There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women – Kofi Annan
Centuries ago such topical discussions weren’t publicly viable as individual’s perceptions were highly perverted and mutually exclusive of today’s situational analysis. Many families, societies and nations at large have failed to embrace the contribution of women towards development. Economies for decades now have drawn SMART comprehensive strategies but have relentlessly failed to mitigate the worst global epidemic “poverty”. It is moreover evident that the world’s most affected nations and/or regions with economic stagnation, are worst at embracing the contribution of women towards development, they still embrace traditional approach to modern advancement.
Traditionally, some cultures of this day and age still marginalize the potential of girls. They deny them the right to education with the belief that they are weak at reasoning, force them into early marriages because they believe their only duty on earth is procreation with an ill acute acuity that they are exciting their ancestors, and in some countries female feticide is legal. Such actions are impervious to social and economic glory.
Countries and nations which do not respect women have never become great nor will ever be in future – Dr. Purvaja Mahadevan.
The education of girls is equivalent to the education of a nation. The longer they stay in school saves them from early marriages and teenage pregnancies because they stay focused, thus reducing Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) as well as Infant Mortality Rates (IMR), an incidence more prevalent among teenage expectant mothers. This can save the millions of dollars that are invested in containing these cumbersome complications alone.
Today governments still contemplate about hiring women in top positions, claiming they are too soft to handle diplomatic arguments, but there is no psycho-social proof of this. In the context of women’s rights, gender-based violence is prone especially in precarious marriages, some men still treat women like property – they deny them right to work, carry out their own businesses – with the lame fear excuse of losing them should they gain financial capability to sustain themselves. Men prefer retaining women in labor wards (giving birth every year) and that is exactly where the problem is.
Contraception has much to do with women empowerment, when women are denied the power of when and how to have children, they can hardly plan their future. It is evident that families with less children are healthier and wealthier, because mothers have enough time to engage in entrepreneurial activities, save enough money to take care of fewer children, young girls devote more time to academics as they needn’t stay home taking care of young siblings, and the mothers are less strained from unplanned multiple childbirth injuries.
Orrin (my co-fellow) and I work in one of the worst hit regions/districts with high fertility rates in Uganda, standing at 2 more children above the country’s average of 5.97 children per woman. The statistics are readily attributed to the low profile exhibited by the women residents in the region, and they have no say on matters pertaining to their sexual life. Families here are highly polygamous, men exercise a lot of power on most of the decisions regarding contraceptive use. If we really want to reclaim civilization and forecast social and economic development in our countries, things need to change.
Women’s ability to control their fertility and method of contraception is highly dependent on their self-image and sense of empowerment. We need to refute perceptions, myths, psycho-social, and traditional beliefs when it comes to women’s emancipation, Men and women have equal intelligence and no one deserves marginalization when it comes to decision making.