Tag

Slider

Browsing

World Food Day 2025: Women — The Backbone of Global Food Security

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together — and in the journey to end hunger, we go forward on the strength of women.” — Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Every year on October 16, the world celebrates World Food Day, marking the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. This year, as FAO commemorates its 80th anniversary, the global theme — “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” reminds us that ending hunger and malnutrition requires collective action, inclusivity, and innovation. While millions around the world are burdened by food insecurity, women remain at the heart of the global food chain, yet often at the periphery of benefits and recognition. Around 673 million people still live without adequate food, even as obesity and food waste continue to…

World Mental Health Day: Breaking the Silence on Women’s Mental Health in Emergencies

Hadiza Kumi sat quietly amid the ruins of what used to be her home, clutching her child’s hand and staring into the distance. The bombs had stopped, but inside her, another war raged, one that no one could see. “I survived,” she whispered, “but I don’t feel alive.” Her words echo the silent struggles of millions of women across crisis zones worldwide, survivors, caregivers, and fighters who carry invisible wounds long after the world’s attention fades. Women’s mental health isn’t peripheral, it’s foundational to healing societies. On this World Mental Health Day 2025, the call is clear: let us listen, act, and ensure no voice is silenced. The Silent Crisis behind the Headlines Every year on October 10, the world marks World Mental Health Day, a moment to confront stigma, amplify awareness, and push for accessible care. The 2025 theme, “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” shines…

International Equal Pay Day 2025: Closing the Gaps, Honoring Women’s Worth

When Cordelia Adakule, a brilliant software developer in Lagos, discovered that her male colleague, less experienced and trained by her, earned almost 30% more for the same role, she was devastated. “It was not just about the money,” she said, “it was about respect.” Cordelia’s story is echoed by millions of women across the world. Despite working just as hard, if not harder, women are still consistently undervalued in the global labor market. On September 18, 2025, the world pauses to mark International Equal Pay Day, a day dedicated to exposing and addressing this injustice. This year’s theme, “Policy Options to Close the Gender Pay Gap Over the Life Course,” calls on governments, organizations, and societies to design strategies that ensure women are paid fairly, not just at one stage of life, but throughout their entire careers. What is the Gender Pay Gap? The gender pay gap refers to the…

World Patient Safety Day: Celebrating Women Nurses and Midwives as Frontline Guardians of Safety

I remember sitting in the dimly lit recovery ward of the hospital, clutching my friend’s hand. She had given birth just hours earlier, but something was “off”; her heartbeat fluttered, she was dizzy, pale. The midwife seemed overworked, rushing through checks; the doctor delayed. By morning, my friend was slipping into hemorrhagic shock, having lost too much blood. Against the odds, she survived, but only because one nurse, refusing to look away, insisted the drip be replaced and a specialist called. That moment toggled between life and death, and it showed me how fragile “safe care” really is, especially for women. That story isn’t unique. All around the world, women face uneven odds in hospitals and clinics, simply because systems designed to protect all still leave too many exposed. On World Patient Safety Day 2025, we shine a light on those gaps, celebrate those who fight as’ guardians of patient…

Can Women’s Career Success Be a Recipe for Divorce?

The rise of women as top executives, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders has changed the face of the global workforce. But with these gains in career success comes a pressing question: Does women’s professional advancement place marriages at risk? The answer is complex. While career achievement can reshape marital dynamics in ways that create tension, it can also strengthen relationships, depending on how couples adapt. Shifting Gender Roles and Expectations Traditionally, marriages were built on clearly defined roles: men were the providers while women managed the home. This arrangement often limited women’s ambitions. But today, women earn almost half of all U.S. household incomes and outpace men in higher education. Globally, more women are climbing into leadership positions than ever before. This progress has disrupted old expectations. Studies show that marriages where wives earn more than their husbands are more likely to face strain, as some men struggle with the reversal…

The Feminine Economy: Women Redesigning Capitalism in South America

Across South America, women are not just entering existing markets; they are transforming them. From Cartagena’s micro-enterprises to Indigenous-led bio-economies deep in the Amazon, women are reshaping value chains, governance models, and ownership structures. Their work insists that economic growth must serve not only profit but also social and ecological well-being. This evolution, often described as the rise of a feminine economy, is not merely about increasing women’s participation in capitalism but about reimagining how economies function at their very core. Rethinking Economic Power The term feminine economy does not imply that women are inherently different economic actors. Instead, it acknowledges how women’s historic exclusion from formal power has inspired alternative approaches to wealth creation and distribution. In South America, where Indigenous traditions of reciprocity and solidarity intersect with contemporary feminist movements, women are pioneering models that challenge the extractive and hierarchical nature of traditional capitalism. Scholars and activists such…

International Day of Democracy: Celebrating the Women Who Lead, Legislate, and Transform the World

“The future of democracy is written not only in ballots, but in the courage of women who refuse silence.” As the world marks the International Day of Democracy 2025 under the theme “From Voice to Action,” one truth rings clear: the story of democracy is incomplete without women. For generations, women across continents have pushed against barriers of exclusion, prejudice, and systemic silencing. Today, their presence as presidents, prime ministers, ministers, and grassroots organizers is not just symbolic, it is the oxygen that sustains inclusive governance. From Struggles to Seats of Power The journey has not been easy. Democracy has never been gender-neutral. For centuries, women were denied the most basic democratic right, the vote. When suffragists in the United States, United Kingdom, and beyond took to the streets in the early 20th century, they were dismissed, mocked, and jailed. In many countries, it took until the late 20th or…