Allies and advocates for equality

by Christian Santos, Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism

This is the first year that I mark International Women’s Day in my official capacity as Minister for Equality but I have always been a firm supporter of and advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion.

International Women’s Day has become International Women’s Day Week and my schedule the past few days has included many events organised by different organisations, companies, businesses and bodies. I take heart in the fact that, regardless of gender, many people are interested and united in advancing gender equality and that International Women’s Day grows year on year.

Every event has a different format and a different focus for whilst there are many issues that affect women and that unite women, at the same time, it is equally important to highlight that women are not a homogenous group. We can only fully appreciate the complexity of women’s experiences if we apply an intersectional lens.

International Women’s Day is often seen as an opportunity to amplify women’s voices and to increase their visibility and their presence in a world which is still far from being gender equal. These are laudable aims but if they are to be successful, they cannot be relegated to a day or even a week and then forgotten until the next International Women’s Day. They must be more firmly embedded in our practices and even in the language that we choose to use. We can all contribute to accelerating gender equality by ensuring that there is diversity of representation in the personal and professional groups that we belong to, by learning more about the issues that directly affect and impact women and by actively listening to women. We can all be allies and advocates for gender equality by calling out unfair practices, by calling out misogynistic language and behaviours and by challenging gender stereotypes. We can all be allies and advocates by insisting on equal value, worth and respect for all. These are fundamental human rights and the basic cornerstones of any civil and democratic society.

International Women’s Day speaks to all of us a little differently and however you choose to mark the day, whether it’s looking backwards and paying tribute to the generations of women who have come before us, or looking forwards to effecting positive change for current and future generations I would like to ask you to harness today’s enthusiasm and energy and channel it throughout the course of the year in ways that are sustainable and have a lasting impact.