GENDER PARITY: A REALITY OR AN ILLUSION?
''Women's rights are human rights'', averred the Unites States Secretary of State- Hillary Clinton. The realization of women's rights is a worldwide struggle based on universal human rights and the rule of law. Most women of today's generation enjoy multiple rights that act as a determinant factor in making them be on a par with men. Evidently without the emancipation of women, perhaps today we would still be living in a world where patriarchy is prevalent and women considered as ‘the inferior gender. pic] Mauritius, since 25 years now, has been struggling on implementing new and effective empowerment programs for women, through the National Women's Council. The National Platform for Women in Politics plays a role in boosting the participation of women in the 'affairs of State’. Statistics have proven that female parti
...cipation in the National Legislative Assembly has increased by 13. 1%, which is quite considerable, during the past decade. Yet, measures and strategies are still being viewed and analyzed to increase female involvement in politics.
For instance, during the International women's Day celebration, which took place on 9 March 2011, the Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, stated that a quota system should be put in place to boost the number of women in politics. This is indeed a ' substantial step towards gender parity ‘. ‘Entreprendre au Feminin Ocean Indien-Region Maurice’ (EFOIM) is a non-governmental organization that has also helped in job creations for women along with the collaboration of the National Empowerment Foundation.
It would also be good to point out that during the annual New Year message of the Prime Minister, which is addressed to the whol
nation, it was stated that the rate of female unemployment has decreased by 4. 1% during the past four years. This evidence clearly shows the breaking down of barriers to job opportunities for women. The constitution of Mauritius assures and sees to it that all its citizens retreated equally, irrespective of gender, and to enforce this regulation, the constitution was amended in 1995 to make sex discrimination illegal.
To tackle down the root causes of Gender inequality, our government has been implementing legislation which is in favour of gender equality and at the same time advantages women: o The right to voice out, choose her own profession, set up her own business and even carrying out bank transactions on her own personal bank accounts, o The right to choose her own matrimonial regime, Under the Jury Act of 1990, it has been stated that women are allowed to sit as jurors, o The labour and Industrial Relations Act along with the National Remuneration Orders and the Export Processing Zone Acts insist upon equality treatment on workplaces and act as a protective factor against any unlawful dismissal. All those rights and laws have been set up with the aim of waiving out discrepancies between men and women of today’s socio-economic era.
Mauritius is endeavoring to create this egalitarianism through amendments in its legislation for women and through the various empowerment programs that the government, as well as the NGOs, are providing to those ‘women who want to feel and be autonomous just like the opposite sex’. Surprisingly, despite all those efforts and regulations put into practice, Gender parity still remains a difficultly attainable goal. [pic] 'Behind every successful
man, there is a woman'.
This saying is true and evident in all spheres of life and proves that women are ' the key to our future'. Then why should men be more privileged? Does this come from one's perception of life? Or is this what has been inculcated in us? Though most of the prejudices against women are gradually fading away, preconception of women still prevails in different cultures. No laws on earth can change one’s thoughts, perspectives, and beliefs! The main reason could account for this inability to have an egalitarian society.
Equality between the two sexes would have been possible if we were to be living in an idealistic world, where everyone would be sharing the same point of view. But, alas this is NOT the case. Through those policies set up by the government, equity can be achieved but NOT equality. Though gender equality cannot be fully achieved, at least those negative perceptions, that people once had on women, are gradually dwindling, but still us, the young Mauritian citizens, are looking forward to making gender equality a REALITY that would mark history.
Author: Assiyah Mahomed
- The ongoing fight for gender parity transcends generations.
- The emancipation of women goes back to the beginning of the 18th century with the Suffragettes
- Leader organizations for women’s empowerment are the National Women’s Council and the National Platform for Women in Politics.
- Female unemployment has plummeted by 4. 1% according to the latest statistics.
- Some of the leading players in the Mauritian political sphere are women.
- Is prevalent equity tending towards equality soon?
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