International Women's Day

Every year, we recognize International Women’s Day - a holiday established to acknowledge women’s achievements, all over the world. Today in Zambia, schools closed and children instead attended parades, filling the streets to honor half of the world’s population. Though this day celebrates the progression of women’s rights, it also highlights the need for continued enhancement of gender equality.
 
While the global gender disparity gap has diminished over time, girls in every part of the world - particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa – still struggle with access to equity. Too often, young girls are refused one of their basic human rights: the right to an education. 

“Girls’ education is both an intrinsic right and a critical lever to reaching other development objectives. Providing girls with an education helps break the cycle of poverty: educated women are less likely to marry early and against their will; less likely to die in childbirth; more likely to have healthy babies; and are more likely to send their children to school.”
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Though advancements have been made, it will take more than an annual occasion to enact sustainable change. We, as citizens of this world, must stand together and continue empowering women everywhere. Advocating for just one eager girl’s right to an education can encourage other young girls around her to also pursue theirs, ultimately creating a ripple of change. modzi emphasizes the philosophy that providing educational opportunity to just one person can inspire that very change. Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day, and the fact that education continues to promote equal opportunity for all.