International Women's Day - A Grassroots Approach
WiLDAF Ghana marked the centennial celebration of International Woman's Day this past March 8th, by asking local women of all ages their opinions about the occasion; any advice they could herald; their thoughts on what remains to be done for the advancement of women.
When a woman is told that she is unable to achieve something and is discouraged, she needs to have faith in herself; when everyone is going against her, she must look at what she wants to do and believe that it is something she is able to do. I would advise those women who have achieved success to help others climb the ladder of success. This does not always mean financially, sometimes all you need is to share a word with a person. If we focus only on ourselves to achieve success and stop there, we leave the rest behind. But if we lend them a helping hand, then they can also join in our successes. I think celebrating IWD is a great way to get people to share their experiences, and encourages others to follow. My advice for our youth is to stay focused on their goals and to refrain from peer pressure. My message to those who are underprivileged in rural areas is for them to adopt the can do spirit. You see some people who sell pure water, and they use this income to build houses and educate their children. So as a farmer in a rural area, you need to tell yourself if someone else did this, I can also do it. If you encourage yourself there is no way that anyone can discourage you. I also want to stress the importance of educating our children. I come from a village in the central region where some parents aren’t aware of the importance of taking their children to school. Our children are the future.
I think women in the world are doing a great job and they should go on doing the great work they are doing. They are helping us in different ways, I think they are doing well. The advice I have for my fellow age mates is to continue learning so they can achieve more. For those ladies that have already achieved success, I think they should inform the world how they did it so that we can also follow their path.
I heard of IWD on the radio and television yesterday. This day is used to congratulate women for their hard work. As caretakers of the house, they get tired a lot because the burden/workload usually falls on women, so today we are congratulating them. My message on this day is to acknowledge that women are equal (to men) and they should keep up the work, the work is for us so we should do it well. Globally, I wish that women be given the same chances as men, if men give us a chance, we are able to accomplish any mandate, even the presidency but we are not given the chance, we are often refused.
International Women’s Day is a day we have set aside to celebrate the achievements of women. My message for women today is to congratulate them for their hard work, their efforts, and their achievements in everything they do; in their homes, churches and organizations. I admire them because they work hard to prove themselves wherever they stand, to prove that really women can do what men can do. It is my prayer that underprivileged women also be encouraged, to not be pushed behind, but always get in front so when they are called to do something.
I heard of international women’s day as I was getting dropped off. My understanding is today we are celebrating women internationally; their achievements and for how far women have come in terms of the leadership roles and the great heights they have achieved. I love the adage that goes “what a man can do, a woman can do better. But I also encourage women to be themselves, to not to play the role of men, but as women try you possible best to be women and not compare your achievements to that of a man’s. I think that those women who have set the pace should go to the rural areas to motivate the women there, but telling them of what they have been able to achieve despite all of the challenges that they have faced.
I think that international women’s day is a nice idea, and I think you should continue to educate ladies and young women about this particular day. A message that I have for women is that we should work hard to achieve something better and good. The youth should also try hard to live good lives so they can become role models and heroes of our country. We should encourage those that lack encouragement; we should educate them and talk to them to let them know that if they do something great for their country, they will be remembered.