International Women’s Day also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace is commemorated on March 8th annually to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women throughout the history across nations. It is an event observed worldwide. This year’s theme for 2018 International Women’s Day was, “Time is Now: Rural and urban activist transforming women’s lives.
A slice of brief history about this event will be profitable at this point. After the Socialist Party, a political party in the United States organized a Women’s Day on February 28th, 1909 in New York; the 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference suggested that a Women’s Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8th became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and the communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.
Today, the International Women’s Day is a public holiday in some countries and largely ignored elsewhere. In some places, it is a day of protest, in others a day that celebrates womanhood. Here at Don Bosco Simbu Technical College (DBSTC), this day was celebrated with a meaningful programme organized by the college based Social Awareness sodality under the guidance and leadership of Mr. James Magundu.
The program lasted for an hour and started with a procession by the female students, teachers and the guest speakers into the college’s gymnasium where all the male students and teachers had already assembled and stood up to applaud the entry of women and young girls. For every female that walked into this atmosphere, they felt an abundant of showers of love, gratitude and appreciation bestowed upon each of them even though this lasted for few minutes and that is something I can guarantee.
After the opening prayer by Father Edwin (SDB), the speakers delivered their respective speeches. Both guests came from the St. Joseph’s Rural Hospital, Migendi. Sr. Agatha of the Holy Spirit Sisters (HSS), whose work involves the treatment of HIV and AIDS in the surrounding rural population in their speeches, placed importance on Human Right of women that included discrimination and abuse as well as violence and sorcery. The UN has conducted several researches to learn and establish some figures and facts about the different forms of abuses that women all across Papua New Guinea experience. According to the statistics presented, 67% experience domestic violence, 70% experience rape, 86% get beaten before pregnancy while the rate of public transport violence stands an alarming rate of 90%. Statistics also shows that 1442 are on ART, a treatment for HIV AIDS. 416 of those treated are female while the remaining 246 are male.
Further elaboration was made on the “UN Millennium Goals” which stipulates plans to reduce poverty, violence and improve health care and family planning among many other aims set to be achieved for the welfare of our women. Living in such a contemporary society, cultural integration is inevitable which consequently placed a real threat on the survival of our indigenous cultures. The speeches were concluded on the note of Cultural Confusion. Adapting to the western culture and lifestyle and the unrecognized universal law that man and woman, both are equal in dignity with special reference made to Genesis 1: 27.
The program was undoubtedly profitable for all who were present to witness and be part of the celebration. It was educational as well as more of a mass awareness done to everyone. We all have women in our lives, a mother that cares for us, a sister, a girlfriend. They need to be respected and treated with equality and justice. They are the backbone of our existence as the saying goes, “Behind every successful man is a strong woman”. It is true because in each family in every society in the country, every man who may have the strength to do all he wishes, there is an even stronger woman who stands behind him, supports and loves him with all her heart.
Fr. Robinson Parappilly (SDB), the Principal delivered a concrete closing remarks to end the program with a saying according to one of India’s first prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, “If you like to build up a nation, educate the women and she will be at the forefront of the nation building and developing it”.
Every men must respect our women, care for your wife, the mother of your children, she will take care of you and your siblings, your mother because no one loves you more than she does. Appreciate her not in grand romantic ways but in little things such as saying thank you, a hug or a peck on the cheek. She is a diamond, she is rare, treasure her, value her and love her into pieces.
To all women, know your worth, don’t compare yourself with others but stand strong, calm and believe in yourself to succeed in whatever you pursue in life. Be a brave woman so your daughter will have a role model and your son will know what to look for in a woman and how to treat her right when he becomes a man one day.