AS the International Women’s Day approaches, women and other people across the globe should reflect on successes and failures in their quest to promote equality and fairness in all spheres of life.
Usually, the womenfolk come together to celebrate this important day on the global calendar without accommodating men, who in fact should be part of all efforts to bridge the gap between people of opposite sex.
therefore, in promoting equality, women should craft programmes in such a way that men will also have a voice or an active role to play so that efforts to champion the rights of women and girls can yield the desired result.
Excluding men from such programmes will leave women with a lone voice which will not have an impact at any level at all.
In his message to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon rightly points out that the World is highlighting the importance of achieving equality for women and girls not simply because it is a matter of fairness and fundamental human rights, but because progress in so many other areas depends on it.
Thus all the people regardless of their sex must emphasise the importance of achieving equality for women and girls to ensure that there is progress in many areas.
In Zambia, this year’s theme is ‘inspiring change to bring social equality to be fully human and alive.’
At global level, the theme is ‘equality for Women is Progress for all.’
In both cases, the catch word is equality which all inhabitants across the globe must propagate in order to sustain progress in political, economic, and social spheres.
There are so many reasons why women are important in all endeavours and this primarily stems from the fact that a man is meant to be with a woman in partnership from the Biblical viewpoint.
In Genesis 2: 18, the Bible quotes God as having said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2: 19-22 says: “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
“But for Adam, no suitable helper was found.  So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
Since from the Biblical point of view the emphasis has been that man and woman need each other, even on matters relating to the commemoration of the International Women’s Day, men should be included in all programmes.
Men and women must work closely.
In fact, Biblically, a woman is so close to the man because she is made of his flesh.
This is illustrated in Genesis 2:23 “The man said, ‘this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
In most instances, the advocacy has been lopsided because men have been excluded by women who have often embarked on exuberant march pasts and celebrations that can be more meaningful if the opposite sex is actively involved.
Round-table discussions or debates should have both men and women putting together ideas that will stimulate better life and rights for the womenfolk and girls.
It is sad, however, that usually the day is celebrated with hard-hitting speeches and lamentations from women without corresponding energy in implementing resolutions from such gatherings.
The event becomes routine without practical solutions and lamentations continue year-in-year-out.
We urge organisers of events relating to International Women’s Day to accommodate a significant number of men in all programmes. Men will make a positive difference.
Men on the other hand, must   shrug off  the pride and traditional undertones and join women in all activities aimed at promoting equality.
Locally, Gender and Child Development Minister Inonge Wina says Government will continue to recognise the exemplary service of the outstanding women who have contributed directly or
indirectly to social development of the country.
More effort is required from Non-Governmental Organisations and other entities to promote equality.  OPINION