International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s to celebrate women´s economic, political, and social achievements and also to commemorate our struggle for due rights. It is not clear when this special day started but many believe it began in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and the right to vote. As the movement for equal rights for women picked up, women in different European countries started observing National Women’s Day in their respective countries. The day got international recognition in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited Member States to proclaim 8 March as the UN Day for Women´s Rights and International Peace.
While discussing celebration of International Women’s Day with my colleagues at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), I came across the story of an outspoken young woman, Sushila Pandit, who impressed everyone as a participant of a consultative workshop on gender experiences and strategies for adaptation to climate change organized by ICIMOD in March 2011. On an impulse, I decided to call her to get to know her better. Her story is indeed inspirational.
As a student of environmental science, Sushila was drawn to issues of nature conservation, environmental protection and climate change. Though still a student, she decided to become more active and began volunteering with Kathmandu Municipality in its solid waste management program. While working as a city volunteer, she realized the importance of protecting the overall environment to stop the surging impact of climate change in Nepal. She and her friends soon initiated a group of dedicated volunteers who aimed to put climate change on the national map through intensive advocacy with the members of the Constituent Assembly.
At the time she was one of only three girls among the ten voluntary members of the group. Part of the group’s plan was to conduct one-on-one meetings with the Constituent Assembly members to try to convince them of the importance of working on climate change issues. In 2009, when the British Council instituted the International Climate Champion awards for the first time in Nepal, Sushila was selected as one of the ten international climate champions in Nepal. Today, she is working to establish her own organization, Team of Helping Hands for Healthy Environment–Nepal (THE-Nepal), with like-minded friends.
The reason I am writing about this young woman on International Women’s Day is not just to celebrate her sheer grit and determination and her achievements, but also to highlight the struggles that are so much a part and parcel of the journey towards breaking the mould that society sets for us, particularly as girls and women.
For Sushila, too, this journey was not without its trials. As a young woman she did not always find it easy to follow her heart. For example, as a volunteer trying to influence the Constituent Assembly members, she often had to keep odd hours. Given the time constraints, both for the assembly members and for the volunteers as they were also students, the volunteers were either given appointments early in the morning or in the evenings. This was not a comfortable situation for Sushila as a young woman. Questions from people close to her on why she needed to stay out late, for unpaid work, often bothered her. This was probably the first time that she realized how a person’s social identity as a man or woman restricts the optimal use of time, and, by extension, resources.
However, Sushila made an interesting observation that gives this challenge a different spin. She feels that it is not the fact of ‘being a girl’ but the kind of ‘enabling environment’ for a girl that really determines her destiny. For example, Sushila remembers that some girls in the group were able to negotiate the time factor better because their families understood the limitations under which the group was working and supported them. While a family’s concern for their girl’s safety is valid, is restricting her movement the only way to keep her safe?
This brings us to the next hurdle that every young woman trying to make her mark in the world has to face. A young woman volunteer often invites unwarranted attention from the people with whom she interacts. A casual invitation for coffee is sometimes enough to make a girl feel insecure and may halt her efforts to gain experience and competitive edge. However, Sushila is also quick to point out that she does not want to paint all men as villains. She recalls that some of her biggest supporters were the young men in her group who always encouraged her and helped her in every possible way. This begs some introspection. We often assume that the discourse on gender equality is all about men versus women. But the truth is, it is about challenging our notions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ and redefining our roles as men and women. Those who are able to go beyond traditional notions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ will always champion the cause of equality irrespective of whether they are men or women.
Sushila’s journey is an eye opener about the subtle ways that the society we live in and, sometimes unwittingly, our own family and friends restrict our opportunities and potential. At the same time it is also an example of infinite possibilities for young girls if we can provide them the enabling environment and support they deserve. Sushila is glad that her family stood by her; this made her struggle easier. If we want to connect our girls to inspiring futures, then we need to find innovative ways to give them freedom of movement, to promote them, and to award their efforts, in order to instill in them self-confidence and belief. And above all we need to recognize their right to fulfill their potential. Happy International Women’s Day!
The writer is the Gender and Climate Change Expert with Gender and Governance Division at ICIMOD. The views are personal
sbisht@icimod.org
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