The acting Director of Gender Relations, Janey Joseph, has issued a statement in acknowledgement of International Women’s Day. The statement follows:
International Women’s Day Message by acting Director of Gender Relations, Janey Joseph.
Theme: Time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives
The Department of Gender Relations extends warm greetings to all women and girls on the occasion of International Women’s Day: March 8th 2018
This year’s theme, “Time is now: rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives” is a call to immediate action. “Time is Now” probes an understanding of the time in which we are existing today. Our now is instant, dynamic, innovative, bold, open, flexible and free. Our now allows us to cut through age, geographical location, culture and gender. Our now connects us in innovative ways. Our now is full of opportunity and potential. Our now is also charged with a universal passion to make public the painful reality that women everywhere, by virtue of being women, endure privately all the time. And in Saint Lucia our now has brought to light the unabated acts of violence against our women.
Everyone is called to action, men and women alike. We may be in different places, performing different roles, but wherever we are, regardless what we have or do, we are called to act; to be doers, activists. We cannot remain silent in the face of inequality and injustice. We must use the bold time that now presents to confront the real issues of inequality and injustice head on. We must ask the difficult questions and feel free to press forward, doing what is necessary to achieve gender parity.
Transforming women’s lives (and not just their conditions or their status) requires connection – getting down to connecting to the real person, behind the roles, behind the masks, behind the scenes. When a woman’s life is transformed, a whole generation is transformed because the lives of women impact everyone.
So I urge you to use this space that the observance of International Women’s Day affords us to validate the work that all types of activists have been doing to transform the lives of women and above all be empowered to bring out the activist in you.
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