seen as doing "something" and this act of tokenism does not sit well with me at all. What is the real purpose of the marches?

Stop assuming that the experiences of all women in this country are the same. Support women with less privilege than you have, and recognise and acknowledge the impact of intersectionality in this society – the continued discrimination and oppression of marginalised groups of women based on their mental challenges, physical disability, sexual orientation, race and class.

Let’s look again at those watchwords – “Inspire Inclusion. Invest” in our women and girls. Women’s equality has made positive gains in some areas but the world is still very much unequal in many respects. What has changed?

Reality check! Women do not have a voice in the economic and political climate in most societies and the agency that this voice can carry to bring about rights and recognition for other women. The constant appeal for women and girls to have a more prominent seat at the table of bounty is a complete farce, where mostly men and other misguided women have sat and laughed and talked about their next moves forward in this rat race of a world, with nary a care for those women less fortunate, impoverished, abused, scarred and forgotten.

Reality check! The number of women in top leadership roles is very low. The problem is not that there aren’t enough women of capable skills, but the lack of efforts from corporate companies to nurture and train women for the same managerial roles that they give to their male counterparts. A large gender gap still exists in women’s access to leadership roles and decision making. Include them! Invest in them!

Reality check! Many women, especially those in impoverished settings, do not have a place to call their own. If governments are serious about women empowerment and corporate sponsorship can be a necessary ally, invest in women and decrease women’s economic, social and physical vulnerability to domestic violence. Many have no other choice but to stay with abusive partners. Therefore, make housing and family services more accessible for them.

International Women’s Day is supposed to be based on community, connection and collaborative action and while there are many social activities being organised, who are the women and girls being invited to the table? Are they the granny in the village who took care of her deceased daughter’s children for many years; the blind woman with the daughter who has Down syndrome and who survive with little help from anyone; the 32-year-old mother with the seven children, hustling to ensure that they have at least one good meal for the day, not having an education?

Are these the kind of women to be celebrated, who make it by the grace of God and their own sheer resilience and determination? Next year, seek them out and invite them to the functions; give them a chance to tell of their lived experiences, which can be an inspiration for many others who struggle day by day, battling depression and loneliness.

Reality check! The reality is that little has been achieved and we seem to be moving backwards. To truly include women means to openly embrace their diversity of race, age, ability and body image, and to include them in all fields of endeavour.

There can be no real celebration in Trinidad and Tobago on International Women’s Day when there is so much violence and abuse against women, and where poverty and family neglect saturate the lives of our young girls. Let us channel our energies into more of a demand for change. Make a difference. One day is not enough!

Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor is a psychologist/educator