Written by Birdee | Jun 13, 2019 4:00:00 AM
In 1851, spoken in front of a gathering, her voice
‘like rolling thunder’ the self-named ‘Sojourner Truth’ a black freed slave stood that spring night in Ohio and bravely asked:
‘ain’t I a woman?’ Her question of who
also gets to benefit from equal rights remains relevant today. For equality for women means
all women,
everywhere. Which by extension acknowledges that some women have it better and thereby, some have it much worse. Understanding, there are many voices, in many languages to be heard. And that those we should be listening to most are rarely given speaker-phones, microphones or platforms to tell their story. Such is this cause important, that the fifth of 17 global goals for sustainable development established by the United Nations (UN) is precisely this: ‘gender equality’. With the aim to:
‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’. Underlining that:
‘g
ender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
’ So not only an absolute moral-imperative, but also pragmatic and plain common sense. For women ‘having it better’ equals a better world for all of us. There is logic to gender equality being a central goal towards sustainable development. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), an organization supporting the UN’s activities, furthers:
“W
hen women and men are equal, economies grow faster; less people remain in poverty, and the overall well-being of people increases…Global gross domestic product could increase by more than 25 per cent by 2025 if women played the same role in labour markets as men.
”
And we, those who are in the ‘better’ places can open doors to those who ‘have it worse’. Feminism and sustainable development are intertwined and older than we might imagine. Just as the line of history draws on from grandmother to granddaughter feminism and sustainable development is ongoing. As I write I reflect on the freedoms and choices in my life compared to that of my grandmother. The laws, the mental shifts, the medical developments. It could be easy to forget the struggles and guts that afforded these freedoms we inherited. Like the obvious, being able to vote, to the choice to pursue any profession. Seemingly, now, thanks to a courageous few and brave movements, it’s could seem a moment to sit back. For equality has progressed and there are noticeable improvements. Yet women remain vulnerable in the most horrible ways. And underrepresented in the places where change can be clearly affected. And gender equality is after all, a freedom for us all, a way to unpick and untangle ourselves from the web of gender biases which hold back men, women and all gender identities. We can re-draw the maps to navigate our ways. Doing so with much sensitivity, I would like to add. So onwards, beyond what kind of world do we want for our daughters and sons. What further freedoms do we wish for them? One thing to hope for is the continuation of open choices. Supporting financial freedom inclusively,
for all is a value for Birdee. Birdee provides investment opportunities to suit different characters, with different budgets for diverse themes. See
here what could be interesting for you. As women, we can’t forget where we’ve come from. And as feminists, all men, women and gender identities inclusive, we can’t forget the freedoms we have been fighting for.