“The rise of women does not mean the fall of men. To all the men out there, who enable women rise, press and progress, we say thank you”
Loretta Ogboro-Okor, 2018
March is the month associated with the celebration of women and the health of women. To start with, March is the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the United Kingdom. The International Women’s Day is in March and the Mothering Sunday is also in March this year 2018.
The March Celebration Of Women and Why
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women worldwide and did you know that despite the 8th of May every year being set aside as World Ovarian Cancer Day, it is the month of March that is designated the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the UK (may vary in other countries). The reason for the apparent duplicity to generate ovarian cancer discuss is not far fetched. In our opinion, it is because about a quarter of a million women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 140,000 die of it*. This makes it the cancer of women with the lowest survival rate. The absence of any screening test, the insidious or slow nature of the symptoms and the disease progress makes diagnosis late especially in resource low countries. The burden is huge – the effort therefore needs to be doubled!
Mothering Sunday is a holiday observed by Protestant and Catholic Christians in many parts of Europe. It falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent and is an occasion for honouring mothers and those who play motherly roles. It is now often referred to as mother’s day.
The International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year to mark the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Although it first emerged from activities of Labour Movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe, it has now assumed a global dimension for women from both high and low income countries.
The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945 was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of quality between women and men.
“Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time and the greatest human rights challenge in our world”
– UN Sec-Gen Antonio Gutterres
International Women’s Day is not only a time to reflect on the progress made so far, it is also an annual stimulus for the continued call for change. Furthermore, it is a catalyst to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries. It is a day to shine the light on the ladies who have contributed to society with their talent, perseverance and timeless wisdom.
So this month of March, as we celebrate women worldwide, LR will be celebrating some of the women who have graced our platform over the years. LR platform has brought to limelight remarkable inspiring stories of women who have stood out in their fields of endeavour and who by sheer will and determination have made an impact on their environment. Simply click on the links below for more on any of these women or women celebratory events.
Each year the International Women’s Day gathers momentum because women are becoming more empowered than ever before to stand up for their rights and be heard. What ever the nomenclature one decides to append to gender: equality, sensitivity, balance, neutrality, in the final analysis, what lies at the core of these terms is simple and similar. It is the fact all humans are born equal and should be treated as such.
We at LR look forward to bringing to this platform more remarkable and inspiring stories of women and men who support women. We encourage everyone to do what you have to do to make a positive difference for women so that issues like ‘ equal pay for equal work’; ‘child marriages’; ‘female genital mutilation’ and all other forms of discrimination against women and children will be things found only in our history books.
The Excellent Yummy Mummy Award 2018, held in London on the 10th of March is one of such positive action in the right direction that reinforces the celebration of excellence in women. We congratulate Kafy Shyine and all the organisers for a job well done as they join us to celebrate this March, all the women and men who support women, that are marching on without giving up.
*World Ovarian Cancer Coalition (WOCC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) fact files web resources*
Many thanks to Eryho Obodo and Loretta Ogboro-Okor, our editors who have put this together.
