Stephanie Worsop: More to be done to achieve true gender equality

Tell the women you love how much you appreciate them, this International Women's Day. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

Today is International Women's Day.

But for most people, it will be just another, unremarkable day.

In most places this year, there will be no big parades, fireworks or celebrations in the street.

There may be a public acknowledgement of the women who changed the world or a moment of silence for the women who lost their lives in pursuit of freedom, independence of thought or simply because they were a woman.

But there will be a lot of people who won't give it another thought.

In Saturday's paper, we profiled four Bay of Plenty female business leaders who spoke about their journey to the top and what it was like being a woman in power.

This is in line with the 2021 theme: "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world".

All four women we spoke to said the business sector was making progress towards gender balance at the executive level but the changes were slow.

Most also said, while they wouldn't give up being a woman, it definitely had made their journey harder.

And that's just one example.

There are women in every sector and aspect of life, who will face adversity at some point, for no other reason than because she is a woman.

Women are more likely to be the victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse and are more likely to be killed by a spouse.

Worldwide, there are girls who have to miss school because of period poverty and there are tens of millions of girls who are still denied education altogether.

In New Zealand, the pay gap between men and women has dropped but women still earn, on average, $2.50 less an hour and 19 per cent of women in 2019 experienced discrimination based on their gender.

It's 2021 and we have made so much progress as a species but it is still hard to be a woman.

This is not to say women have it harder than any other minority that has experienced, or continues to experience, discrimination or oppression.

But it is important for our future growth as a species to recognise what women have been through and what we continue to go through.

For everyone who has a mum, a wife, a sister, an aunt, grandmother, or daughter, take the time today to talk to her about her experience in the world.

What she's seen, what she's done, what she's had to sacrifice and what she's fought for.

Use today to understand what it's like to be a woman in 2021 and strive to apply that knowledge every day to support the women in your life.

Only once we achieve true equality in race, gender, sexuality and any other difference will humankind be capable of reaching its full potential.