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The GAWU joins in saluting all women and girls on the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021. It is indisputable that women have played an important role in the advancement of civilization and, increasingly today, they are engaged in all sphere of human endeavour in many countries across the world.
We recall that International Women’s Day emerged out of the struggles of women workers in the United States, who organized themselves to strike for better working conditions, better pay, and voting rights and against women’s oppression and gender inequality. These struggles made us better understand the inseparable links between economic rights and political rights. Their struggles also show that the concerns of working people the world over are shared between women and men.
The day dedicated to women, gained prominence when socialist women workers identified it as a day of action to rally against the First World War. On the same day in 1917, a strike of working women of Russia took place in protest at the killing of 2 million soldiers in the war and which provided a further impetus for the history-making Russian Revolution which occurred in that year and which saw the birth of a socialist country for the first time in the annals of civilization.
In-as-much that women have made and are making worthy contributions to mankind’s all-round development and generally made notable strides in their own lives they must still contend with multi-faceted problems – poverty, economic inequality, discrimination in work life, oppressions, and various manifestations of violence. Today, the heavy burden of austerity affects women – job opportunities are scarce and dwindling; services they rely on are discontinued or reduced; working-women face exploitation; millions live with oppressions literally on a daily basis, and yet millions make up a large contingent of refugees driven from their homes and settlements mainly due to destructive wars of aggression and severe bombardment of their countries.
The past year as a difficult one. The COVID-19 pandemic has spared nobody and was particularly challenging for women around the world. Doctors, nurses, teachers, shop assistants – jobs often held by women – have found themselves at the frontline of the pandemic. All this, while taking on greater responsibilities at home. We thank women for their bravery, their compassion, and their contribution in fighting the crisis, also by keeping our societies, care systems and most essential services running.
This year’s IWD theme: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in COVID-19 world” gives due recognition to the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain. We hold that women’s full and effective participation and leadership in all areas of life drives progress for everyone.
We are convinced that the women of the world and working women especially remain a formidable force in mankind’s struggles to address unequal relationships and to bring about a just, democratic and peaceful world. With this in mind, we take this opportunity to express solidarity with our womenfolk worldwide and more with our Guyanese womenfolk.
